"So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him" (Genesis 2:20).
We see Adam doing the work that God had given him. He was given the charge to name all animals, and he did it to God’s glory. In doing that work and fulfilling his assignment, the scriptures point to something that was lacking in Adam’s life. He had no helper comparable to him.
It would appear that each animal had a helper to share their lives with and to help them. Adam recognized his need. He felt the need for companionship. The Bible describes what was missing in his life with two words.
The first word used is ‘helper’. The word used describes someone who assists or offers help. Interestingly, it was in the process of exercising his mandate over the animals that Adam felt the need for a helper. Why was that so? Was the work too much for him? I doubt it. To have an idea of why he felt the need for a helper, we have to look at the second word used in the passage.
The second word used is ‘comparable’. It is a loaded word. It means one opposite of you; or one like you who is not you. In other words, Adam wanted someone like him who was not him. Why did Adam feel this need? I think Adam felt the need for a companion because naming the animals required the use of speech.
He could till the garden without speaking, but in naming the animals, he had to speak. Adam might have noticed that speaking did not have to be one way. He needed someone to speak to and share a conversation with. It was then that he noticed that none of the animals could speak. That is when, I believe, Adam realized his need.
He wanted another being like him who could also speak like him so he could have a relationship with the one. He wasn’t looking for someone to control or someone to do his work for him. Not a clone. Not a robot.
Adam shows us that each one of us needs help. The quality of helper we need is one who is comparable to us. May the Lord give us the right kind of helper for the assignment He has given us.