Genesis 1:26-28 (NIV)  “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule … over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them…

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)  “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

Genesis 2:18, 21-22 (NIV)  “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him… 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”

Here friend, in the opening section of Scripture, we find a unique account of what is clearly a medical and surgical procedure that one medical doctor, Dr. Russell Thompson, M.D. says and I quote, “is a description… so classic in technique and so compelling in its implications that it alone gives the Bible stature in the antiquity of surgery.”  Dr. Thompson’s statement  is absolutely right. You see God’s record here tells of surgical procedures unknown to man for thousands of years later. That’s right. First of all, to anesthetize a patient for surgery was unheard of for millenniums. Although medical treatment is one of the oldest sciences, history reveals it was one of the most backward of all due to prejudice and ignorance of the practitioners. Years ago, some doctors made fun of thermometers for measuring body temperature; others saw no purpose in taking blood pressure or timing the pulse, and still others who were the experts mind you, refused to scrub their hands before surgery.

For centuries doctors didn’t know how the human body worked and was put together. It wasn’t until a few hundred years before Christ, that Greek medicine first studied the human body and its bones. In fact, the word “anatomy” means “to cut.” One way to study the anatomy of a human being was to cut or dissect a body to examine its parts. One Greek doctor of historical significance, was a man named Galen, who lived two thousand years ago. He dissected animals ¾ dogs, goats, pigs and monkeys. He examined their structure and described in detail what he saw. Now mind you Galen was the best doctor who lived during his time. His writings were numerous, for in his lifetime he wrote more than fifty books about medicine, including a sixteen-volume encyclopedia called On Anatomical Procedure. His writings became the norm for medical student’s knowledge for 1300 years!

However, what was amazing is that doctors thousands of years later, still used Galen’s books as the basis of human anatomy for medical and surgical procedures. It wasn’t until Andreas Vesalius, became a student at a famous medical school in Paris, France, that anyone questioned Galen’s findings. Vesalius was so ridiculed, that even his life was threatened due to his refusal to accept Galen's theories of human anatomy. Dr. Vesalius relentlessly desired to examine a human body. One day by chance he found the skeleton of a robber that was hanged along a rarely unused road. The body had hung there for so long, that all the flesh was picked from its bones. It was for all purposes a bare skeleton. Quickly he took it down and secretly carried it off to his room. There he painstakingly and meticulously examined every bone and its place and position. To his shock and utter amazement he discovered that Galen’s books of human anatomy now 1300 years old were wrong!

He later learned that Galen's studies were not of a human being, but a monkey. Galen, an evolutionary atheist and unbeliever in the uniqueness of human creation, figured a monkey’s body was no different from a human being, so he used it as a model for all medical treatment. What’s more Versalius also found more than 200 gross mistakes in the best medical books of his day concerning surgery and medical treatment of the human body - mistakes still being taught and applied to medical treatment of his day. Versalius decided with the help of a skilled artist who believed in him to rewrite the medical text book. He completed his work in 1543, and it wasn’t until then that the medical world had an accurate textbook of human anatomy. Needless to say, his book and questioning of known science caused a wild frenzy and uproar among the experts of that day. Versalius had to flee Paris and wandered in the Holy Lands for a long time till he decided to return. However on the way back to France, he died in a tragic shipwreck at age 54. To this day his works and writings are correct and were useful in later years by medical doctors willing to change from the false ideas of Galen and accept the truth of this young upstart.

Now I’ve told you this story to prepare you for our text we began with. Indeed God is not only the originator of human existence, but He is the Creator of human anatomy, and the Creator Himself chose to perform the very first surgery on the very first human being He created. Let’s look at our text one more time to refresh our thoughts. We read in,

Genesis 2:18, 21-22 (NIV)  “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him… 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”

Now the Biblical record of man’s creation is quite simple. Of Adam’s creation it says

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)  “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

It is here we are told that man “became” a unique living being.  Dr. Henry Morris, a theologian writes in his “Defender’s Study Bible,”

“Man's body was formed out of the "elements of the earth," the same materials (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, etc.) from which both plants and the bodies of the animals had been formed (Genesis 1:12,24). This unity of physical composition is a fact of modern science long anticipated by Scripture… Though animals also possess the "breath of life" (Hebrew neshimah;--Genesis 7:22) and the "soul" (Hebrew nephesh;--Genesis 1:24), man's breath (same word as spirit) and soul were imparted to him by God directly, rather than indirectly, as imparted to the animals. In Gen. 2:7 where we find the phrase “living soul,” evolution is again refuted at this point. If man's body had been derived from an animal's body by any kind of evolutionary process, he would already have possessed the nephesh, rather than "becoming a living soul" when God gave him the breath of life.

Morris is absolutely right! God created man as an independent living being, similar to some of His other creations, but wholly unique in structure and purpose. Because the man, Adam, was made in the image of God, He took note of his singularity and said,

Genesis 2:18 (NIV)  “… “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him…

And so the infallible record tells us that God decided to perform the very first surgery. A surgery that would actually created another human being, not another species. Now we must remember this surgery was coupled with the omnipotent “creative” powers of God. The reason God chose to create another human being “out of Adam,” was that there would be only one humanity, and they would have something in common and that both would truly be in union the fullness of the image of God as a human being.

So what did God do? He did the only thing He could do with a live human being. He performed medical surgery. Now remember, when Moses wrote down this account, surgery as we know it was completely unknown. We must remember that the ancient Hebrews were forbidden to touch a dead corpse, so there was no means of medical exploration or knowledge of the human body. No one ever performed surgery! But here Moses writes that God first put Adam to “sleep. The Hebrew word is a “trance,” meaning a coma, or very deep sleep. Imagine that. Now anesthesiologists today tell us that the medical art of putting patients for surgery to sleep is actually a balancing act of taking them down to near death and yet keeping them definitely alive. In other words, they take a human being’s life balance down to the place of actual death and then raise or keep them just a minute level above that. In this manner, all forms of surgery can be performed without pain, or even remembrance of it.

Such is always risky and serious business though. That’s why surgery of all sorts that use deep sleep technology is of critical importance to the patient and doctors.

But here in the Bible amazingly, we’re told God did the very same thing! By putting Adam into a deep sleep, God lowered him to the point of death but maintained his life, and then began the delicate work of medical surgery. Now what followed? Listen to the text. 

Gen. 2:21 (NIV) … and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.”

While Adam was in a deep trance or sleep, God extracted bone, sinew and flesh from Adam’s side. The necessary ingredients for creating another human being having his DNA, his blood type and bone structure. In short, the materials for a duplicate clone of him, except God was going to make some necessary changes and as man has said down through the centuries “Viva La Difference!” From there, God performed the miraculous new creation of another human being that was absolutely fit to accommodate Adam’s needs, longings, and future. Yes, God fashioned made a beautiful “woman!” Thank God for our women, for they indeed are a “helpmate” to all men, and more they are the joy of our lives, the love of our hearts, the satisfaction of our inner core and being, the completion of bodies and our soul’s longings ¾ all because God performed the first surgery on Adam, and made another unique human being as his companion.

Now following surgery, it says,

Gen. 2:22 ( NIV) “[God] …closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”

God either manufactured new flesh, or took Adam’s existing flesh and fused it together again and brought Adam out of the deep sleep to life again. But now Adam saw before him another human being similar but different, having everything he didn’t and even more. What was Adam’s response?

Genesis 2:23-24 (NIV)  “The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘ for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

Adam marveled at what God had made from him and for him. But today friend we must also marvel at what God did and “how” He did it. You see the Biblical description fits perfectly with modern surgical techniques. First, there was “preoperative sedation,” then secondly followed, “general anesthetic,” and third the rib resection or actual surgery, and fourth, the “closing of the surgical incision,” followed lastly by reawakening the anesthetized patient.  With this story of history’s first surgery, the saga of medicine and medical treatment and ways began.

Now how about that friend? How could Moses know this procedure that doctors for many thousands of years, never knew or used? The answer is, God told him this truth by divine inspiration.  Indeed, the whole Bible is divinely inspired and is fully inerrant and infallible. You can trust God’s Word in every detail, and most of all in the area of His message of salvation and love. The bible declares,

Romans 3:23 (NIV)  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 (NIV)  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Acts 4:12 (NIV)  “Salvation is found in no one else [Jesus Christ], for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.””

Acts 16:31 (NIV)  “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.””

Yes, God has spoken, and it is by His words of truth. All men everywhere are fallen sinners, we are under the condemnation of sin which is the eternal death penalty. Since man was created in God’s image, all human being were created to live forever. If we cannot live in God’s eternal presence because of sin, God must design a place for all impenitent souls. That place my friend is Hell. Therefore the Bible warns that all sinners, that is all of Adam and Eve’s children down through the centuries are born sinful and destined for Hell, unless God intervenes. Thank God He has! He sent us His Son the Lord Jesus to die for us in our place. Yes, God Himself has chosen to fulfill the death penalty against sinners in Himself. This is the greatest love story in history! God gave His Son in death as payment for our sin, which if we accept it, we will go free for all eternity.

Friend, have you received Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? If not, today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time. Turn to Christ, call upon Him to save you, and forgive you all your sins. He will hear and answer every sinner’s prayer. I know for almost 30 years ago, I cried out to God to forgive my sins and save my soul. He answered then and everyday since then reminds me of my forgiveness through Christ. Yes, I am eternally grateful, so much so, that I dedicated my life to serving Him and proclaiming this message of forgiveness to the entire world. May the Lord Jesus open your heart the same to receive Him today. This I pray for Jesus sake, Amen.

Indeed friend, the Bible is a book of truth and it tells us the fantastic truth that we are created human beings. As such, we must realize we are accountable to the Creator for our lives and actions. I trust you’ve realized this and responded by calling upon Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior from sin and death to come. If you have I praise God, but if you haven’t don’t delay for you can die without Christ and suffer God’s wrath against sin for all eternity in the everlasting place called Hell. God grant that no one from our listening audience goes there. Meanwhile, let’s continue to study God’s Word and marvel at its truthfulness and grace.

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