The Hebrew word for helper is “ezer” and used in only a few places in the OT. It means: “a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose.” The surprise is that a full 2/3 of the uses of this word refer to God as the helper!
Psalm 121:1–2. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The psalmist says three times that God “is our help and shield” and three uses in Deuteronomy indicate helper is a military form of aid in battles. All these references make it obvious that being a helper is no way inferior to the one who receives help. Even the feminine form of this noun, “ezra” is used exclusively for God helping His people. As God showed me (yesterday’s post), when I am doing the will of God, I am being what He created me to be — made in His likeness. That means being a helper also!
As for making fun, God does laugh at those who shake their fist in His face. He knows their resistance to His goodness and His plan are futile (see Psalm 2). However, Scripture never give me any indication that being a godly person includes laughing at those who are weak or struggling or even those who resist truth. My role is to lovingly help them in their need, even help them know and respond to God in faith.
Psalm 54:4. Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
Psalm 72:12–13. For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy and saves the lives of the needy.
The NT word for HELPER is “parakletos” meaning “an advocate, a person who acts as a spokesperson or representative of someone else’s policy, purpose, or cause; especially before a judge in a court of law.”
The definition strongly suggests intercession, meaning that helpers do not mock the needy but intercedes on their behalf, bringing them to the Lord in heart-felt prayer with concern for their needs and sticking up for them. No one can mock someone who is constantly on their prayer list!
Not only that this NT word is used to describe only the Holy Spirit. It is often translated as counselor, the One sent by God to bless, enable, and work with us. Our role is limited in that we cannot take on much of the work of the Holy Spirit such as producing spiritual fruit, but the designation of being a helper is again elevated, not a servant or a doormat, but one who bears witness to Jesus Christ.
In one place, another word is used for helper, “boethos” meaning “coworker or assistant” as in Hebrews 13:5–6.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
This tells me even more about being my hubby’s helper. Instead of always wanting or demanding more, I’m to be content. My God is my helper and He will never abandon me. I’m not to fear what any person can do. Of course, if my hubby was abusive and harming me, I would need to seek God’s will for that kind of situation.
This reminds me of a relative who married a lovely Christian woman and later divorced her. He told me that he could not live with her because “she is too good” which seemed an admission that her life convinced him that he was not. Oddly enough, his next two choices were both Christian women.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. As I think about all the ways that God helps me, I’m made more aware of the ways I can be helpful to my husband but also to others around me. I am not God, but He helps me with the resources needed to obey Him, so whenever I see a need, the least I can do is pray about it, whether God makes me the helper in that situation or not.
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