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Presented by Lauren Stibgen
For many women the creation story in Genesis feels like a story of their subordination to men. Afterall, God made Adam first. In Genesis 2:18, God says, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of everything in creation there was “not a helper found fit for him.” Different than everything in creation, even Adam, Eve was made from the rib of Adam. She was the only part of creation that was not formed from the ground.
While we are blessed with the details in Genesis 2, we learn in Genesis 1 that God created man “in our image, after our likeness.” Specifically in Genesis 1:27 it says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” And in verse 28, “And God blessed them.”
Although God created Adam first and Eve specially for him, we forget this happened on the 6th day. There wasn’t some terrific lag in time, and there was certainly not a connotation of the woman being less. Both man and woman were created in Imago Dei—the image of God.
Genesis 2:18 is where we see the reference to “Ezer” or helper. As it is with many Bible translations, our definition of helper in English in not adequate to describe Ezer.
In the Oxford dictionary, we see help as a verb, noun and an exclamation. The verb help is defined as making it easier for someone to do something by offering services, or to serve someone with food or drink. The noun is the action of helping someone. And the exclamation—needing urgent assistance. All this insinuates assistance in some form or fashion.
Now, don’t get me wrong. God absolutely wants us to be this type of helper—and I will come back to this—but the definition and its connotations fail in comparison to the type of helper God made the first woman to be (and arguably every woman thereafter made in God’s image). If we know God is described as Jehovah Ezrah and we also know women are created to bare the image of God, we can begin to imagine just how significant it is to be an Ezer in the kingdom of God.
Unfortunately, after the fall in Genesis 4, the sin nature of man shifted to a dominating, patriarchal role, but this does not mean this is God’s plan for women and men! We know God is redeeming both men and women in his Kingdom through salvation in Christ Jesus, but we are still sinful. This, coupled with our poor English translation has created patterns in how we think of women and work that have made certain roles feel “less than”.
Culturally, the word helper has been used for roles that women would take to offer assistance. Teacher’s helper, Sunday school helper, lunchroom helper, field trip helper. Somewhere along the line we became more sophisticated and inserted the word chaperone, but helper was very prevalent. These roles in a classroom or at a school were reserved for stay-at-home moms. Women who worked could not find a place as this type of helper. While I think this is less pervasive today with more women at work, I know this is something many of the women in our ministry struggle with.
As working women, they often cannot be this type of helper, and they would like to be. Or perhaps they have a husband who fills the role of helper in this way. Men often face being one among many women still to this day. I know my husband is the primary teacher for our homeschooled son, and he is the only male hall helper in our homeschool cooperative.
Beyond these helper titles in settings that involve children, there are connotations surrounding titles that women hold at work. While some men are holding these titles today, we spent a lot of time making women “helpers” in the workforce. What do I mean by this? Assistants. These positions were held only by women. Honestly, what type of candidate pool of Administrative Assistant staff are men? Even today? Men make up on 11% of the administrative pool in the United States. Why the gender imbalance? Well, according to AI, “men may be seen as working below their skill level” and “the term assistant, has female connotations.” Thank you, AI, for proving we live in a fallen world!
From hiring many assistants over the years both to work for me and to work for others, I have interviewed only a small handful of men. And I have found the stereotypes about being an assistant include a lack of intellect or education and the belief that it isn’t a career. I would tell you that this is far from any truth. This talented pool of 89% women, are educated and integral parts of any team they are on. Not everyone can be good at everything, and, at work, everyone plays a key role.
The subordination of women as helpers in the workforce is still prevalent today with only 32% of top positions held by women. Statistics still show that women are less likely to be promoted into management. The fall and a society without an understanding for God’s plan to redeem all things to himself keeps these norms in a world order that God didn’t intend for women or men for that matter.
If we are made in God’s image and he is our helper, what does this form of helper look like? Surely it is not always subordinate. Is it?
No. The word for helper in the Bible is not a small role. The English definition got one thing right with the exclamatory definition of helper—when someone needs urgent assistance, this person is a rescuer, a true ally, someone who bravely steps in against their best interests or the expectation of the situation, a leader, a person who crosses barriers to do good, a wise decision maker.
There are wonderful Ezer women in the Bible. But how prevalent is “Ezer” in the Bible? Ezer is used 21 times in the Old Testament with the first two being used in Genesis to describe Eve. The remaining references speak of nations coming to Israel’s rescue and directly to God.
The Psalms refer to God as a rescuer and defender (shield).
Psalm 33:20: We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
Psalm 115: 9-11: All you Israelites, trust in the Lord; he is their help and their shield. 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.
The repeat of God being a help and shield shines a spotlight on how important this role is for God with us and how much it meant to the Psalmist.
David calls on the Lord as his helper. In Psalm 70:5 David calls, “But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer, Lord, do not delay!”
David’s exclamation, “Help! Hurry! Don’t delay in your assistance to me,” tells a lot of the type of helper an Ezer is often called to be, and it is far from a subordinate role.
I love one of the earliest examples of two Ezer women in the Bible—Shiprah and Puah. These women were midwives in Egypt during the time where Pharoah called for all baby boys of the Israelites to be killed. These two helpers not only served as midwives to the women in childbirth, but they were also great protectors of the babies, refusing to kill them (Exodus 1:15-21). They defied evil and stood in the way as an Ezer. They were a shield to these children—one of which was Moses.
At work, how are you standing up to something that might be evil? Have you become aware of a scheme at work that creates a disparity or that impacts one group of people and not another? How can you be an Ezer helper and Ezer shield in this scenario? It doesn’t not matter what title you hold in this scenario. You are called by God to be a helper and to shine the light for those who are most vulnerable.
Perhaps you are called to be a brave Ezer like Rahab. This story outlines how she opens her home to two Israelite spies who were preparing to take over the city. In Joshua 2 we see how she acknowledges the Lord’s will for the city and these men. Not only does she protect her family by negotiating their safety, but she also stands up to authorities to hide the two men.
Where do you need to be brave? Like the two midwifes who disobeyed and protected the children of Israel, Rahab was brave in shielding the two men from harm. Is there someone at work who needs your protection? Sometimes we can come across a colleague or coworker who is facing trials at home. Perhaps his or her health is suffering or maybe the health of a loved one. Maybe they are going through a divorce or other hardship. Can you protect them? Perhaps it is offering them help to get a project done that they are struggling with. Maybe they are out of paid time off, and your organization allows you to donate days to another employee in need. Can you give some of your time? Perhaps it is being brave to encourage them to use resources available to them at work like an employee assistance line or a leave of absence.
What about one of the most in-depth examples of an Ezer woman? The Proverbs 31 woman. She is described as:
Trustworthy: Her husband trusts the work she does.
Generous: She helps the poor and needy.
A good businesswoman: We know she buys and sells land and produces profitably.
Diligent: She rises early to get her work done.
Wise: She guards her words, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
The Proverbs 31 woman is always inspiring me and other women as well. We can take examples of the Proverbs 31 woman to work. Are you a trustworthy colleague and leader? Are you giving to those in need? How are you using the resources your company provides for excellent results? Are you diligent in completing work even if this means rising early or staying late to complete a project? How do you help train other people at work? Or how do you guard your tongue from engaging in office gossip?
All of these are examples of how powerful you can be as an Ezer woman in the workplace.
What about the other kind of helper? You know, the one who is subordinate. Maybe this type of helper now feels weak and not brave—small and not mighty. But, if you recall, I said earlier that God wants us to be this type of Ezer woman too.
Arguably, Jesus was a helper. He healed the sick and comforted those no one else would even spend a moment with during his time on earth. He came to heal the sick sinner.
In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says, “Learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.”
Jesus shows us it is more than OK to be a meek and quiet helper too. In fact, quiet help is often the most powerful help.
Can you be a quiet Ezer woman at work too? Sometimes it isn’t about being bold or brave, but it is about stepping into our role of keeping what James calls the Royal Law. To love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30).
Showing love at work can often mean being an Ezer. And even if it feels humble and lowly, remember that Jesus is our greatest example of help.
Philippians 2:8 reminds us, “And being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.”
He did this to help you and me. He did this to break the bonds of sin forever so we can be forgiven and be united with God! What an amazing helper. The ultimate helper in fact.
The way we look at creation and how Eve is described as a helper may feel subordinate, but if we look closely, her role of Ezer is the first look at how God views our identity. We are made to be helpers. Sometimes we are called to leadership and bravery, to break bonds of evil and help those weaker than us in a bold way, but other times we are called to be humble and meek like Jesus.
While cultural definitions of the word help may feel subordinate, we can take comfort as women that we are anything but this because we are Imago Dei—made in God’s own image. A strong help. A shield.
And Jesus reminds us that we “royally” show the best help in leading out the greatest commandment of LOVE!
To all the Ezer women, we have a lot of work to do to show the redemptive work of Christ as his ambassadors!