I know there are so many actions in the world that may leave you confused about “man and woman” and God’s intended purpose and admittedly I had to go back and see did I miss a portion of what He said when He decided to make woman for man. God looked at all He had created and while “it was good,” He loved man so he decided that He needed to create one more time to ensure that man had a “suitable” mate. Suitable-right or appropriate for a particular person, purpose or situation.
And this thing with the rib-of all the places or parts of the body God could have chosen from, He chose the rib. Our ribs provide 3 functions for us-Support, Respiration, and Protection. Our rib protects our heart (life), liver (digestion), kidneys (waste removal), and lungs (breath). Why is it then, that there is more heart ache, waste brought in, too much to digest that keeps us almost unable to breathe in relationships? Secondly, our rib aids in respiration helping us with inhaling (take it all in) and exhaling (letting some of it out). And thirdly, the rib protects us as it is the framework onto which muscles of the chest, back, shoulder and upper abdomen can attach. The chest says-I can poke out and be proud, the back-I know you’ve got mine, the shoulder-someone I can lean on, the upper abdomen-I can take a lickin and keep on tickin.
When you go beyond the basic “helpmeet” the picture is a beautiful thing and when you see a true enduring love, you recognize that while many don’t seem to get what God did and His intended purposes for doing it, you can be hopeful that as people develop their love relationship with God, they will more fully understand their role in God’s creation! I believe God’s meaning of suitable was not that the woman would be appropriate for a person, OR purpose, OR a situation but rather that she would be “just right” for a person AND their God given purposes would be edifying to one another AND that they would be able to stand strong together through any given situation!
Far too long have we looked for one area of suitability only to find the others lacking and so we lose the functionalities of our rib as we (male and female) attempt to take the place of God and find other ribs that fit our unmet needs. So many of us spend every waking moment trying to find something “suitable” for us. Adam was sleep. God did all the work. I believe He is saying to us today-“Rest in me. Wait for me. Love me while you wait. I know the plans I have for you and they are good and “just right” for you. Trust me in this place. I know what I’m doing in your life. Trust me.”
Chris Rock in the movie, “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” asked for “one rib” although it turned out he had enough money to get much more. God, in His infinite wisdom, put all we need in relationship in just “one rib”!