Helper
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Genesis 2:18
God created men and women equally in that in both their identity is found in Christ. Our value, worth, dignity and significance are born out of being in Christ, whether man or woman. We were both created to bear the image of God; yet we have different roles, and different expressions that allow us to glorify God in very distinct ways.
Consider John Piper’s comments:
It is a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of His Son in ways that would not be displayed if there were no womanhood. If there were only generic persons and not male and female, the glory of Christ would be diminished in the world. When God described the glorious work of His Son as the sacrifice of a husband for his bride, He was telling us why He made us male and female. He made us this way so that our maleness and femaleness would display more fully the glory of His Son in relation to His blood-bought bride.
What are the glorious roles that God has clearly designed for women according to Scripture?
In Genesis 2:18, we discover that God determined man should be not be alone and created woman to be a “helper”. The word translated “helper” is the Hebrew term ‘ezer. In Scripture, this word is even used of God:
O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:9-11
God is our Helper and women are created in His image. Consider that God as our Helper cares for and defends the oppressed. He comes to the rescue to deliver those in distress. He comforts, supports, shields and protects those He loves. His example demonstrates the value and worth of the “helper” role. A women’s help brings a great influence to the home, the workplace, the community, the church and the world at large.
This role applies to a woman whether she is married or not. It is unfortunate that our culture, and even at times within the church, this role has been looked upon as inferior or a second class assignment, when in reality that is not what God had in mind at all. When a woman mistakenly sees her role as “less than” she begins to believe that she needs to usurp a man’s role of leadership.
Let’s embrace and esteem our role as “helper”, glorifying God by bringing compassion, comfort and support to those in our homes, churches, workplaces, communities and to the world at large. It is this role that truly meets the need of every woman’s heart to be significant and to walk in God’s unique purpose and plan for her life.
For Further Study
1. The Lord is seen as the helper of the underprivileged. Look up the following verses and list the ways a woman can be used by God in her helper role to be a channel of compassion.
· Psalm 10:14
· Psalm 28:7
· Psalm 54:4
· Psalm 72:12
· Psalm 86:17
2. How can a misunderstanding of the role of “helper” cause a woman to be discontented?
3. Rather than recoil at the notion of being a helper, we should rejoice in this aspect of our female design. Give some examples of ways that you can immediately step into your role as “helper”.