Genesis 2:21-25 And 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. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: 1 "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman, Because she was taken out of Man." 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
In resent study on these verses I came to realize something about this verse that I cannot recall ever understanding before. As you read about the creation, God created the sea creatures, the birds and the land animals then gave the command to multiply and replenish the earth. This implies that when God created these creatures that he created them with the power of procreation. We would have both male and female, individually created. However, this was not so with man.
We are not told how God created the creatures, but we have the clear statement that man was formed out of the dust of the earth. From what God had created He fashioned man. Unlike the animals God then gave to this formed substance an element not possessed by animals. He gave this formed thing the breath of lives. Man then became a living creature, possessing a likeness to the Godhead. That likeness was in the spirit that became a part of man. Animals have a body and soul, but not a spirit. Animals were created fully capable of reproduction. Man, however, was unique in all ways.
When God saw that Adam had no helper, God then took from man a part of his body and formed a mate for him. In this we see another great division between man and creatures. Man's mate was formed or came forth from himself. Woman was made from the substance of man, not separate from him. The words of this text are so powerful. "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." No wonder there is such a strong attraction between the sexes. We have something in common that no other creature possesses. How glorious and marvelous is this relationship.
Because of this unique relationship, men and women have a desire for each other that animals cannot possess. This and many other things make humans superior to the animal world. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians chapter fifteen, there is one flesh of beast, one flesh of birds, one flesh of fish, and one flesh of man. Each is different and unique in the eyes of God. However, the uniqueness of the human race is greater. From man came woman. In sexual union there is again that one flesh relationship that existed prior to woman's creation. This union is expressed by the love of Christ for the Church. He loved the Church so much that He gave His life for her. So, too, husbands who love their wives as they should will honor and respect them for what God has intended by their creation. A help mete, someone to help and assist us in living our lives before God.