Genesis 2:21-22

"And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh thereof: and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

The mystery hidden before all times is inherently a part of God's revelation here. The sleep coming upon Adam was a prophecy of the death of Christ, the God-Man, on Calvary; and just as the wife of Adam I was taken from his side during that sleep, so that Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride of Adam II was, in a figure, taken from the side of Jesus Christ, from which, upon its being pierced by the spear, there came forth blood and water, emblematical of the two grand ordinances of Christianity, namely, the Lord's Supper and Christian baptism.

We receive this account as inspired, genuine truth, although we do not profess to understand all of the infinite meaning of it. Why the rib? As many have noted, woman was taken not from Adam's foot that he might rule over her, not from Adam's head that she might dominate him, but from his side that she might be his true equal and companion. There are doubtless other important things in this that lie beyond the perimeter of complete finite understanding. Dr. Elton Stubblefield, famed medical doctor conducting research in the mysteries of the DNA, recently mentioned in a public lecture that, "The rib is the only portion of the human body that carries within it every type (of which there are several) of cell to be found in a human body, and that theoretically, it is absolutely possible to clone an entire human being from a single rib!"

"And brought her unto the man..." Here was the first marriage, God himself officiating in it, thus making God a partner and participant in every wedding. Any sin against either of the partners in a marriage is also a sin against God. If we have problems with this chapter, let it be remembered that Jesus quoted from it and called it "the Word of God"; and so we receive it.

A number of things were established in this record of woman's creation: "The absolute unity of the race in its descent from one ancestor is established. The true dignity of woman is guaranteed. The significance and sanctity of marriage are revealed."[28]

Is this account historical? Yes! The history of the whole race of mankind begins right here in this chapter; and concerning the first chapter in that history, this is the only record that man has. "Paul understood this record as straightforward history, observing that man was not made from woman, but woman from man (1 Corinthians 11:8)."[29]