Helper?

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the human to be alone. I will make a helper (ezer) suitable for him.” - Genesis 2:18

‘Helper’ is sometimes equated with subservience, hierarchy. While sometimes there are soft versions of the approach that says that women should be men’s helpers, it seems that most often it limits the gifts of women and creates systems that are ripe for abuse.

The word for ‘helper’ is a translation of the Hebrew word ezer. It’s used 27 times in the Old Testament, and 21 of them are for God. For example, Psalm 33:20 “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help (ezer) and our shield.”

It’s pretty clear that ezer is not about subservience - this is a role of strength. And it’s about about partnership with others created in the imago dei. How does that affect your view of your own and other’s gender?

One other important aspect of this passage is that sometimes it’s just limited to marriage (sexual partnerships). Remember, 21 out of 27 times it’s used to describe God being our helper - and that’s not a sexual partnership. Certainly ezer is about more than marriage. It’s about community. Of course marriage is one example of community and an important one, but not the only one by far.

We’re all each other ezers, to help each other from positions of mutual respect - whether in the family, at work or a group of friends. In these holy communities, we see our similarity, all created in the imago dei, and valued in our differences

How might God be speaking to you about the ezers in your life or about your call to be an ezer to others?