“The adam first needed to learn what could not be ‘ezer kenegdo in relation to him…” (Coleson, 103). I am finally justified before my wife regarding why I need to find every other solution to a problem other than her suggestion! Apparently, it is a design issue with how men are created! All kidding aside – and to the best of my knowledge I have never actually experienced the aforementioned scenario – it is very interesting to consider the reasoning behind God’s actions. I do have difficulty in deciding whether or not to take into consideration all my beliefs, biases, and science behind the study of male thinking, processing, etc. I’m not sure whether to think if that has any validity prior to the fall or not…or whether it matters at all. Developmental theories and social sciences have had a lot of good to say about why and how people act the way they do. On the other hand, they are not God.
In Genesis 2, we see God bringing all the animals before the lone adam, yet nothing suitable was found. Dr. Coleson points out that adam needed to first experience aloneness and all the things that were not ‘ezer kenegdo, before he could fully appreciate who it was. In order to fully appreciate the presence of another, it was necessary for the lone human to experience solitude (Coleson, 102). In order to fully appreciate the one who was a perfect match, adam needed to experience all the things that were not a match.
Leaving the sciences behind and dealing with the text itself, it is apparent that God had a plan, a method, and a purpose for doing those things He did. That should brings us a great deal of comfort and confidence. From this story we see an extension of the grand creation picture that God can take something where there is a void, fill it, bless it, and call it good.
What is the premise? God knew all along who would be adam’s created equal. God knew because God had it all planned out. Adam needed to fully experience God’s plan. To me, verse 20 stands out from among the surrounding verses. Before I read the commentary, this verse sparked my interest and I was glad that it confirmed my suspicions about the reading of verse 20 of adam as the better subject. Surrounding this verse, there is a picture of God’s activity surrounding adam. In verse 18, in fact, God tells us that He will make the ‘ezer kenedgo. Whether or not adam knew is a different story, but we see later that it is not likely that adam knew. Again, though, in verse 19, God is credited with the creation of ‘forming’ and takes the initiative to bring the creation to adam. In verse 20, however, the subject changes and adam is credited with as the subject of activity. I get the sense from 20b that adam was actively looking for the satisfaction of his aloneness with each animal. That none was his equal is significant in the plan of God. Then, verse 21 picks up immediately with the activity of God to report His planned solution to this dilemma.
From these short verses, we can clearly see that God’s plan was to create an equal of, for, and with adam. Again, we see that the plan of God has a process and organization. We know that this plan is going to be for adam’s benefit and blessing (being prefaced by six “good’s” and one “very good”). What started out as being incomplete would soon be made complete.
This should serve as a reminder that God can and should be trusted when we don’t understand the process. I’m not suggesting adam doubted, especially since I don’t think that is evidenced in the text. What is in the text is that we are surrounded by the activity of God – God who is not distant; rather, intimately connected to and concerned about every aspect of our lives.
1.) Is it significant that the narrator also used the verb yatsar ("form/fashion/sculpt") in v 19, as well as here in v 7?
It is certainly significant. This parallelism shows us several things to consider. First, and most obvious, it shows our connectedness to sharing the ground with the animals as part of the earth of God’s creating. It is a tri-symbiotic relationship of sorts – earth, animals, humanity. There must be a delicate balance maintained between these. By using yatsar, the writer is helping to show we are co-created from God, from the earth.
The word yatsar also connotes the formation of clay on a potter’s wheel. We know from before (Gen. 1:26-7) that humanity was created in the image and likeness of God. In this way, we have been specially and specifically sculptured. Though we may share the potter’s wheel, no other creation was “formed” in God’s likeness nor given His breath. In this way, yatsar shows both commonality and distinctiveness, but I think it is more so to show our distinctiveness. Arnold notes that “Yahweh God” is designated as forming. In one way this speaks against Near Eastern theology, but on the other hand it is to display the importance of humanity as the climax of God’s creation story; which as he says is “more powerfully and philosophically stated than any others” (Arnold, 57). So, yatsar should give us pause to consider that we are “remarkably and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
Another parallel is where the forming comes from. We are formed from the ground –the clay. What is more important to note than just the clay in common is the connotation of how God formed us from the clay. Arnold speaks in regard to the careful creativity of humanity. He says that being formed as a living being means that we are “far from a divine afterthought” (Arnold, 58). We have been created with divine purpose.
Additionally, in verse 7, we read where God “formed” the adam (singular). In verse 19 we read the past perfect tense where God previously “had formed” animal life. Pages 103-4 of the commentary bring a salient point to light where this parallelism helps move us forward to God’s yet-to-be fulfilled conclusion. The result is to cause us to look forward to the “I will make…” of the ‘ezer kenegdo where we see God’s plan being fulfilled.
Therefore, it would seem that the use of yatsar is multi-purpose. It shows our connectedness with animals by being co-created from the ground. It shows our mutual connectedness to God, but even more it shows our distinct relationship with Him. It also shows that humanity is, ultimately, made for each other. God’s plan is for the adam and the ‘ezer kenegdo to delight in each other, in His creation, and in special relationship with Him. That’s a lot from one word!