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Online dating has become a billion-dollar industry. Some industry insiders estimate that each year as many as 100,000 couples who were introduced on the Internet get married. Some people are wary of deception, like the man who dated a woman calling herself a striking blonde: “She was plain looking,” he said, “but an excellent bowler!”
Adam is probably the only man in the history of the world who could truly claim to have found the perfect match, because he had a matchmaker far superior to the Internet. God Himself created for Adam a counterpart from his flesh. Granted, Eve was quite literally the only one for Adam, but she was also designed to complement him.
The love story of the world's first couple begins with an expression that tends to get lost in the English translations of the Bible: suitable helper (v. 20). In English, those words conjure images of a “Help Wanted” sign at a business, not an intimate partner. But the Hebrew words carry a connotation of complementary design. Eve was of the same flesh as Adam, but she was his ideal counterpart. Being a helper did not involve subservience, but rather a provision of what he lacked. She was more than suitable; Eve was exquisitely suited for Adam.
Eve's creation was unique among all created beings. Like the animals, Adam was formed from the ground. Like Eve, Adam bore the image of God. But only Eve was fashioned by God from the flesh of another living being, which makes the relationship of Adam and Eve (and that of the husbands and wives to follow) unlike any other on earth. Woman came from the flesh of man, and even as separate beings they became one in love.
Again, English does not fully reflect the full meaning of the Hebrew. One flesh is more than just a sexual union. It's the creation as a new family requiring departure from one's parents. United, unguarded, and unashamed, Adam and Eve were perfect for each other—though not perfect.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The first flaw observed in man was immediately obvious: we were not designed for solitude. This isn't a question of mere romance, but a matter of companionship. Like Adam, we need other people to provide what we lack. And like Eve, we have the capacity to meet those needs in other people. If the first man, sinless as he was, needed a companion, is it really wise for us to try to make it through life on our own? Love compels us to connect with others. Do so as often as you can!
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