GOD MADE A WOMAN

GOD MADE A WOMAN

(Sergio Jesus Fernandez - May 20, 2009)

18And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him”. 21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man”. 24Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2: 18, 21-25 - NKJV)

This is the text that refers to the creation of woman. It is very possible that the word “rib” (Latin “costis/costam”) could have been a misinterpretation of the word “side” (Latin “costatus”). The original texts on the scrolls were written in ancient Hebrew and Aramaic languages which used no vowels, only consonants. Therefore, the text had to be first “interpreted” and then “translated”. The first translation and edition of the ancient Hebrew and Aramaic scrolls into the form of a text book was the “Latin Vulgata”. The misinterpretation could have occurred during the interpretation/translation from the Hebrew and Aramaic into Latin. Let us remember that translations at that time mostly consisted in local people, more familiar with the original Hebrew and Aramaic texts, reading out loud in “their Latin” (they may have pronounced Latin with a heavy foreign accent) then the scribes writing the text in Latin. As a result, the local people could have mispronounced “costatus” (side) in a way they may have sounded to the scribes like “costis” or “costam” (rib). The other possible misinterpretation could have been that the scribes where trying to read from the ancient Hebrew and Aramaic texts (remember no vowels, only consonants) and in doing so they mistranslated the word “side” as “rib”.

Knowing that humans have almost the same male/female genetic characteristics, there is a great possibility that the original text on verse 21 could have been referring to the fact that God took some of Adam’s female “side” (genetically speaking) then on verse 22 it could have been referring to the fact that God created a woman out of the female “side” He took from Adam. Perhaps that is why Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”. Adam could have been referring to his female clone.

Nevertheless, the most important issue about the creation of woman is on verse 18 “And the LORD God said, It is not good that man should be alone” Consequently, to consider it good for man to be alone, is to contradict God, or to believe His work could be amended to make it better. If God would have thought it was good for man to be alone, God would have created man alone and perfectly capable of being alone. Therefore, loneliness is not necessarily a synonymous of holiness, on the contrary; it is more a sign of rebellion and disobedience, and it is the rejection of God’s perfect gift to man in His creation of woman. God in His infinite wisdom created us in a way that neither man, nor woman can reproduce independently without each other. God make no mistake, He created such dependency of man and woman not in error, but with all intention, so that man and woman must be united. Only the union between man and woman is capable of creating the life of other human beings.

Being united in holy matrimony and enjoying the sexuality that God created in us is to make love. “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25 - NKJV) However, enjoying that sexuality outside the holy matrimony is fornication. Although it may seem exaggerated, we can construe that fornication is as irresponsible as performing open heart surgery without being a licensed surgeon, specialized in such type of procedure, in both cases the potential outcome is simply dead. In the case of the open heart surgery it is obvious, in the case of fornication it is biblical: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 - NKJV) “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21 – NKJV).

I believe the Bible is the word of God, and it contains all the information we need to understand our purpose in life. After reading the word of God in search of an answer for this so much argued issue about celibacy, I am convinced God does not want man to be lonely, but united in holy matrimony; otherwise He would have created us in a completely different way.

Finally, in addition to all I have already stated about God’s position regarding man and woman, I want to share with you one more passage from the scriptures.

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:22-25 – NKJV)