“A Jewel of Creation”

K. Adrian Scott

May 10, 2026

Good morning and welcome. We honor womanhood in general and Mothers specifically today as we should every day, but especially today. So, happy Mother’s Day and we also honor all Women!

Context and Introduction.

The book of Genesis or “Bereishit” in the Hebrew whose meaning is found in the first three words of Chapter One, “In the beginning.” This refers to the beginning of the created universe, not the beginning of God, since God is eternal and has no beginning or ending. Psalm 103. 17 says God is, “But from eternity to eternity ..” (Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2004), which speaks to the eternal nature of our God who has no beginning and no ending.

In Genesis chapter one we have the record of the creation of everything in the heavens and on the earth having been completed according to Genesis 2.1-2 – “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all his work that He had done.”

Since we see the creation of the first person in God’s image in (1. 27) on the sixth day, we also notice the first seven verses of chapter two provides a summary of God’s creative work in chapter one.

Next, in chapter two we have the LORD going into detail about the creation of people, Adam and his helpmate, initially referred to as “Woman.” It is in chapter three that the woman would later be named, “Eve” meaning, ‘the living’ or ‘life’ in chapter three.

2.8; “And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.”

Humankind, represented by the man on the sixth and last of God’s creation, now has a home, a garden called Eden (‘delight’).

O, the intentions of God can be clearly seen when our Creator placed God’s image-bearer Adam in a garden; not in a wilderness or a rock quarry, but a garden; a place that is like a painting from the hand of a skilled master painter that reflects his or her imagination. In this case, the garden of delight mimics God, the designer’s imagination. The garden is beautiful because God is beautiful, and it is a place of repose or tranquility. This is so fitting since the very nature of God the Father will be seen through God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ of whom it is said – “For He Himself is our peace” Ephesians 2. 14.

The Text; Telling the Story.

Vv. 9-14 provides a description of the garden including the rivers that run through it.

v. 15; “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it.”

Here is LORD’s job description for Adam, to care for and maintain the garden.

Vv. 16-17; Here is the LORD’s specific instruction to Adam that He may eat freely of all the trees in the garden but one, he should not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

v. 18. “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him.”

With the multitude of created animals that roamed the lush green space, man was alone. The great variety of birds in the air with their keen sight and curious nature; creeping things and crawling things fulfilling their purpose, but man was still alone. Then there were the various breeds of dogs and cats, many who would become domesticated and long for affection and desire to please their owners, but man, the one created in God’s own image, was still alone. The LORD saw the cattle and oxen that were built for labor, the swiftness of the cat family, the graceful trot of the horse perfect for transportation, and with full knowledge that all the animals He had created had their mates, Adam was very much alone!

We don’t know but Adam may have wondered, “who did God make for me?” Who would he fellowship with? Who would stimulate his intellect? Who would probe his deepest thoughts through intelligent conversation? Who would move his heart with a listening ear and response with appropriate compassion? Who would share his deepest grief and identify with his painful sorrows? Who would enjoy his laughter? Who would be the object of Adam’s sincere affections and respond to his desire for a true and lasting friendship? Who would be the recipient of his desire to please and be pleased? His urge to love and be loved? When the cold of earthly existence is beyond the comfort of a warm blanket, to whom would Adam turn?

With all Adam’s ‘male nature’ God created, to whom would that urge for companionship be directed? Adam was like a Sun with no universe to shine, a moon with no darkness, a magnet without energy, a seed with no earth, a lyric or words but no melody, a concept with no expression, a pile of brick with no builder! builder! God looked at the man, Adam, with an eye of pity and though everything God had made was ‘good’ and that's when the Lord said, -

“It is not good that the man should be alone” –

Yes, alone! There were countless animals, the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish in the sea, all whom Adam knew by name, yet man is alone. What God knew, Adam was only now discovering, and it is this – that up until the moment Adam apparently was male in potential, with a tendency, an inclination and perhaps a desire. With Holy Scripture as our support we can say, God did not suddenly realize Adam was alone but made a statement of something God already knew – Adam, or man is alone, and this is not good. In other words, God had Adam’s companion and wife Eve in mind from the beginning! Eve, or woman, was not an afterthought, but God had this union in mind from all eternity!

Here is God showing concern for the well-being of His likeness., Adam. God the Father did not dwelt in solitude for a Millenia of eternities, but the Father has enjoyed the company of Jesus the Son of God and the Holy Spirit; the three expressions or persons we say, of the One God. Regarding the fellowship and unity of the trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Jesus said this in John 17.20-22; “20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one...”

So, God desires for man to be in relationship, and immediately pledges to do something about man’s loneliness; God will create or ‘build’ a helper for the man; not another man, but a female, someone different from him, and God would call her “woman.”

Then in this chapter, we have the details of how God would go about ‘building’ this woman. Also, notice Adam was created of “the dust from the ground” (2.7) but on that same sixth day of creation God did something special; God built a ‘woman.’ She was not created from the dirt of the earth, but she was built from the man God created, from his side. This means that from the beginning the first couple were intimately connected to one another (2.21-22).

Now let’s look at the implications of the unique and special creation of woman who was taken from the side of her companion, Adam.

Here we have the focused picture of not only God’s idea and construction of the family or husband and wife, but an equally a vivid picture of Christ who is the bridegroom, was ‘put to sleep’ a term synonymous with death, and the result of the divine sleep of the Savior, those who believe in God’s Son as Savior are reborn out of the wounds of Jesus’ body (John 19.34) resulting in His death or what Christians call the crucifixion of Christ – “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.”

As a result, the Church was brought into eternal union with Christ! Yes, the Church of the living Lord is married to the Lord forever – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5.25).

Paul further says in Ephesians 5. 32, “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” Just as Eve was not the Lord’s afterthought, neither is the Church, the bride of Christ, the Lord’s afterthought!

Without Eve there would be a blank in the creation story so,

“The LORD God caused a deep sleep fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.”

Not from the dust of the earth, but “God took from his side…” Adam and Eve are of the same substance! Eve is a part of Adam, and he is a part of her! The creation of woman from the man doesn’t imply woman is second class or a subordinate partner to Adam, but our text certainly and strongly implies the two are truly equal! Man’s claim to fame may be that Adam was made first, but the woman’s claim to fame might be she does not come from the dirt!

The Close.

V. 23; “Then the man said, this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

I can only imagine when Adam sees this beautiful and perfectly created woman, he recognizes that she is uniquely a part of him and he may have said, ‘Wow, look at her!’ There is a kinship that Adam did not have with the birds, the cattle that graze or those things that crept or crawl. She is like him and equally reflecting the image of God.

Woman.

She has been created with wonderful potential; potential to display the tenderness of a spouse and the nurturing instincts of a mother.

Woman, as Adam called her, cares for and protects her family without regard for her own well-being. She eats after her children have eaten; she cannot rest until they are safe.

She waits and anticipates her husband’s company.

She makes their house a home and without her in it reverts to being just a house again.

Her smile melts the man’s heart and warms his soul.

Her presence is like a fresh breeze, and her company is like a lingering and beautiful fragrance!

Her touch and caress assure him of her unmistakable presence and support.

No matter the time she is never too busy and no matter the task her family requires, she doesn’t consider it trivial.

This is woman, rather tall and stately or not so tall and dignified but beautiful anyway she happens to appear. Her eyes may be black or blue or brown or green; her skin may appear yellow like the Sun, like bronze because she is both elegant and durable by nature. Woman as God created may appear fair and light as the day, dark like an onyx stone, but she is yet beautiful! She is gentle when needed and gracious; she is deeply dedicated and devoted.

Woman is the perfect gift God gave man; the piece that completes the puzzle of human existence.

Woman, wise because of her observations and regardless of her level of education; insightful and prudent through experience.

She has no substitute, and neither can a job or career or money or fame duplicate what she does or who she is!

She is God’s gift to man, but she is also more than that; Woman, God’s jewel and creation’s wonder, is gift is also God’s gift to the world!