| “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun [Israel], who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.” |
| —Deuteronomy 33:26 |
Do you remember the Carole King hit song from the late 1960s, “You’ve Got a Friend”? If you do, you may also remember the refrain:
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running, to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there
You’ve got a friend.
That song always reminds me of Psalm 18:6, when David retold that:
“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.”
Following that statement. David tells how God literally dropped everything, shook the earth, parted the heavens and came down, thundered, scattered enemies, and reached down to him. Now, that’s a Friend!
In studying the story of Eve,1 I learned the Hebrew word, Ezer, which means “help.” This broad term refers to military strength, too. And, it carries the qualities of “protection” and “defense.” In Genesis 2:18, we read:
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Those of us who grew up with the King James Version of the Bible remember the word “help meet” used in place of the phrase “helper suitable for him.” For centuries, the word seemed restricted to the marriage relationship. It seemed to suggest that a women’s place strictly belonged with home and family, and away from other stronger, more capable missions, like those missions God had given man to carry out.
In my study, I read that the word Ezer occurs 21 times in the Old Testament and only two of those refer to women. Three times, the word refers to military powers that Israel called upon. The other 16 times, the word refers to our God as Israel’s Helper.
You can even find the word Ezer as part of names in the Old Testament that point to strength. Consider these names: Eben-ezer, Moses’ son Eli-ezer, one of David’s warriors, Abi-ezer. And, during New Testament times, a contemporary of Jesus named, Rabbi Eli-ezer.
Not only does this explanation help our understanding of women’s role as elevated and the other half of a polarity with men, but it gives us an accurate picture of our great God. God is our Ezer.
How wonderful to recall the verse in Psalm 46:1:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
We can count on God at all times. As Hebrews 4:16 in the Amplified Bible tells us, at the right time:
Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].
God shows us that, as our Ezer, He knows how to come to us at the right time, how to fight for us, how to stand with us, and how to show us the way we can help others with the same strength and purpose that He supplies.
Let’s determine this day, and every day, to be strong in the Lord and serve Him by helping others as He has helped us!
______________________
| 1 James, Carolyn Custis. Lost Women of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing Company, 2005. Pp. 35, 36, 233. |
