13/11/2022
REFLECTION 46– 13TH NOVEMBER 2022
By Cosmas Ilechukwu
The General Overseer, CRM.
WHEN GOD IS MY HELPER (2)
“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. And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:20, 18, NKJV).
The woman represents the ultimate display of God's creative prowess. She is the last stroke of the divine artist’s brush that confers perfection on creation. In the woman, God conjoins toughness and tenderness to provide for humanity a balance necessary for progress. Her creation was against the backdrop of God’s self-critique of His work when He observed, “It is not good that man should be alone.” Man was alone but not lonely. The physical absence of his female companion at that time was not an oversight on the side of God. It all had to do with God’s timing and wisdom. He made the woman just when it was the right time to do so. This does not make her inferior to the man in any way. The question we need to give attention to now is: What did God set out to achieve in making the woman? In God’s own words – “I will make him a helper comparable to him.” God did not make a competitor, a subordinate, or a slave for the man, but “a helper comparable to him.” He did not intend her to be subordinate to her male counterpart in any way; but one who is comparable to him. The word “comparable” connotes the idea of equality, similarity, and complementarity between the two. Adam confirms God’s idea because on sighting the woman, he exclaimed, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh …” Genesis 2:23). She was indeed a helper comparable to him.
God made the woman to be a helper, but not in the sense of an assistance, or of an underling, or of a minion. He made the woman to be an ezer. EZER is the Hebrew word of helper as used by God in Genesis 2:18. The word ezer occurs a total of twenty-one times in the Old Testament. On two occasions it refers to Eve (Genesis 2:18 & 20). On three occasions it refers to the powerful nations Israel ran to for help in time of trouble (2 chronicles 28:16, Isaiah 31:1). In all the other sixteen instances, ezer refers to God as our help (Psalm 33:20, Psalm 70:5, Psalm 115:9-11, Psalm 121:1-2, Deuteronomy 33:29). According to Philip Payne, "The noun, [ezer] throughout the Old Testament does not suggest 'helper' as in 'servant,' but helper as in saviour, rescuer, or protector as in 'God is our help.' In no other occurrence in the Old Testament does this refer to an inferior, but always to a superior or an equal...'help' expresses that the woman is a help/strength who rescues or saves man." Since God is not subordinate to his creatures, any idea that an ezer-helper is inferior is untenable. God made the woman as helper in the same way He is our Helper. The one helping does so from a position of expertise and strength. To this order of helpers belong the woman!
The bible used a metaphor of strength and dependable support to describe women when it says, “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style” (Psalms 144:12). While the sons are likened to plants, the daughters are described as pillars. Pillars are symbols of strength and support. This is consistent with the role of women as helper. They are like pillars on which the superstructure of families and in fact the entire human society stands. Notice that as the pillars are not rough but carefully sculptured, so women are usually raised to serve as the standard-bearers of civilization and models of beauty. You don’t raise daughters anyhow. They are raised intentionally to be cultured and civil in their manners, poise, and presence. In all their roles as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, the woman’s presence and contributions are invaluable. They bring beauty to our lives and meaning to our struggles. A world without women will be a harsh and uninhabitable world devoid of love, laughter, and colour.
For the woman to fulfil this function creditably, she must first have and experience God as her help. To this end God extends this bold and firm promise to them and all of us, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’(Isaiah 41:10,13 NKJV). Women are burdened with so many things bothering mainly on how to provide adequate care for their families. There are constant demands on them to render one service or the other to their husband, children, relatives, or friends. All these are besides the demand on them from their churches and so many other social activities they are involved with. Meeting these demands keep them on their toes almost all the time. It would certainly require help from God for one to attend to all these demands and remain sane. Therefore, we must pray for our women today and always that God will bless them, keep them, and always prosper them in all the good things they do for us. God will show them favour in every way and bless them with good health so they will continue to serve with joy in all the different areas we need them. God will make them ever resourceful in providing solutions to the endless demands of their families and ever perfect everything that concerns them in Jesus’ name.
