The Creation of Woman: Why Did God Create Woman?
Shared on June 2, 2024
There is a misguided belief that God does not use women when scripture proves otherwise. Join Pastor McCrary for the first lesson of the summer quarter to learn about why God created woman. We will learn that God can use anyone He desires whether man, woman, boy, or girl.
Introduction
This week’s lesson is the first lesson in the Summer Quarter 2024! This quarter of lessons is titled “God’s Work Through Women and Youths”. It is often believed that the Lord has only worked through men in the past and that the Lord only works through men today. Yet, as we will see this quarter, that thought is simply not true.
As Paul wrote, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty (1 Cor. 1:27). Is that to say that women and children are foolish or weak in the eyes of God? Absolutely not. God sees strength, value, and purpose in all of us. Certain men, however, have believed themselves to be superior to all people because of their sex, race, and wealth.
Man Needs a Helper
Our lesson opens in the Garden of Eden, where Adam, man, is alone in the garden. What was it that Adam did in the garden? Adam simply dwelt in the garden. Scripture tells us that while Adam was dwelling in the garden he named each living creature of the field and the air (Gen. 2:19-20). Other than that, Adam was simply dwelling in the garden. We often like to say that Adam tended to the garden like a gardener but there was no labor for him in the garden.
Now, as he was dwelling in the garden, the Lord looked on and said, “It is not good that man shall be alone (Gen. 2:18).” What makes this statement so fascinating is the fact that Adam was living a life with no hard labor. May I suggest to you that Adam was enjoying peace in the garden. May I suggest to you that because he was enjoying peace in the garden, he had joy in the garden.
So, why do you think the Lord said it was not good that man should be alone? Now, I’m a very introverted person- that is to say that I love my alone time. Though I do love my alone time, there is great joy when I’m able to be around my loved ones. There is laughter and there is great happiness when I am with them.
Now, Adam certainly had peace and joy in the garden, but it seems that peace and joy was diluted. It was like the happiness of picking up a cold cup of lemonade, but you drink it and it’s watered down- it tastes OK but it could be sweeter. All the beasts of the field and birds of the air had their mates, but Adam was alone.
God created mankind to be fruitful and to multiply (Gen. 1:28). What does that scripture mean to you? Most folks look at the scripture and think about man literally multiplying in the world. However, we should begin to understand that the Lord’s desire for mankind is to prosper in the soul.
Sadly, we have gotten so far away from this train of thought that we don’t even understand what it means to prosper in the soul. God desires that the soul be filled with joy. Adam needed a helper to help increase his joy of living.
God Provides Man’s Helper
So, let’s take a look at the helper that God gave to Adam that would help to increase his joy of living.
First, let’s not overlook the fact that the Lord desired to make Adam a helper that was comparable to him (Gen. 2:18). I love that the King James Version translate “helper” for “help meet.” So, what does this mean?
The helper would be just like Adam, his equal. Unlike the animals, Adam would be able to communicate with and understand his helper. Adam’s helper would share the same intelligence, feelings, and emotions as he did. As introverted as I am, we all need to be able to communicate with someone. We all need someone to be able to understand us! It is not good when we feel like we are alone in the world.
So, the Lord put Adam to sleep and performed the first surgery. The Lord took one of Adam’s ribs and from it He made woman (Gen. 2:21-22). This is a verse that I imagine has caused many people to google whether or not men are missing a rib. Unless there is some kind of condition present, we all share the same skeletal structure.
Connected through the rib
This would lead some to wonder if this story of God’s surgery on Adam to make woman is real. Well, it is real or at least I am one to believe God literally took one of Adam’s ribs. Could God have made woman from the dust of the ground as he did with Adam? Sure. However, using Adam’s rib showed the connectivity between him and woman- they were the same, they were equal.
We see this feeling of connection when Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh (Gen. 2:23).” Would this kind of connection have been the same if the Lord did not use Adam’s bone? I don’t think so.
While all of us are individuals, we can still consider each other to be flesh and blood. Sure, we have our differences in sex, but we still share the same skeletal, digestive, and respiratory systems. I can look at my neighbor and can consider how we are able to trace our lineages through connections. That wouldn’t feel quite the same if we didn’t come from the seeds of those that came before us.
Joined together to be one
Genesis 1:24 states, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
We had a Sunday School lesson a few months ago – “God-Honoring Families” – that took a look at the relationship of husband and wife. Paul wrote, “Wives, submit to your own husbands” (Eph. 5:22). As I often state, this is one of the most controversial scriptures in the bible! The reason why it’s so controversial is because it’s greatly misunderstood.
There has always been this notion that women are inferior to men. I want to be clear that is not how the Lord views women. Again, God created woman to be comparable to man. The misguided view that women are inferior to men comes from a place of pure ignorance!
In Ephesians 5:25, Paul wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church.” The significance of Christ loving the church is that the church is the wife (bride) of Christ! Christ gave His life for His bride! Christ lives in submission to His wife to do everything to please her and make her happy. At the same time, the church should live in submission to Christ to please Him.
When a man and a woman come together in marriage, they are supposed to be equally joined together. To be clear, one doesn’t have a say over the other as a superior to an inferior. The union between man and woman is to be together as one. The goal, again, is for both to uplift each other to newer heights of joy as they live.
Created for marriage and childbirth?
Now, this may cause some of us to wonder if this means we are required to get married in life. There are many people that view marriage and having a family as the purpose in life while others don’t care about marriage. Some believe that women were only made for the purpose of marriage and childbirth. What are your thoughts and do they align with scripture?
Now, I believe anyone who thinks that women were made only for the purpose of sex, childbirth, and marriage are very mistaken. Proverbs 18:22 states, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” So, marriage is a blessing but is it required? I want to take a look at scripture from Matthew 19:1-12.
In this passage of scripture, the religious leaders asked Jesus, “Is is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” The religious leaders asked Jesus that question just to test him. Jesus said divorce is permitted to those whose spouse has been sexually immoral. However, divorce just to marrying another was committing adultery. Jesus said marrying the one that was divorced is also committing adultery.
As the disciples understood Jesus’ answer, and not wanting to be caught up in adultery, they had a suggestion to make. They said to Jesus, “it is better not to marry.” Now, there are many people who would disagree entirely with this suggestion but Jesus’ response is very important. Jesus responded, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those whom it has been given (Matt. 19:11).”
I feel like this is a message that needs to be blasted everywhere when it comes to marriage. You see, this was Jesus saying that marriage is not for everyone. Some folks are happy to be alone and don’t feel it necessary to get married and Jesus said that’s fine. However, some folks desire married life and, again, Jesus said to them that’s fine as well. The key is for everyone to be happy with the decision they make.
Created to be happy
Were women made only for the purpose of sex, childbirth, and marriage? That same question could be asked of men as well, right? God created mankind to be fruitful and to multiply, but this statement has nothing to do with marriage and having babies! We were created to help uplift each other and we can all do that together.
Women have just as much a right to living the life they desire to live as men do. For too long, certain men have hindered this from happening. The only thing this has done is hindered the human race from truly being fruitful. Again, when one is held back from growing, we are all held back.
Something that I think all of us must come to realize is that just as women are men’s “help meet”, men should be their helpers as well. I’m not sure whether or not the world will come to this realization but those of faith must come to this realization. God has given us His way of marriage, divorce, love, and support. What those who are out of faith do will be between them and the Lord, but as believers we must strive to live according to His word.