THE PURPOSE OF SEX
God made us with physical bodies that house our eternal soul. The soul comprises that part of us that makes up our intellect, feelings and volition. The soul communicates with the outside world through senses of the body; the world and the body interact with one another. The soul of man (male and female) is the part that generates affections toward other man, animals and objects, which is expressed through senses of the body.
The physical body is designed to enables man's soul to communicate with the physical or natural world through our senses of taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell. Our senses are our soul’s way of interpreting our physical and natural experiences in this world. God created our senses to embrace and enjoy the pleasures of the physical world he created for us. He also created in our soul, affections, appetites and desires, that can be enjoyed through our body's senses.
Our bodies were designed to express and experience love and affection of the soul. Our need to express and experience physical love and affection is why “God said, it’s not good for man to live alone, I will make him a “help meet” (Gen. 2:18); not “help mate”, as many people wrongfully refer to this reference in the Bible. Mate limits to a partnership, one member of a pair; i.e., classmate, roommate, etc. God’s design for man and woman goes beyond just pairing.
The phrase “help meet” in the original language of Hebrew is ezer kenegdo. Ezer means “helper”, which has been misunderstood to connote the idea of subordination or inferiority. The word עֵזֶר (ezer) used in Scriptures is never used of subordinate or inferiority, but only of a superior or an equal. In fact, the word עֵזֶר (ezer) is always used of God in his role as savior, rescuer, or protector; e.g., Ex. 18:14; Deut. 33:7. The root noun for Kenegdo is negdo, which literally means, 'opposite'; 'over against'; 'corresponding to’. So, Kenegdo literally translates “meet for him, corresponding to him”.
God created for male, a female that is "an equal but opposite helper to him". For example, my left hand is the ezer kenegdo to my right hand; both hands look alike, except they are exactly opposite. Both hands are equal but opposite, so they could work better together, help the other. They fit together as the same but opposite each other. Imagine trying to pick up and swing a baseball bat with two hands that are positioned the same way?
The ezer kenegdo of the right wing of a bird is the left wing; they look exactly the same except they are opposite each other. Both wings are equal but opposite. This is so that the bird can fly. One wing is no more important than the other. The same is true with man and woman. A Man’s ezer kenegdo is a woman. A woman's ezer kenegdo is a man. Both are equal but opposite. It requires both to fulfill the role of union before God, completeness in joining as one! Gen. 1:27: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them".
We read that God (Elohiym) created man and woman in His Image צֶלֶם ṣelemh
, meaning His shadow, a representation of Himself in mankind. He filled them, male and female, with His attributes; His male attributes to the man and His female attributes to the woman. We do not normally think of God (Elohiym) as having male and female attributes. We tend to view God in masculine terms and imagery. Although, God (Elohiym) is a masculine noun it does not imply Elohiym is masculine only. For example, 1 King 11:5: “For Solomon went after Ash’toreth the goddess (elohiym) of Sido’nians.” The term goddess [elohiym] is repeated again in 1 King 11:33 and 2 Kings 23:13.
Notice what Gen. 1:27 says, “So God (Elohiym) created man (human race), in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female created he them.” However, the actual Hebrew text omits the “him”. The original text actual reads:
וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמֹ֔ו בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹתֹ֑ו זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃
“and created God man in His own image of God he created them male and female he created them.”
Gen. 1:27 tells us that God (Elohiym) made man in His image. which is defined as “male and female”, which we can conclude the attributes of God (Elohiym) are both masculine and feminine. We can surmise that God’s masculine attributes are in males and His feminine in females.
Understanding God’s attributes as both male and female, helps us gain a better perspective of woman being the עזר כנגדו ezer kenegedo of man, who is equal to, but the other half of the man. She is to provide him assistance, aid, strength, and give satisfaction to her other half - man. Woman, the “ezer kenegedo”, the other half of the union of the attributes of God to man.
Now, before God created Adam a “help meet”, He brought every living creature before Adam to name. In naming every living creature, God wanted Adam to realize there was no creature that was his “help meet” (ezer kenegedo). God allowed Adam to discover for himself that there was no animal that matched him to pair with. Adam had no mate of his own kind to bond or mate with to produce after its own kind. Adam loved all of God’s creatures, but there were none that he could create a life bond with to share his soul. God in His profound wisdom told Adam, “it’s not good for man to be alone.” Man needed a help meet (ezer kenegedo) to express his love towards, to the sharing of his emotions, feelings and walk with through life. So God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and took one of his ribs and made “woman = “אִשָּׁה ’išâ
”, and brought her to man (Adam), and Adam from inculcate (revelation) knowledge from God, said; “
This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman (אִשָּׁה ’išâ
) because she was taken out of Man
”.
Adam, who had no earthly father or mother, through inculcate knowledge from God, pronounced God’s command for the union between a man and a woman, “Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife (same word = אִשָּׁה ’išâ
) and they shall be one flesh
”. Adam knew woman was his “ezer kenegedo”: opposite and joined – woman and wife = אִשָּׁה ’išâ
.
Why do we know Adam’s proclamation of "
one flesh" was of divine inspiration from God? Because the word "Therefore" (על־כן kēn-‛al
), which is an adverb, a conjunction which means, in like manner or following. Adam pronounced God’s institution of marriage was inculcated (implanted statement or admonition) knowledge, establishing the law of conjugal relations, the joining male and female, as one through sexual relations. It is the exercising of affectionate attachment and bonding of male and female in shared physical love and commitment, by the joining their flesh through sexual relations. The Hebrew word used “flesh” used for “one flesh” is בָּשָׂר ḇâśâr
, which means, “
pudenda (genital organs)
”. So, what Adam is saying is, “
we become one flesh, through joining our pudenda’s (sexual genitals)”. Meaning, man (husband) and woman (wife) become joined to one another through intertwining their (pudenda=genital), nakedness.
The union of man and woman = "one flesh" is the foundation of marriage. Gen. 2:25 says, “they were both naked, the man and his wife and were not ashamed.” The word naked is עָרוֹם ‘ârôm
; meaning nude, either partially or totally. They were not ashamed
בּוּשׁ bûš
;
meaning, confounded, confused or disconcerted about the purpose of their “nakedness – pudenda”. They had natural affection and desires for one another, and knew with their bodies they could express their love and affections to pleasure and enjoy one another conjugally - joining their flesh.