Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Five Reasons It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone (Genesis 2:18)
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Five Reasons It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone (Genesis 2:18)
In Genesis 2:18, God said, "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helpmeet (helper)." Read this material from Your Marriage God’s Way to learn why it was not and still is not good for man to be alone.
Table of ContentsFirst, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Have the Help He NeedsSecond, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Experience One of God's Greatest BlessingsThird, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Be Able to Enjoy Certain DesiresFourth, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Have the Benefit of a Woman’s Positive InfluenceFifth, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Experience the Sanctifying Effects of Marriage ItselfMoving from "Not Good" to "Very Good"Are There Any Exceptions?Marriage Is the Expected Lifestyle
For six straight days, God created dry land, sun, moon, stars, sea creatures, birds, and animals. At the end of each day, God saw what He had created and saw that it was good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). But after God created Adam, for the first time in the creation account, He saw something that was not good—man being alone: “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18).
God’s statement is even more interesting when we consider that Adam and Eve had not yet disobeyed Him. We do not typically think of anything as "not good” until after the fall. Because Adam had not sinned yet, it was not Adam himself who was not good. Neither was it anything he had or had not done that was not good. It was simply Adam being alone that was not good.
Let’s understand why it was not—and still is not—good for man to be alone.
First, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Have the Help He Needs
Leading and providing for a family is a lot of work. There is a significant load on men’s shoulders, and a wife can help lighten it. This is why the apostle Paul states, “Nor was man created for woman, but woman for the man” (1 Corinthians 11:9). A lot of discouragement can come a man’s way, and if he does not receive encouragement from his wife, where will he get it? Yes, there are other resources such as Scripture and relying on the Lord, but if those were all God wanted men to have, He would not have said, “I will make him a helpmeet.”
Second, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Experience One of God's Greatest Blessings
Children are one of God’s greatest blessings. God commanded Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Whenever the Bible discusses children, they are always presented very positively:
Behold, children are a heritage (some translations say, “inheritance” or “gift”) from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5).
These verses do not condemn or criticize people with fewer or no children. But they associate children with blessing. We should feel more blessed by each child God gives us. Because the verses don't say how many children make a full quiver, we can't say how many children people should have. But when soldiers go to battle, how many arrows do they want to take with them? Nobody says, “No, don’t give me any more arrows. I don’t want to have too many of them!”
Psalm 128 describes some of the blessings for those who fear the Lord, and the main blessing is children:
Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways…Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine, in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord (Psalm 128:1, 3-4).
In Scripture,
View all episodes
5
99 ratings
In Genesis 2:18, God said, "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helpmeet (helper)." Read this material from Your Marriage God’s Way to learn why it was not and still is not good for man to be alone.
Table of ContentsFirst, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Have the Help He NeedsSecond, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Experience One of God's Greatest BlessingsThird, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Be Able to Enjoy Certain DesiresFourth, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Have the Benefit of a Woman’s Positive InfluenceFifth, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Experience the Sanctifying Effects of Marriage ItselfMoving from "Not Good" to "Very Good"Are There Any Exceptions?Marriage Is the Expected Lifestyle
For six straight days, God created dry land, sun, moon, stars, sea creatures, birds, and animals. At the end of each day, God saw what He had created and saw that it was good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). But after God created Adam, for the first time in the creation account, He saw something that was not good—man being alone: “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18).
God’s statement is even more interesting when we consider that Adam and Eve had not yet disobeyed Him. We do not typically think of anything as "not good” until after the fall. Because Adam had not sinned yet, it was not Adam himself who was not good. Neither was it anything he had or had not done that was not good. It was simply Adam being alone that was not good.
Let’s understand why it was not—and still is not—good for man to be alone.
First, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Have the Help He Needs
Leading and providing for a family is a lot of work. There is a significant load on men’s shoulders, and a wife can help lighten it. This is why the apostle Paul states, “Nor was man created for woman, but woman for the man” (1 Corinthians 11:9). A lot of discouragement can come a man’s way, and if he does not receive encouragement from his wife, where will he get it? Yes, there are other resources such as Scripture and relying on the Lord, but if those were all God wanted men to have, He would not have said, “I will make him a helpmeet.”
Second, It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone Because He Would Not Experience One of God's Greatest Blessings
Children are one of God’s greatest blessings. God commanded Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Whenever the Bible discusses children, they are always presented very positively:
Behold, children are a heritage (some translations say, “inheritance” or “gift”) from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5).
These verses do not condemn or criticize people with fewer or no children. But they associate children with blessing. We should feel more blessed by each child God gives us. Because the verses don't say how many children make a full quiver, we can't say how many children people should have. But when soldiers go to battle, how many arrows do they want to take with them? Nobody says, “No, don’t give me any more arrows. I don’t want to have too many of them!”
Psalm 128 describes some of the blessings for those who fear the Lord, and the main blessing is children:
Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways…Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine, in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord (Psalm 128:1, 3-4).
In Scripture,