God Creates the Family

September 23, 2018 Background Scripture: Genesis 2:18 – 24; 4:1, 2 Lesson Passage: Genesis 2:18 – 24; 4:1, 2 As stated in the previous lesson, dominion of the earth was not intended to be a one-man job. Mankind was to grow into the dominion of the earth as they multiplied and filled the earth with the glory of God. Being in the image and likeness of God, as mankind multiplied and filled the earth, God could look at the earth and see a reflection of His own glory. Adam was not created in a way that he could multiply himself. Adam needed companionship so that he would not be alone and so that they could together multiply and fill the earth. God allowed (required) Adam to review and name every animal upon the face of the earth. After this was accomplished, it was clear that none of the other creatures were suitable helpers for Adam. Therefore, God put Adam in an unconscious state and removed a bone from his side and reclosed the flesh. With that bone, God made a woman of the same substance that Adam was made of. God then brought her to Adam. Adam recognized that the woman was of the same substance that he was made of and called her “woman”. I find it interesting that Adam did not immediately recognize the woman as his “partner” to work alongside him. Instead, Adam recognized the woman as “part of” him. Whatever he was, she was the same. She was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. She was not bone and flesh like his but rather, she was his bone and flesh and Adam recognized that. Being “part of” him meant that together they completed each other, and they were again one person. The footnote to Adam’s recognition of this says that this is the reason that through marriage a man and woman are to become one flesh. It was through the reproductive process between this pair that God established the family. As we reflect again on Adam’s assessment of the woman, we see the necessary step that formed the proper foundation for the union of these two. Because Adam saw her as “part of” him, some things would be natural in this union. Whatever Adam did for himself, he would naturally do for her because she was “part of” him. The woman did not have to negotiate for anything or to earn anything because Adam would naturally give her whatever he gave himself. She was “part of” him. God did not give her an initial assignment because He had given Adam an assignment. When Adam carried out his God-given assignment, the woman would be there working with him because she was “part of” him. Adam’s assignment became their assignment. God never took the responsibility for the assignment from Adam, neither did He divide the responsibility between Adam and the woman. It was Adam’s assignment, but God gave him a helper who was suitable for Adam. After Adam sinned by breaking the one commandment God had given him, God expelled Adam and his helper from the Garden of Eden. Note that God did not treat the woman as Adam’s equal, He treated her as “part of” him. When Adam was expelled from the garden, all “parts” of him were expelled. The family was established outside the Garden of Eden when the woman became pregnant and gave birth. Her first born she called Cain and her second born she called Abel. The scriptures only note that she conceived once prior to giving birth to Cain and Abel. This leads many to believe that the two sons were twins. Thus, began the family of man. Robert C. Hudson September 5, 2018