My Husband, My Help Meet
When you think of the term “help meet” in reference to a man does this make you feel uncomfortable? What if I were to refer to my husband as my help meet? For a long time it would have made me uncomfortable. It still feels strange in my mouth, even disrespectful but the more I have studied the word the more I realize it is the perfect one to describe my husband.
The Hebrew word for “help meet” is “'ezer”. The first woman is described as a help meet in Genesis. In my mind I had always thought of this as a role only for women, a supporting role to a main actor and someone subordinate (if not in value at least in role). When I got to studying what this word actually means I was completely surprised!
Did you know that “'ezer” is used twenty-one times in the Old Testament? Sixteen times it is used in reference to God being a strong rescuer, three times it is used in military contexts and twice it is used in reference to the first woman.
This word does not convey subordination or a meek, supporting role. No! “'Ezer” has the idea of a strong, powerful, mighty help, a rescuer, savior, deliverer, ally and shield. Maybe that's what it really meant in Proverbs 31 when it says, "the heart of her husband safely trusts her"...
In Exodus 18 Moses even named one of his sons Eliezer which means my God (Eli) is my help ('ezer). When we look at the story of Moses and the way God “helped” him there is no question about "'ezer" conveying a strong and mighty meaning.
The Holy Spirit is also referred to as our Help (1). When the Holy Spirit is referred to as our Helper (2) ideas like passive, subordinate in role or supporting player don't come to mind at all! This is the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead (3) and fell upon the believers at Pentecost bringing many signs and wonders (4)!
After learning the true meaning of 'ezer I realize that this definition very adequately describes my husband and the way he interacts with me. He truly is a strong help and empowerer, my rescuer, ally and shield. I am learning from his example and I pray that I can live up to being as good of a help meet to him as he is to me.
I love you, Will. My 'ezer.
-Ashley Easter
(1) The New Testement word for "Help", referencing the Holy Spirit, is the Greek word "paraklētos".
(2) The Holy Spirit is our Help: John 14:16-17 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” {NASB}
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” {NASB}
(3) Our Help raised Christ from the dead: Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” {NASB}
(4) The Holy Spirit, our Help, is powerful: Acts 2:2-6 “And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.” {NASB}
