It takes two!
Purpose! Think about that for just a moment, what is your purpose? Why did God create you and put you on this planet? I thinnk the book of Genesis starts the answer to that question . . .
Gen 1:26 – 29 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
We were created to rule over His creation, in His image! Have you ever just thought about that? A few years back their was a great popularity in the WWJD bracelets, bumper sticker and such, What Would Jesus Do? I think the concept of God’s image should help direct our actions. How would God do it? Our first purpose in creation was to rule over all that God created, we were in all points and purposes created to be the ruler, or king, if you like of his creation.
Funny, we in america, and most of the world today really fail to truly comprehend the duties of a king or ruler. We like the concepts of the power and priveledges, but often fail short in the role of protector and defender of the relm! You see that is part of ruling is protection, protecting all of His creation!
But wait there is more . . .
Gen 15 – 25 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Wow! So their he is, Adam! Sitting in God’s garden, filling the role of ruler. But God sees something that is just not quite right. Adam is alone! God says, man should not be alone so. . .
God brings in every creature He created and I can just imagine the smile on His face as Adam looks at what God has so wonderfully crafted and then Adam says, “I’ll call that a Giraffe!”. The thought of that day makes me smile. And as God and Adam go through the long line of creature, none of them appear suitable to help in the task of ruling over the creation. So God puts man asleep, and then borrows from His creation a rib, part of man and then delicately crafts woman, the crowning jewel and final act of His creation. And then God brings her before Adam and he sees her.
Imagine how he must have felt. After seeing all that God had created then to lays his eyes upon her, Eve! Adam, says I will call her woman, for she was taken from part of me! When the two of us are together we are complete, we are one! I love what the scriptures say next, their they stood and they felt no shame! What a wonderful place that must be! It has been a long time since I felt that way (but that is fodder for another post someday!)
So there it is. God’s created man, to rule over His creation. He created woman, by taking part from man, to be a helper to man as they rule creation together. The two being one! Now they can, as it says in verse 28, be fruitful and multiply.
Our purpose . . Rule His creation, with a proper view of ruling and be fruitful and multiply and do all of it with the helper, or co-laborer He has given us . . . wonderful, beautiful, woman!
