Genesis 2 starts out on day 7 of creation. God rests from all His work. It says God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. I've often wondered how a day is holy. I noticed that it doesn't say here to rest on the Sabbath yet. That must've come later. We'll find out.
This was before Adam and Eve sinned so working the ground wasn't hard yet. Maybe they didn't need a day of rest. It says that God had not sent rain on the earth yet, but the ground was watered by the large rivers that ran through it. The Tigris and the Euphrates are two rivers that ran through the Garden of Eden. These two rivers exist in Iraq today. I've often wondered where the Garden of Eden was located and if it still exists somewhere today so I looked online. I found the following from www.answersingenesis.com. (This was one of the homeschool science curriculums we looked into).
Some people in reading Genesis 2, think the Garden of Eden must've been located somewhere in Iraq near these rivers. However, these are not the same rivers that were in the Garden of Eden. The flood destroyed the Garden of Eden and all rivers were destroyed and covered over by miles thick of debris and rock. After the flood, Noah and his descendants must have renamed the new rivers that formed using some of the old names. OK, now I know. Interesting.
Genesis 2:18: "The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
I don't think this verse means that everyone should marry. I've heard some people use this verse in that way. I think that's taking it a little out of context. I think it means that man was alone. He had no one to talk to (except for God). As humans, God has made us as relational beings.
It reminds me of the movie, "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks. He was stuck on an island by himself with no one to talk to and he starts to go nuts and turns a volleyball into his best friend. Go a few days by yourself with only a baby to talk to, and you'll find yourself starting to go a little nuts too. We need to communicate with other humans. It must be so hard for disabled kids and kids with autism who are unable to speak but yet fully understand what's going on around them.
Today, man (in general) is not alone. We're surrounded by other people. I do think that God was thinking of the man having a partner for life, but I don't think that this verse implies that every man should marry because "it is not good for man to be alone." He said it was not good for "the" man to be alone, so he was talking about the one man (Adam) that He created, not all men in general. I think he was more implying that man shouldn't be alone on earth, and in order to accomplish the things that God wanted done (like populating the earth), Adam was going to need a helper. I could be wrong but that's my opinion.
Then God says, "I will make a helper suitable for Him." I think this has been taken out of context and misunderstood many times as well. Adam had a lot of work and a lot of animals that he was responsible for taking care of. I think in saying that it wasn't good for Adam to be alone and then following it up with, "I will make a helper suitable for Him," God was also saying, "many hands make light work." I think God intended it to be more of a 50-50 relationship. Husbands and wives should be working together to accomplish the things that God gives them. One main responsibility that God gives husbands and wives is the responsibility of raising a family that loves and glorifies God.
With God referring to woman as a helper to Adam, this implies that the bulk of the work and responsibilites were upon Adam. I don't think many men understand this passage. If they did, they'd be doing a whole lot more at home.
I've seen many households where the women do the bulk of the work. They are disciplining the kids, paying the bills, working outside of the home, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, helping the kids with homework, cooking, driving the kids everywhere, grocery shopping, leading the family spiritually, and everything in between. The husband comes home from his 8 to 10 hour work day and plops on the couch and expects his wife to then serve him and meet all his needs. How in the world can a wife be a helper when she's the one doing all the work? If anything, she is asking her husband for help. I think many men need to step up in this area. If they want a helper, they should start by being a worker like Adam was.
Some people take this verse out of context and think it means that men are superior to women. This is not what this verse means. God created men and women equally.
So, that's what stuck out to me this chapter.
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