Text: Genesis 2:18-25
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” —Genesis 2:18
She was the first woman created by the very hands of God. She was God’s best gift to the man, and yet she too often gets a bad rap.
Generationally, Eve has been stigmatized for the tragic choice of disobeying God in the Garden, leading to the fall of the entire human race. But she wasn’t the only guilty party dancing with the serpent’s deception in the fog of Genesis 3. Put in the same position, every one of us would have made the same devastating choice, I presume.
But what many fail to realize is that buried in Eve’s beautiful design is a captivating imagery. Her story begins in Genesis 2:18. When God sees that Adam isn’t faring so well alone, He moves decisively to get this boy some help. “I will make him a helper fit for him,” the Lord says.
The Hebrew phrase used here is “ezer kenegdo,” which can also be translated “suitable helper” or “helpmeet.” The word “ezer” appears 21 times in the Old Testament: two times it refers to the first woman, three times it refers to powerful nations Israel called on for military aid in battle, and sixteen other times the word refers to God as our help or strength when we desperately need Him to come through. In other words, the phrase means something far more powerful than just “helper”— it means “lifesaver.”
The biblical language of ezer hardly represents someone who is merely designed to do Adam’s laundry and dishes. She is so much more profound than that. Eve is a life giver, and a lifesaver. She is strength, and she is a warrior. God deploys the ezer kenegdo to conquer the man’s loneliness. She soldiers with him wholeheartedly and at full strength for God’s kingdom pursuits. She is his strongest ally, and she comes through in times of desperation.
Like Adam, Eve is also God’s creative masterpiece. Ezer kenegdo is an empowering and powerful description of how women reflect the very nature of God Himself (Genesis 1:27). She is fearfully and wonderfully made. The woman is an image-bearer of God’s nurturing strength, support, and sufficiency in our lives.
The meaning of ezer is one who comes alongside of us in our helplessness. In Psalm 70, we hear a desperate prayer in time of trouble. The psalmist is feeling powerless and helpless—poor and needy. He cries out to God and says, “You are my help [ezer] and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”
In Psalm 121, the psalmist asks, “From where does my help [ezer] come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper…”
No matter what you might be going through right now, God is your faithful Ezer in times of difficulty and need. He is your Helper. He has never failed you, and He has no plans to start now. He will come through. He will show up! Reflect on His promises as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
God, we agree with the psalmist that You are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging, You will not fail us. We believe this, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- What woman should you thank today for being the “ezer” image of God in your life?
- When have you cried out to God in desperation?
- In what ways has God been a help to you in times of trouble?
- Where do you specifically need God’s help in a helpless situation right now?
- What act of faith will you take this week that demonstrates you are trusting God to show up in your situation?
Text: Genesis 2:18-25
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” —Genesis 2:18
She was the first woman created by the very hands of God. She was God’s best gift to the man, and yet she too often gets a bad rap.
Generationally, Eve has been stigmatized for the tragic choice of disobeying God in the Garden, leading to the fall of the entire human race. But she wasn’t the only guilty party dancing with the serpent’s deception in the fog of Genesis 3. Put in the same position, every one of us would have made the same devastating choice, I presume.
But what many fail to realize is that buried in Eve’s beautiful design is a captivating imagery. Her story begins in Genesis 2:18. When God sees that Adam isn’t faring so well alone, He moves decisively to get this boy some help. “I will make him a helper fit for him,” the Lord says.
The Hebrew phrase used here is “ezer kenegdo,” which can also be translated “suitable helper” or “helpmeet.” The word “ezer” appears 21 times in the Old Testament: two times it refers to the first woman, three times it refers to powerful nations Israel called on for military aid in battle, and sixteen other times the word refers to God as our help or strength when we desperately need Him to come through. In other words, the phrase means something far more powerful than just “helper”— it means “lifesaver.”
The biblical language of ezer hardly represents someone who is merely designed to do Adam’s laundry and dishes. She is so much more profound than that. Eve is a life giver, and a lifesaver. She is strength, and she is a warrior. God deploys the ezer kenegdo to conquer the man’s loneliness. She soldiers with him wholeheartedly and at full strength for God’s kingdom pursuits. She is his strongest ally, and she comes through in times of desperation.
Like Adam, Eve is also God’s creative masterpiece. Ezer kenegdo is an empowering and powerful description of how women reflect the very nature of God Himself (Genesis 1:27). She is fearfully and wonderfully made. The woman is an image-bearer of God’s nurturing strength, support, and sufficiency in our lives.
The meaning of ezer is one who comes alongside of us in our helplessness. In Psalm 70, we hear a desperate prayer in time of trouble. The psalmist is feeling powerless and helpless—poor and needy. He cries out to God and says, “You are my help [ezer] and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”
In Psalm 121, the psalmist asks, “From where does my help [ezer] come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper…”
No matter what you might be going through right now, God is your faithful Ezer in times of difficulty and need. He is your Helper. He has never failed you, and He has no plans to start now. He will come through. He will show up! Reflect on His promises as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
God, we agree with the psalmist that You are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging, You will not fail us. We believe this, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion: