“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.”
God works through process. Man was created alone that humanity might have it revealed to us that it is not good that the man should be alone. God started with light rather than everything (let there be light) that we might see the importance of revelation itself. These things—this process—constantly helps us see the God of the universe in a fuller deeper way. It helps us to see Jesus Christ and the way of salvation. And the same is true for these verses before us.
Genesis 1 gives God’s people a bird’s eye view of creation. Regarding humanity, the bird’s eye view shows the creation of Adam and Eve as follows: “so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Genesis 2 illuminates the process. Adam is made and Eve will follow, but something happens in between: the naming of animals.
Humanity has been called to reveal God by stewarding God’s creation as God himself would. This is built into the image-bearing nature of humanity. This plays out in the naming of the animals, and a key reality is revealed. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. Eve will be no animal. She will be Adam’s helper. She will be partner and sister in the ministry of revealing God.
Here, there is a deep revelation of God taking place—one of relationship and privilege and love and honor. God does not treat humanity like the rest of his creation. God does not treat humanity like animals.
This is obviously seen in the otherness of humanity compared to the rest of creation. There is no helper fit for humans except humans. Dog is not man’s best friend, nor any other animal in the world. It is this very otherness, this very need for something more, that sets humanity apart from creation in its need for relationship with God.
It is this very need that should cause deep lamentation in the broken relationship between God and his people, when God calls out where are you? and Adam answers I hid (Genesis 3:9, 10).
And yet, in anticipation, it is this very need fulfilled that should cause deep celebration as a broken relationship is mended by God himself. This is Genesis 2:18-20. This is God’s revelation:
“And you shall be my people,
and I will be your God.”