![[#33] Genesis 2:20-23 – The Beauty and the Beasts](https://redeeminggod.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Eve-Adams-side-150x150.jpg)
People say that a dog is a man’s best friend, but when God sets out to create a partner for Adam, he rejects all the animals in the world, even the dogs. It’s a good thing too, because then God creates the woman.
The creation of the woman is what we are looking at today as we consider Genesis 2:20-23, the Beauty and the Beasts.
The Text of Genesis 2:20-23
So Adam gave names to all the cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
In this discussion of Genesis 2:20-23 we look at:
- Why the woman is not inferior to the man, even though she is a “helper”
- Why God first brings animals to Adam, even though God knows Adam needs a woman.
- Why the “rib” was not a rib.
- What it meant for God to put Adam into a deep sleep.
- How men and Women are equal, side-by-side partners in life.
Resources:
- Boners in the Bible
- Zevit, What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden
- Walton, Lost World of Adam and Eve
- Partner with Me
- Subscribe and Leave a Review on iTunes
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In the garden of Eden sat Adam,
massaging the chest of his Madame.
He giggled with mirth,
for he knew that on earth
There were only two boobs,
and he had ‘em!
Eve was the world’s first carpenter. She made Adam’s banana stand.
Adam said, “Hey God, I’ve got more bones. You got more women?”
You think Oedipus had a problem? Adam was Eve’s mother!
WAS EVE THE FIRST CLONE?
If Eve was created from Adam’s “rib” (the Bible actually says, “flesh and bone”) does that mean she was “cloned” from the DNA in Adam’s cells? A female cloned from a male would bear a closer resemblance than paternal twins do to each other. Talk about self-love. Makes incest look tame by comparison. Clone yourself a marriage partner. Hey, it may become the wave of the future. And the best part is it’s Biblical! “Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone,” clone of my clone.
Unless the Lord God was looking for an helpmeet for Adam, why did he cause the animals to pass before him . And why did he, after the menagerie had passed by, pathetically exclaim, “But for Adam there was not found an helpmeet for him”?
It seems that Adam saw nothing that struck his fancy. The fairest ape, the sprightliest chimpanzee; the loveliest baboon, the most bewitching orang-outang, the most fascinating gorilla failed to touch with love’s sweet pain, poor Adam’s lonely heart. Let us rejoice that this was so. Had he fallen in “love” then, there never would have been a Free-thinker in this world.
Dr. Adam Clarke, speaking of this remarkable proceeding says: — “God caused the animals to pass before Adam to show him that no creature yet formed could make him a suitable companion; that Adam was convinced that none of these animals could be a suitable companion for him, and that therefore he must continue in a state that was not good (celibacy) unless he became a further debtor to the bounty of his maker, for among all the animals which he had formed, there was not a helpmeet for Adam.”
Upon this same subject, Dr. Scott informs us “that it was not conducive to the happiness of the man to remain without the consoling society, and endearment of tender friendship, nor consistent with the end of his creation to be without marriage by which the earth might be replenished and worshipers and servants raised up to render him praise and glory. Adam seems to have been vastly better acquainted by intuition or revelation with the distinct properties of every creature than the most sagacious observer since the fall of man.
“Upon this review of the animals, not one was found in outward form his counterpart, nor one suited to engage his affections, participate in his enjoyments, or associate with him in the worship of God.”
Dr. Matthew Henry admits that “God brought all the animals together to see if there was a suitable match for Adam in any of the numerous families of the inferior creatures, but there was none. They were all looked over, but Adam could not be matched among them all. Therefore God created a new thing to be a helpmeet for him.”
Failing to satisfy Adam, with any of the inferior animals, the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall “upon him” and while in this sleep took out one of Adam’s ribs and “closed up the flesh instead thereof.” And out of this rib, the Lord God made a woman, and brought her to the man.
Was the Lord God compelled to take a part of the man because he had used up all the original “nothing” out of which the universe was made?
Imagine the Lord God with a bone in his hand with which to start a woman, trying to make up his mind whether to make a blonde or a brunette!
Three nuns die and arrive at heaven’s pearly gates where St. Peter tells them that he has to ask each of them one last question, merely as a formality, before they can enter heaven. He asks the first nun, “What was the name of the first man?”
She says, “Adam.” And bells ring, lights flash, the pearly gates open and the first nun steps through.
Peter asks the second nun, “What was the name of the first woman?”
She says, “Eve.” Bells ring, lights flash, the pearly gates open and the second nun steps through.
Then Peter asks the third nun, “What were the first words that the first woman spoke to the first man?”
The nun thinks for while, then says, “Gee, that’s a hard one.” Bells ring, lights flash, and the pearly gates open.
Jeremy; I have never said this before, but this guy’s (Edward’s) comments deserve to be deleted.
Feel free to delete mine now. 😉
I see. All of them? You do take your Genesis seriously.
More the off color jokes. I don’t mind serious debate.
In the garden of Eden sat Adam,
massaging the chest of his Madame.
He giggled with mirth,
for he knew that on earth
There were only two boobs,
and he had ‘em!
Eve was the world’s first carpenter. She made Adam’s banana stand.
Three nuns die and arrive at heaven’s pearly gates where St. Peter tells them that he has to ask each of them one last question, merely as a formality, before they can enter heaven. He asks the first nun, “What was the name of the first man?”
She says, “Adam.” And bells ring, lights flash, the pearly gates open and the first nun steps through.
Peter asks the second nun, “What was the name of the first woman?”
She says, “Eve.” Bells ring, lights flash, the pearly gates open and the second nun steps through.
Then Peter asks the third nun, “What were the first words that the first woman spoke to the first man?”
The nun thinks for while, then says, “Gee, that’s a hard one.” Bells ring, lights flash, and the pearly gates open.
Adam said, “Hey God, I’ve got more bones. You got more women?”
____________________________
You think Oedipus had a problem? Adam was Eve’s mother!
____________________________
WAS EVE THE FIRST CLONE?
If Eve was created from Adam’s “rib” (the Bible actually says, “flesh and bone”) does that mean she was “cloned” from the DNA in Adam’s cells? A female cloned from a male would bear a closer resemblance than paternal twins do to each other. Talk about self-love. Makes incest look tame by comparison. Clone yourself a marriage partner. Hey, it may become the wave of the future. And the best part is it’s Biblical! “Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone,” clone of my clone.
Unless the Lord God was looking for an helpmeet for Adam, why did he cause the animals to pass before him . And why did he, after the menagerie had passed by, pathetically exclaim, “But for Adam there was not found an helpmeet for him”?
It seems that Adam saw nothing that struck his fancy. The fairest ape, the sprightliest chimpanzee; the loveliest baboon, the most bewitching orang-outang, the most fascinating gorilla failed to touch with love’s sweet pain, poor Adam’s lonely heart. Let us rejoice that this was so. Had he fallen in “love” then, there never would have been a Free-thinker in this world.
Dr. Adam Clarke, speaking of this remarkable proceeding says: — “God caused the animals to pass before Adam to show him that no creature yet formed could make him a suitable companion; that Adam was convinced that none of these animals could be a suitable companion for him, and that therefore he must continue in a state that was not good (celibacy) unless he became a further debtor to the bounty of his maker, for among all the animals which he had formed, there was not a helpmeet for Adam.”
Upon this same subject, Dr. Scott informs us “that it was not conducive to the happiness of the man to remain without the consoling society, and endearment of tender friendship, nor consistent with the end of his creation to be without marriage by which the earth might be replenished and worshipers and servants raised up to render him praise and glory. Adam seems to have been vastly better acquainted by intuition or revelation with the distinct properties of every creature than the most sagacious observer since the fall of man.
“Upon this review of the animals, not one was found in outward form his counterpart, nor one suited to engage his affections, participate in his enjoyments, or associate with him in the worship of God.”
Dr. Matthew Henry admits that “God brought all the animals together to see if there was a suitable match for Adam in any of the numerous families of the inferior creatures, but there was none. They were all looked over, but Adam could not be matched among them all. Therefore God created a new thing to be a helpmeet for him.”
Failing to satisfy Adam, with any of the inferior animals, the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall “upon him” and while in this sleep took out one of Adam’s ribs and “closed up the flesh instead thereof.” And out of this rib, the Lord God made a woman, and brought her to the man.
Was the Lord God compelled to take a part of the man because he had used up all the original “nothing” out of which the universe was made?
Imagine the Lord God with a bone in his hand with which to start a woman, trying to make up his mind whether to make a blonde or a brunette!
Back in grad school I read somewhere that there was a rabbinical tradition that it was a dog that God gave Cain to protect him in Gen 4…hence the beginning of man’s best friend (as well as the inspiration of the Cain/dog relationship in the Kung Fu series).
Stop feeding your dog and see how good a friend he remains.
Mind the cultural gap next time, Jeremy Myers, instead of fawning all over Genesis. You won’t really find much in the way of answers there that you don’t already input via your own modern preconceptions about how best to accommodate such ancient literature with modern ideas. Here’s an example of exactly what I am speaking of The Cultural Divide Between the Ancient Near East and the Wealth of Modern Knowledge/Information
http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-cultural-divide-between-ancient.html
Of course culturally speaking, declaring someone’s mere comments anathema and casting them from one’s church is totally Christian, Pauline in fact, as if there aren’t enough electrons for both of us on the internet, as well as the Christian practice of burning books, and Christian emperors declaring non-Trinitarians demented and insane and subject to the emperor’s wrath right in the opening pages of Justinian’s Laws, and executing people for keeping copies of Prophyry and Arius.
I see my Song of Solomon info was also deleted as if the Anchor Bible Dictionary was anathema as well. Or don’t you want good Christian children to be introduced to sex via your oh so holy divine writings?
It begins before puberty, this curiosity, then obsession with sexual things. Even the best of little boys feel the need to ‘talk dirty’. It’s like a drug, in fact, it almost is. Testosterone is the most powerful influence in bodies of men. It could, therefore, be called the most influential chemical on earth. By the time a boy is in his late teens testosterone’s influence has established and solidified the boys sexual propensities and fantasies. Like Jekyll and Hyde, he is part wild animal. For the good boy, it takes most of his emotional resources to keep that animal contained. For the ‘bad boy’, he finds the best way to deal with Hyde is to yield to him. Like Pinocchio he starts smoking cigars; hanging with the bad boys; frequenting places where he can let the Hyde in him run free.
Even when this drug is no longer able to give that same high, it still provides a type of pleasure. Dopamine is released in our brain whenever we indulge in that area whenever our adolescent fantasies are triggered.
How men of various cultures regard ‘The Hyde’ in them’ differs greatly. Men of power: Qaddafi; King Solomon; even cult leaders, simply have harems or concubines to express and legitimize Hyde. The ancients knew this, and unlike us modern men, they accommodated and pacified Hyde. Sadly, even King David had Hyde with him until his last few days; the very young and beautiful Abishag was brought to King David in his death bed as an attempt arouse him to life – But for David, Hyde had finally died.
For most men, since Harems and concubines are out of fashion, sexual aggression has fewer outlets. Instead, depending on the level of conscience, Hyde is fed with nefarious activities, or, internet porn, voyeurism, trolling, talking dirty with special friends. Some can even afford to be sex tourists to countries where Hyde is better accommodated.
I really like the verse: “1Cor.1.18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
I think Paul is also referring to the crucified life; or “taking up the cross”. I believe this is God’s prescription for the Hyde in us. And when we fail, we ask for God’s grace, and get right back to carrying our cross’.
Thank God Hyde finally dies when we do; and Christianity differs from Islam in this respect, Hyde will not be resurrected, we will be free from him forever. However, shouldn’t we do something about him now when we recognize his ugly face? Ah, this is the great difference between real men, and boys.
I believe that is the beautiful picture of How the church will be born from and in and through Christ.
There was the first Adam and God created a woman from inside of a man, they become one. But this guy failed to play his role and later God sent other guy called the last Adam ( Jesus) and God created all again for new through Jesus and become one for eternal.
If you don’t find refre verses for it. I think you don’t have bible.