“Jehovah Ezer”
The Lord my Help
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - The other day while driving down the road I passed a billboard that said, “Help is here” then another said, “For life’s unexpected moments Help is here”! “Another said “For that big purchase Help is here”! And then yet another said, “For whatever! Help is here”! Then, it went on and named a bank.
My mind went to Psalms 121:1-2 which says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth”. I began to sing that song in my truck and it just made my soul happy. But as I began to sing that song God began to deal with me and I began to think true all of my help cometh from the Lord but not only does our help come from the Lord, like getting help from the bank, but He is Jehovah Ezer - the Lord my help.
The word from indicates a starting point my help comes from here – like getting money from the bank.
The word is, embodies presence, He is my help, He is here. Psalms 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. Present means in a particular place, a period of time now.
Now is always now. Our past is the past it is gone our future will one day become our past, but now is always present. 30 seconds in the future will be now, but in 31 it will be the past. Present is now therefore God is our refuge and strength a very RIGHT NOW help in trouble.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURES: - Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me”.
Psalms 33:20 says, “Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield”.
I really began to think about this word help and I started digging into the word help and came to find that.
The English word help means to aid, to lend strength, to succor, to lend means of deliverance (as to help one in distress), to give assistance to cause to stand or support and to carry the weight of. Help means to do for someone what he or she cannot do for himself or herself.
The Hebrew word for help is EZER and refers to divine help in times of despair or distress. Robert Alter, a renowned expert on Hebrew literature and language, highlights the implicit strength in the word ezer. He states in his notes on Genesis 2:18 that “Help” is too weak because it suggests a merely auxiliary function, whereas ‘Ezer denotes intervention on behalf of someone, especially in military contexts, as a “sustainer beside him.”
Ezer describes aspects of God’s character: he is our strength, our rescuer, our protector, and our help!
Ezer means to save and rescue. In Exodus 18:4 Moses named one of his sons Eliezer, which in Hebrew means “My God is my helper” because as the verse states “And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”.
The Hebrew phrase Jehovah 'Ezer is translated as the “LORD my Help” or the “LORD our Help”
When we come to the New Testament the Greek form is used. Boetheo which means to help or to come to the aid of someone. Boetheo is derived two words boe = a cry, exclamation + théo = to run. The idea conveyed is of one who upon hearing a cry for help, runs to give aid to assist.
Jehovah 'Ezer is not one of the classic Names of God, because Scripture never specifically declares His Name is Jehovah 'Ezer like it does when it says Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Shalom.
He is Jehovah Ezer – the Lord my Help the one that runs to my aid, rescues me, and saved me from all my trouble when I cry out unto him.
WHY – BECAUSE JEHOVAH EZER HEARS!
Psalm 22:24 says, “For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard”.
Psalms 34:6 says, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles”.
One song writer said it like this “Now let us have a little talk with Jesus - Let us tell Him all about our troubles
He will hear our faintest cry and we will answer by and by”.
I like what Moses says about Jehovah Ezer at the end of his life.
Deuteronomy 33:26-27 says, “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them”.
Moses gives an awesome picture to us and praises God who upon hearing the cry of His beloved people rides upon the heavens to give them divine help. Jeshurun means “righteous” what this verse is saying is that God Himself the ONLY righteous ONE is willing to ride through the heavens to give Israel any help they would need to live as more than conquerors!
WATCH THIS:- Then we read in Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”. Since He is the same today, He will ride through the heavens to give you and I any help we need to live as more than conquerors when we cry out to Him. Remember Boetheo which is derived from two words boe = a cry, exclamation + théo = to run. Jehovah Ezer rides to our help when we cry out.
2 Chronicles 14:11 says, “And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee."
King Asa could have chosen to rely on his arm of strength for he had 280, 000 men. However, he knew the enemy was too strong and thus cast himself on the Jehovah Ezer his Help. Asa understood that even the huge army arrayed against him stood no chance against God's power. Asa's prayer was a prayer of total trust.
Then 2 Chronicles 18:31 says, “And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him”.
When we are faced with life’s situations that seem impossible, we need to totally trust in Jehovah Ezer the Lord our help. As a matter of fact our only prayer is, LORD HELP because every day we face evil from the world, the flesh and the devil, each of which alone is too powerful for any of us to fight in our own strength. We need to totally trust in and cry out to Jehovah Ezer for he is our only help.
JEHOVAH EZER MY HELP IN TIMES PAST
Psalm 27:9-10 says, “Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up”.
The Hebrew reads more literally "You my help has become" the psalmist's here is remembering on the past experiences and how Jehovah Ezer the Lord his help was there for him even when those closest to him left him, abandoned him, turned their backs upon him.
When faced with problems, issues, and in distress, we must remember the past help of Jehovah Ezer! We must develop a great memory bank of His past help in our life this will help us to develop a firm ground for boldly approaching His throne of grace.
JEHOVAH EZER AN EVER-PRESENT HELP!
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”.
Now is always now. Our past is the past it is gone our future will one day become our past, but now is always present. 30 seconds in the future will be now, but in 31 it will be the past. Present is now therefore God is our refuge and strength a very RIGHT NOW help in trouble.
He will never withdraw Himself from his you. He is our help, He is present all the time, He is close at the side and ready to help. Jehovah Ezer is more present than friend or brother or any relative can be, closer even than the trouble itself. He is an ever present help.
Jehovah Ezer is the One Who is near at hand; always near, but nearest when He is most needed.
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”. Lord I need you now!
JEHOVAH EZER OUR ONLY HELP
We see that Jehovah Ezer, although not identified as one of the names of God is a foundational Biblical truth. The truth is that we are not self-sufficient although many believe they are. Just look around and see what is going on in our world today, we are in great need for help because we are making a shamble of this life and our only help is found only in God Himself, our Jehovah Ezer.
Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me”.
CLOSING: - In life’s unexpected moments Jehovah Ezer He is my help
When life seems to have been turned upside down Jehovah Ezer The Lord is my help
When I don’t know what to do Jehovah Ezer.
When I look over my life Jehovah Ezer.
When you are faced with the impossible Jehovah Ezer.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer Jr.
