Ezer

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

We were created in the image of God. Male and female, equal but different. Each gender was given a unique capacity to represent the glory of God.  But, what exactly does it mean to be an image bearer and how does that flesh out in daily life?

In Genesis 2:18, God saw it was not good for man to be alone and determined to make a “helper suitable” for him, or in the original Hebrew an “ezer-kenegdo”.  As a female image bearer, a woman’s core calling is as an ezer, or essential counterpart. However, the idea that woman was created as a helper has taken on a negative connotation over the years, one that denotes weakness or inferiority.  Yet, the word ezer (pronounced Eh’-zair) is far from a weak word. It is used twenty-one times in Old Testament Scripture: twice in the creation story, three times as a military term, and sixteen times God refers to himself as our Ezer.

A woman, as an ezer, reflects God as an Ezer, as someone who comes alongside, nurtures, and lends strength.  Being an ezer is the core of who a woman is. It is not a role she plays, nor is it defined by her season of life. On the contrary, because it is who a woman is, it translates across all roles and seasons of life as mother, daughter, employee, employer, mentor, grandmother, single, widow, or empty-nester.

Being an ezer is not what a woman does, but who she is created to be. It is her God-given design, thereby reflecting the image and glory of God in uniquely feminine ways.

Over the last two years, Grace Church has worked to develop a common language surrounding the core callings and core temptations of women and what it means to be a feminine image bearer. We hope to equip women by presenting them with a common language through exploring Biblical perspectives. Our goal throughout this 8-week study is to seek clarity and freedom regarding the essential components of biblical femininity.