George Ruheni

  The Institution of Marriage When God noted that man was lonely, it became a profound turning point in the creation account. For the first time, God declared that something was not good. Not because of a flaw in creation, but because man was alone, lacking the fellowship he was created to enjoy. God is a relational God, and man was formed in His image. Man reflects God’s relational nature, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in perfect fellowship. As God desires communion with man, man was made to live in communion and not in isolation.  And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him . ... (Genesis 2:18-23). God created a helper comparable to him, in Hebrew; ezer kenegdo , a helper fit for him, someone to complement him. This is not about subordination, but partnership and strength. God did not make Eve as an afterthought, but as a crown of creation, formed with intention and beauty. Eve was not made from dust like A...

  God placed man in the Garden of Eden Dust symbolizes human frailty and mortality, demanding that man walk in humility. On our own, without God’s breath, we are earth, lowly, temporal, and perishable. God’s breath is the divine spark that makes us living souls. It's God's Spirit, not the dust, that gives us value, meaning, and purpose. And the  Lord  God formed man  of  the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). It is an honor that God grants to man to be a co-heir with Him. Otherwise, though dust is not nothing, it neighbors nothing.   Hannah’s declaration in her song of praise highlights, God's sovereignty and grace. She paints that man is but dust, lowly, insignificant, and mortal, yet God lifts the humble and restores dignity. The ash heap symbolizes deep sorrow, shame, and loss, often the place of mourning or rejection. Yet God stoops down to ra...