Journeying in Genesis: Don’t Isolate; Seek to Serve

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’ Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” Genesis 2:15-18

God gave Adam instruction to obey concerning hIs assignment. Then, for the first time, something in creation is not good.

It is not good to be alone.

We know from nature shows that an animal separated from the pack is in danger. Satan attempts to lure us into spiritual isolation, so that he can prey on us more easily. The answer is not just to be around a lot of people, but to be around those genuinely and humbly walking with God. If you are lacking fellowship, ask God to provide it. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says,

“Though one may be overpowered by another,

two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

The word for helper is the Hebrew עֵזֶר (ʻêzer) meaning aid or help. It comes from a primitive root עָזַר (ʻâzar) meaning to surround, protect, aid, help, succor. In many instances in the Bible, it’s used to describe God. An example is Psalm 33:20,

“Our soul waits for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.”

Our ultimate Helper! What a gracious and caring God. Imagine a human thinking helper is a “less than” position. Let’s joyfully be helpers and therefore more like Christ. In Him, we’re never alone.