God’s Ideal Idea

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” – Genesis 2:18

Marriage is tough. It’s hard work. If you’re reading this and you’re married, then you know that while dating reveals the best in you, marriage can reveal the worst in you. But that doesn’t mean marriage isn’t worth pursuing. Marriage was God’s ideal idea. It was His creation, and therefore it is meant for good.  

Does that mean marriage doesn’t come with challenges? Absolutely not. But it does mean that marriage can be an incredible tool of sanctification and a beautiful model of God’s relationship with us if we will lean into learning how God intended marriage to be. So with this in mind, let’s take a look at three principles of love and marriage we need to recapture in the present day. We’ll break down the first one today and then we will look at the other two tomorrow.

First, we should experience marriage as the supreme companionship. God never intended for humans to be alone. From the very beginning of mankind, Adam needed a companion. He needed someone like him that he could communicate with and share life with. God’s plan was to give Adam a “helper” suitable for him.

I would like to point out here that the English word “helper” is probably not the best translation for the Hebrew word “Ezer.” Normally when you think of a helper, you think of someone that is just an assistant that may be needed or may not be. It may surprise you to know that the word is almost always used in the Bible to describe God. Actually, it is used eleven out of fifteen times to describe God. Other times it is used to describe military reinforcements that are needed to win a battle. It is actually someone that is necessary to make up for what might be lacking in strength or ability.

The word “helper” is not a menial term that makes a woman simply “man’s assistant” or in any way less equal to a man. The word has the idea of supplying something that would otherwise be lacking. In other words, God created marriage to be a supreme companionship made up of two equal partners – two teammates working together toward a common goal. Therefore, if that was God’s viewpoint of marriage, it should be ours as well.

Dear God, I want to view marriage the way you view marriage. Please give me the desire to experience marriage as the supreme companionship, and to love my spouse the way you love me. In Jesus’ name, amen.