This was passed along to me by my husband. Reading this helped build up my spirit again knowing that I AM needed and I matter. Sometimes I forget that I play an irreplaceable role. I pray this encourages you as well. :)
Eve Is Essential
When God creates Eve, he calls her an ezer kenegdo. "It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him a [ezer kenegdo]" (Gen. 2:18 Alter). This phrase is notoriously difficult to translate. The various attempts we have in English tend to be "helper" or "companion" or the notorious "help meet." Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat …disappointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing "One day I shall be a help meet?" Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Hebrew scholar Robert Alter is getting close when he translates it "sustainer beside him."
The word ezer is used only 20 other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately.
God is your only hope. Your ezer. If he is not there beside you…you are dead. A better translation therefore of ezer would be "life-saver." Kenegdomeans alongside, or opposite to, a counterpart.
You see, the life God calls us to is not a safe life. Ask Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Esther – any of the friends of God from the Old Testament. Ask Mary and Lazarus, ask Peter, James and John, ask Priscilla and Aquila – any of the friends of God in the New Testament. God calls us to a life involving frequent risks and many dangers. Why else would we need him to be our ezer? You don't need a life-saver if you're mission is couch potato. You need an ezer when your life is in constant danger.
That longing in the heart of a woman to share life together as a great adventure – that comes straight from the heart of God, who also longs for this. He does not want to be an option in our lives. He does not want to be an appendage, a tag-along. Neither does any woman. God is essential. Eve is essential. She has an irreplaceable role to play.
3 comments:
Amen my sister! Well said. May I add what Puritan author Matthew Henry wrote:
"The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor was she taken out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but from out of his side to be equal with him, from under his arm to be protected and from near his heart to be loved."
As always, Franny, you are a great encourager. This has blessed me today!
Amen my sister! This was indeed a blessing to me and a great encouragement. (oh yeah this is Lisa by the way...signed in differently)
May I add what Puritan author Matthew Henry said:
"The women was made from a rib out of the side of Adam, not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal to him, from under his arm to be protected and from near his heart to be loved."
ok so franny, my first comment wouldn't post, so I tried again from another email...and look it posted both times!!
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