it is not good that man should be alone

Genesis 2:18"Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

It is not good that the man should be alone!  Before we get into that we need to make mention of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 7.  To sum, Paul says, in his opinion, that it is better if one is single to remain that way so that their concern will be of serving the LORD.  However, if one is without self-control and burns with passion, Paul says to get married.  Although, to the one that is married Paul says that his interests are divided between the world and the LORD.  One who is married seeks to please their spouse (in the LORD) and has children (Gen. 1:28).  Paul makes this very clear that it is not to be taken as God’s word and commandment, rather his opinion. 


But as we look at Genesis 2:18, God makes it clear that “it is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”  This is paramount to our existence; because,God commands the man and woman to multiply and fill the earth.  Without this act there would be no one to write this post nor anyone to read it. Before the rabbits take our attention from the task at hand, let us again focus on Genesis 2:18.  It is not good that the man should be alone.  This speaks to God’s characteristics and we will address a few. 


First God is relational. 
In the God head trinity God has deep meaningful relationship within Himself. Confusing?  Sure, but know that God did not need us to have relationship, He created us to enjoy the value of relationship both with Him and other humans. The man could not have a relationship with animals.  Yes, I understand the warm fuzzies dogs and other pets bring, but it is in no way comparable to the relational feelings another human can return. 


While animals can play with you, show unconditional love, and help benefit mental faculties, they are unable to console with words, wisdom, and hugs.  You cannot carry on a deep meaningful conversation with your pet.   Rather you can but you may trade that conversation for a loss of freedom for fear that you have gone wacky. 


Joking aside the point is this, God created man to have a deep meaningful relationship with Him and with other humans.  In the case of Genesis 2:18 it was “a helper suitable for him.”  The woman! I hear the screams now from both genders “I don’t need a man to be happy” and “I don’t need no woman.”  I would agree here as we have pointed out in Paul’s words found in 1 Corinthians 7; however, what we are addressing here is God’s perspective. 


Secondly, God is intimate. 
Again, within the God head trinity, God has intimacy.  However, He created mankind to experience and enjoy that deep intimacy that we feel when we grow close to someone (i.e., our spouse). Better than that, God wanted us to experience the sheer joy that comes from having a deep intimacy with Him. Not because He needed it, rather He knew we would.  Intimacy grows when two people experience a level of “togetherness” that is no possible with animals.  That intimacy grows to joyous depths when those two people spend an exuberant amount of time with God. 


Third God is loving. 
If you wish to examine “true love” in action look no further than the cross of Christ.  God came down to be born in human flesh so that He could relate to us, identify with us, live like us, experience all the pain, loss, and temptation like us.  Then God went to the cross to die for us as the sinless sacrifice, because your sins and my sins require payment.  “The wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23) and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“(Romans 3:23).  Before He went to the cross He was beaten, whipped, mocked, and treated horribly.  Why don’t we let Isaiah tell us in his own words in chapter 53 of his book. 


Isaiah 53               1  Who has believed our message?
         And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
               2      For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
         And like a root out of parched ground;
         He has no stately form or majesty
         That we should look upon Him,
         Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
               3      He was despised and forsaken of men,
         A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
         And like one from whom men hide their face
         He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
 
               4      Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
         And our sorrows He carried;
         Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
         Smitten of God, and afflicted.
               5      But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
         He was crushed for our iniquities;
         The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
         And by His scourging we are healed.
               6      All of us like sheep have gone astray,
         Each of us has turned to his own way;
         But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
         To fall on Him.
 
               7      He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
         Yet He did not open His mouth;
         Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
         And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
         So He did not open His mouth.
               8      By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
         And as for His generation, who considered
         That He was cut off out of the land of the living
         For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
               9      His grave was assigned with wicked men,
         Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
         Because He had done no violence,
         Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
 
               10      But the LORD was pleased
         To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
         If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
         He will see His offspring,
         He will prolong His days,
         And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
               11      As a result of the anguish of His soul,
         He will see it and be satisfied;
         By His knowledge the Righteous One,
         My Servant, will justify the many,
         As He will bear their iniquities.
               12      Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
         And He will divide the booty with the strong;
         Because He poured out Himself to death,
         And was numbered with the transgressors;
         Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
         And interceded for the transgressors.
​

When we love our spouse, we love sacrificially. It is difficult and it will bear scars but it is only because God loved us that we are capable of such an act toward another human.  We are finally at the purpose of this post, and that is to address Genesis 2:18 in a 1 Corinthians 13:11 world.  This world is full of men who act like little boys, sitting around all day playing games and seeking their own interest.  My friends, this ought not to be so.  It is not good for the man to be alone.  What did God create to rectify this foreseeable problem?

• Did the Lord God make man an x-box? NO!
• Did the Lord God make man a TV? NO!
• Did the Lord God make man football? NO!
• Did the Lord God make man a drink? NO!
• Did the Lord God make man a supped up sports car? NO!
• Did the Lord God make man a computer to view derogatory images through? NO!
• Did the Lord God make man a smartphone? NO!
• Did the Lord God make man a Sunday NFL ticket? NO!

God made man a woman!  To love, cherish, protect, and sacrificially serve.  He made man a woman, a helper suitable to him. He did not make the woman from the mans head to be above him, nor from his feet to be trampled by him; but rather, from the mans side to be protected, loved and cherished by him. 
Again, you 1 Corinthians 7 men are to devote your time to the LORD.  Married or not know that, “when you were a child, you used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when you became a man, you did away with childish things.”  Do away with childish things to the Glory of God.