What is a “Helpmeet?”

And the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him.” Genesis 2:18 NLT          

The word “helper” conveys a powerful image. The helper of a painter carries the bags, lays out the paints, cleans the brushes, and does all the clean-up work. Let’s face it, that helper is an inferior. This is exactly the idea some get from Genesis 2 when they discover Eve was a “helper” suitable for Adam. For centuries, some cultures have been holding on to this mentality of Eve’s inferiority.

Want to get married in Papua New Guinea? You can buy a bride for 20 pigs. Sadly, in some tribal areas, women are considered chattel. Women there work as if they’re bound servants – they’re available on demand. But is this what God intended for Eve to be? No way!

First, notice that after God made man, He saw his loneliness and his need for someone who would understand, love, and care for him.

Enter Eve who is of the same substance as Adam. Interestingly, God is repeatedly called man’s helper, which is a position of honor, not weakness. It is the image of a father helping his son cross a dangerous ravine. In a similar way, a woman, through her intuition, can help her husband avoid dangers outside the home, and even within himself.

Forget the notion that helpers are inferiors. God’s intention was for the woman to complete the man and for the husband to honor and cherish his wife with all his heart.

Together they would meet each other’s needs, each possessing what the other lacked, as “one flesh”. If you’re married, pray that you and your spouse continue to have an indissoluble union and that you would be able to stand against the forces that pull apart marriages. If you are single, determine that you will remain that way until God brings a person into your life who will allow Him to fulfill His purpose and will for you both.