It Is Not Good That Man Should Be Alone

When God created all things, he capped his creation with his greatest creation of all, man. God took man and placed him in the Garden of Eden with the instructions to care for the garden. God realized that Adam was all alone, he did not have a help meet (Gen. 2:20). God realized that it was not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18) so he caused a great sleep to come upon Adam and from his rib He made woman, man’s help meet (Gen. 2:22). With this we have God’s plan for man and woman to live as husband and wife. God’s design for man and woman to complement each other in their daily lives began.

As we follow the progression of man throughout the Old Testament into and the New we can see how that God’s plan for marriage has been followed. We can see how that the right spouse could be a big help, or a big hindrance, to one in their faithfulness to God. God through His infinite wisdom realized the importance of the right kind of help meet in life. He knew that men and women would need someone to help them in their daily struggles and to make their life complete. That is why that God said that it is not good that man should be alone (Gen. 2:18).

Some people, for one reason or another, have decided that married life is not for them. The apostle Paul spoke about how that he had the right to be married yet for some, like himself, it is best not to be married (1 Cor. 9:5; 1 Cor. 7:8).

On the other hand, most people find true happiness and fulfillment in being married. They find that having a spouse makes their lives complete and whole. They cannot imagine life without having someone special by their side. It is truly sad when that happy life becomes shattered, especially by the death of a spouse. Now where their lives were once complete and whole there is a great big empty hole.

God’s idea that it is not good for mankind to be alone does not change with death. As we look though out the Old Testament we can see examples of those who lost their spouse to death and remarried once again.

In Genesis the twenty-third chapter we find that the age of 127 Sarah the wife of Abraham passed away in Hebron in the land of Canaan. Beginning with the second verse of this chapter we see that Abraham mourned for his wife and made proper arrangements for her burial, just as any loving husband will do. Yet, when we turn over to chapter twenty-five we see that after a period of mourning, Abraham chose a new wife by the name of Keturah. Keturah bore Abraham six sons. Abraham’s decision to choose another wife did not mean he did not love Sarah. He was only fulfilling the need for a suitable help meet which he had in his life.

Another example we find is in the first chapter of Ruth. In verse four of this chapter we find that Naomi’s sons chose themselves wives from the women of Moab. Then in verse five we find that the two sons died leaving their widowed wives alone with their widowed mother. Naomi. In verse twelve we find that Naomi considered herself to old at this time of her life to have another husband. She also realized that her daughters-in-law needed to find husbands and have families of their own. She then in verses eight through thirteen encourages them to return to the home of their families and marry once again. Ruth remained with her mother-in-law out of the love that she had for her and for her son. As we turn to chapter four of this text we find that Ruth and Boaz marry. The love she had for the mother of her first husband is shown in that Naomi remains as a mother unto her.

As we shift our study from the examples of the Old Testament to the teachings of the New Testament we can clearly see that widows receive apostolic encouragement to remarry instead of remaining single.

Paul addresses this in writing his first epistle unto Timothy. In chapter five he is instructing Timothy concerning the care of widows. He talks in verse three how that those widows who are widows indeed should be honored or cared for by the church. He then in verses four though nine tells Timothy what a widow indeed is not. She is not one who has a family to care for her. Nor is she one who is below the age of sixty. In verse fourteen he encourages the younger widows, those below the age of sixty, to marry and care for her family.

This is in keeping with the instructions that he gives unto the Corinthians in the seventh chapter of his first epistle to them. In verse thirty-nine of this chapter he tells us that upon the death of a spouse one has the right to marry once again. (This is a repeat of the same thing which he told the Roman brethren; Rom. 7:3). This encouragement for a widow to marry again in verse thirty-nine is closing out his discussion on marriage beginning with verse one. As we have already seen in verses seven and eight he states that for some remaining single is the best course for them. Then in verse nine he says that there are those who are going to have that desire to have the companionship which is best served by having a spouse. Concerning this latter group, he says, “let them marry” (1 Cor. 7:9).

God realized in the very beginning that is was not good for man to be alone, even after the death of their spouse. In the words of Paul, “let them marry.”

Tim Hester