Gravity of Grace Episode 4: God Supplied Companionship

If you would like to watch a video of this episode, click here.

Have you ever felt utterly alone? What would you have done or given to have someone who could understand you? Has human companionship ever been absent from your life? What would you have tolerated just to have somebody, anybody, to interact with?

I have. I know the oppressive weight of isolation even in the middle of a crowd.

And in this episode, I want to explore Companionship and the Beauty of a Close Help to Provide Camaraderie and Connection.

When I look at our current world, I see that there are many organizations attempting to draw attention to the litany of psychological, physical, and behavioral influences that solitary confinement causes.

Our entertainment industry has multiple stories of the struggles of forced solitude, with movies such as “Cast Away” portraying in dramatic fashion the mental and emotional hardships of a person denied social interaction.

I believe it is apparent that humanity understands that it is not good for a person to be forced to be alone.

And I find hope because God knew it before we had the chance to figure it out or experience it. And then, in His goodness, God took action to take care of this necessity before it became a problem.

So, how do we go about preventing isolation in our lives? Maybe we can adopt a pet?

I do not know about you, but I really enjoy my various pets that have been a part of my life. And although I derive immense joy from the interactions that I have experienced with these various animals, they could never be a replacement for human interaction.

I think expressly of a black and white Husky I used to have. Faolynn was a typical Husky and, as such, a very vocal animal.

Whenever I spoke to him, he would respond with various yowling noises. He would walk the yard with me as I performed various chores like clearing sticks prior to mowing the lawn, just “talking” away.

And since my home at the time sat on over an acre of land, our walking and “talking” interactions could go on for quite a while.

Faolynn would even crawl under the cars with me as I performed routine maintenance, such as changing the oil. I can remember being amused as he would react to questions like, “Are you trying to get oil on yourself?” by backing away twelve to eighteen inches and yowling in a low tone as he responded to my question.

These interactions with Faolynn were very entertaining, but such interactions could never compare with human camaraderie.

And this leads me to inquire how God addressed Adam being alone. So, let’s turn our attention to the text of Genesis.

 The last verse in that quote records something very interesting to me when God stated: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

This is quite a contrast after all the good recorded in the first chapter. As we had seen in Genesis chapter 1, when man and woman were together, God had declared that it was exceptionally good.

But in chapter 2, in this more detailed recounting of those first days, God reveals that there was a moment when there was only the man (only Adam), and God pointed out that such a situation was not good. The man needed something, someone, to fill that which he was lacking. The man needed “help.”

Adam needed help. And in the image on the screen, we see a man from our current world who is alone. I used this image to drive home the point that we, like our ancestor, need companionship.

It is not good for a man (or a woman) to be forced to be alone.

The man, Adam, in the Genesis account needed someone who could complete what he was lacking. God further illuminated the uniqueness of this “help” when he brought all the animals he had created before the man.

This parading of the animals, which Adam had the authority to name, shows me a few things.

First, it reveals to me that Adam found that in the animal world there was nothing which equaled him, and therefore there was no animal who could be his partner. And it teaches me that God knew this fact prior to Adam understanding it.

Therefore, my conclusion is that Adam had confirmation of God’s superior intellect.

This exhibiting of the animals also confirms to me that Adam had reason to trust God on issues about which he did not already possess knowledge. I also fully admit that I have had years to think about this series of events that happened to Adam in only one day. But I also fully admit that Adam was most likely more intelligent than I am, so I believe my ancestor could figure things out faster than I can.

This procession ultimately reveals that I, as a descendant of Adam, can place my trust in God even when faced with matters beyond human understanding. I, like my ancestor Adam, can see that God is wiser than humanity, and I can live in expectation of His good provision.

As Genesis 2:20 clearly records, “The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But Adam did not find a helper fit for him.”

Well, let’s look at that a little closer. Let’s look at the event from Genesis 2:20 using our imagination to picture the scene before Adam.

So, in your mind’s eye; how do you see this event playing out?

Let us explore that scene more deeply. Have you ever wondered about that parade of pre-flood animals and what it would have looked like? This mental image is fascinating to me. Adam, standing there with animals we now identify as dinosaurs, as well as all the other large land animals passing peacefully before him.

Given the size of the fossils we have found, this must have been a spectacular sight!

Adam sees and names various animals. Can you see it yet? Sauropods, ankylosaurs, ceratopsians, theropods, and hadrosaurs pass before Adam — no help there.

BTW, those are all varieties of what has been called dinosaurs since 1841. Prior to that, humanity had called these animals by other names, like dragons, behemoths, leviathans, and serpents, among others, in various cultures.

Then here come the various mammals walking before Adam. All the ancestors of the various kinds we now see, such as the equines, the canines, the felines, the rodents, and the artiodactyls — no partner for Adam there either.

Then comes the vast array of avian animals and the rest of creation. Adam still has not found what he needs. I am sure that Adam found some animals more enjoyable than others for human interaction. But I know from Scripture that Adam did not find the companionship he needed.

In all this, I see that our Heavenly Father teaches us through our experiences. God teaches us daily. He instructs us in both the things we find pleasant and those that are not so pleasant. And, at times, He guides us into wisdom by showing us that all other options cannot meet the need at hand. The Lord God is the master teacher and is sharing His wisdom and knowledge with those willing to accept it. He even gave us a reference book — we now call that the Bible.

So, what is this help that God was talking about?

The Hebrew word translated “help” or “helper” appears 21 times in the Old Testament.

I find this remarkably interesting since the same word occurs in Psalm 33:20, and again, in Psalm 115:11.

Scripture identifies God as a help for humans. And this is the same word used in Genesis 2.

Therefore, I believe that the help that a man by himself needs is a partner to do life with and not an underling to boss around.

What is the difference between a partner and a minion (or subordinate)?

Allow me the grace to pose an analogy:

A partner states, “We are in this together,” their voice steady and supportive. A minion also states, “We are in this together,” then pauses, their eyes flickering with uncertainty, while waiting to be told what “this” means, where to stand, and if breathing is still permitted.

We humans require a companion who is our equal yet has different talents and offers unique perspectives to share life’s journey with. We all need help.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 seems to add God to the mix, enhancing the bond between two humans.

There’s a distinctive quality in how we humans interact, including the support we provide to help each other strive for excellence. People can genuinely inspire the best or the worst in one another. No other part of God’s creation can affect me the way another human can affect me.

But even those relationships of friends, family, and acquaintances are not as impactful as the relationship I have shared with a spouse.

God knew perfectly well what He was doing when He made us male and female and set us to live in co-dependence with other humans under His guidance.

I have found that our differences act in complement to each other when we allow humility instead of pride to reign in our lives.

And I find great confidence in the goodness of God that He would take action to provide this blessing before we knew we needed it.

So, it is exceptionally good when a man and woman live together in God’s will, as we can re-enforce for each other the place of light, hope, healing, and belonging where all humans thrive.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that every human needs to be married, but I confidently declare that for those of us who choose that option in life—marriage can be a tremendous blessing.

And I am stressing the greater truth that is bigger and wider-reaching than marriage—our relationships with each other. And the fellowship that permits us to be there to lift each other in times of need.

We have the benefit of looking back on not only Adam’s story but also other lives recorded in the Bible, and we can see from our perspective that God had a plan for their lives.

GOD SEES SOLUTIONS TO OUR PROBLEMS BEFORE WE EVEN SEE THE PROBLEM.

Action Step: Think about, grapple with, and pray about how God introduced companionship. I have found that there is something very distinct about the way we, as humans, connect with each other. The encouragement and optimism we can provide each other remain unique in my mind.

Thank you for joining us on the Gravity of Grace podcast. I am Stephen C. Meade; I am your friend, and you can reach me at Stephen@marblesuspendedinspace.com

And I would love to hear from you. Until next time, goodbye and God bless!

Again, to watch a video of this episode, click here.