A different perspective for looking at verse 21 of Genesis 2 was introduced to me through reading Jim Elliot’s In the Shadow of the Almighty. I saw that Jim held a unique perspective on how to approach singleness that he found in his personal study of Genesis 2. He wrote of this in a letter to his parents contained in this book. I am aware this quote is a little lengthy but I have always quiet enjoyed Jim’s philosophy you can see so clearly in his writing style and I think he says it best. I challenge you, especially if you’re in the same phase of life as me, read the verse and ask the Lord to give you insight on this, then keep reading starting with Jim’s quote.
“No one warns young people to follow Adam’s example. He waited till God
saw his need. Then God made Adam sleep, prepared his mate, and brought
her to him. We need more of this ‘being asleep’ in the will of God. Then we
can receive what He brings us in His own time, if at all. Instead we are set as
bloodhounds after a partner, considering everyone we see until our minds are
so concerned with the sex problem that we can talk of nothing else… It is true
that a fellow can’t ignore women – but he can think of them as he ought- as
sisters, not as sparring partners.” (Elliot, 50)
I am trying to learn to incorporate this philosophy of being asleep in the will of God to how I approach my singleness. The idea is this that God saw Adam’s need. Not so much as to say that God was not aware earlier but at the moment that Adam became aware of it God was already prepared with his solution. God then sets into action and brings forth the solution bringing it to Adam. Adam throughout this entire process was not in distress over how the Lord would provide for the need at hand, he was… sleeping. Adam was, “made sensible of his want of a meet help, but, God having undertaken to provide him one, he does not afflict himself with any care about it, but lies down and sleeps sweetly” (Henry, 20).
Too often today when I come to realize that Susie from across the street is… different than I and that… I like Susie, my life as the average adolescent (Christian or Non-Christian) is forever changed. Frequently the case comes to be that this, finding of a suitable mate, becomes the total of young lives until that role is filled. Throughout this endeavor we ask God to bless our endeavor as we are on “the hunt” while not realizing that perhaps God would rather we “sleep” wait, and simply trust Him.
Or perhaps I am among them who have already risen above this wild chasing and decided that this desire or feeling of relative incompleteness prior to the finding of my mate is beneath me because after all I am a “devote mature ‘Christ Followers’” so, I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Harris). Great book from a wonderful heart and I appreciate all the wise council Joshua Harris has given through his writing. Sadly however we have carried some of the mantras from dating books so far that with them we carry the spirit that if you are single and desire to be married you are deep in the sinful mire of discontentment. There is another book called Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything (Tchividjian) I have heard great things about and I am excited to read. But I feel almost a pressure in the young and zealous for the Lord that if you have a desire for anything other than the Lord you are in sin. This may be the case at times but we must be careful for, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord” (Prov. 18:22 NIV). It’s interesting that God created all things good and yet before the fall He saw one thing that was not good. That, “it was not good for a man to be alone” (Gen.2:18) I found this quote and am still not yet sure what to do with it,
“God does not exclusively fill the human heart. He made humankind to
While I do not love the phrase “God does not exclusively fill the human heart,” but it is intresting to think that God did allow his creation, man, to “need” a help meet. That truly is a humble act. And it’s not identified as sin or because man didn’t love God enough, for the observation is breathed out of the mouth of God not muttered bitterly from the heart of man. So I do not think we are wrong in making the same observation and desiring what God has created us to desire.
But what if we could desire it and yet sleep waiting for him to fufill that desire? That would be such a far cry from the norm of today’s 20 some things (often myself included) hunting desperately for a spouse and praying again and again, “Is this the one? Is this the one? Is this the one?” thinking that this is the purpose of their single years, to merely become un-single. What if instead we would simply wait? Rest in God’s will and plan that is so much higher than any we could muster up by our own intellect (Is. 55:9) Take in the lessons God has for us in stride trusting that God will open our eyes to the right person at the right time. How different our homes would look down the road, when they are built on the provision of God not the efforts of man. (Ps 127:1a)
I feel confident that if we trusted the Lord and did not frantically try to fill the role of match maker the divorce rate in the church wouldn’t be the same as in the world. Perhaps if in singleness our goal wasn’t to trick the opposite gender into falling for us, there would be less disillusionment that lead to divorce just a few years after the wedding night and the honey moon, after the act was dropped and the guards went down. The way that we approach singleness and “finding” a mate creates the very foundation upon which each new family unit begins. So to all of you in singleness like I am, are we searching to find the right match, or are we sleeping trusting God will give us the right match in his timing? Now I am not saying it is wrong to go on dates or get to know people in your singles ministry at your church (whatever the case may be), but I am saying it comes to the attitude and position of the heart.
If God does bless you with a spouse, praise Him! Your are leaps ahead of me in life steps, you can apply all the beautiful principles found in the following verses and pages of scripture, but as for me I am currently determined to properly apply Genesis 2:21 and get out of the hunt, and back to sleep. Trusting that God holds the blue prints to my family and can pick the best building partner.
Bibliography
Allender, Dan B., and Tremper Longman. Intimate Allies. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale
House, 1995. 146. Print.
Elliot, Elisabeth. Shadow of the Almighty: The Life & Testament of Jim Elliot. New
York: Harper, 1958. 50. Print.
I am trying to learn to incorporate this philosophy of being asleep in the will of God to how I approach my singleness. The idea is this that God saw Adam’s need. Not so much as to say that God was not aware earlier but at the moment that Adam became aware of it God was already prepared with his solution. God then sets into action and brings forth the solution bringing it to Adam. Adam throughout this entire process was not in distress over how the Lord would provide for the need at hand, he was… sleeping. Adam was, “made sensible of his want of a meet help, but, God having undertaken to provide him one, he does not afflict himself with any care about it, but lies down and sleeps sweetly” (Henry, 20).
Too often today when I come to realize that Susie from across the street is… different than I and that… I like Susie, my life as the average adolescent (Christian or Non-Christian) is forever changed. Frequently the case comes to be that this, finding of a suitable mate, becomes the total of young lives until that role is filled. Throughout this endeavor we ask God to bless our endeavor as we are on “the hunt” while not realizing that perhaps God would rather we “sleep” wait, and simply trust Him.
Or perhaps I am among them who have already risen above this wild chasing and decided that this desire or feeling of relative incompleteness prior to the finding of my mate is beneath me because after all I am a “devote mature ‘Christ Followers’” so, I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Harris). Great book from a wonderful heart and I appreciate all the wise council Joshua Harris has given through his writing. Sadly however we have carried some of the mantras from dating books so far that with them we carry the spirit that if you are single and desire to be married you are deep in the sinful mire of discontentment. There is another book called Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything (Tchividjian) I have heard great things about and I am excited to read. But I feel almost a pressure in the young and zealous for the Lord that if you have a desire for anything other than the Lord you are in sin. This may be the case at times but we must be careful for, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord” (Prov. 18:22 NIV). It’s interesting that God created all things good and yet before the fall He saw one thing that was not good. That, “it was not good for a man to be alone” (Gen.2:18) I found this quote and am still not yet sure what to do with it,
“God does not exclusively fill the human heart. He made humankind to
need more than himself. The staggering humility of God to make
something that was not to be fully satisfied with the creator and the
creation is incomprehensible.”(Allender, 146)
While I do not love the phrase “God does not exclusively fill the human heart,” but it is intresting to think that God did allow his creation, man, to “need” a help meet. That truly is a humble act. And it’s not identified as sin or because man didn’t love God enough, for the observation is breathed out of the mouth of God not muttered bitterly from the heart of man. So I do not think we are wrong in making the same observation and desiring what God has created us to desire.
But what if we could desire it and yet sleep waiting for him to fufill that desire? That would be such a far cry from the norm of today’s 20 some things (often myself included) hunting desperately for a spouse and praying again and again, “Is this the one? Is this the one? Is this the one?” thinking that this is the purpose of their single years, to merely become un-single. What if instead we would simply wait? Rest in God’s will and plan that is so much higher than any we could muster up by our own intellect (Is. 55:9) Take in the lessons God has for us in stride trusting that God will open our eyes to the right person at the right time. How different our homes would look down the road, when they are built on the provision of God not the efforts of man. (Ps 127:1a)
I feel confident that if we trusted the Lord and did not frantically try to fill the role of match maker the divorce rate in the church wouldn’t be the same as in the world. Perhaps if in singleness our goal wasn’t to trick the opposite gender into falling for us, there would be less disillusionment that lead to divorce just a few years after the wedding night and the honey moon, after the act was dropped and the guards went down. The way that we approach singleness and “finding” a mate creates the very foundation upon which each new family unit begins. So to all of you in singleness like I am, are we searching to find the right match, or are we sleeping trusting God will give us the right match in his timing? Now I am not saying it is wrong to go on dates or get to know people in your singles ministry at your church (whatever the case may be), but I am saying it comes to the attitude and position of the heart.
If God does bless you with a spouse, praise Him! Your are leaps ahead of me in life steps, you can apply all the beautiful principles found in the following verses and pages of scripture, but as for me I am currently determined to properly apply Genesis 2:21 and get out of the hunt, and back to sleep. Trusting that God holds the blue prints to my family and can pick the best building partner.
Bibliography
Allender, Dan B., and Tremper Longman. Intimate Allies. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale
House, 1995. 146. Print.
Elliot, Elisabeth. Shadow of the Almighty: The Life & Testament of Jim Elliot. New
York: Harper, 1958. 50. Print.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary. Vol. 1: Gen- Detu. Scripture
Truth Book. 20. Print.
Truth Book. 20. Print.
Tchividjian, Tullian. Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.
Print.
