Warriors of Eden, Unite!
In just a few days, the women of Foundry Church will gather for a weekend retreat at Ochoco Christian Camp. From what will they be retreating? Everyday challenges, like being a volunteer, a wife, a mom, an employee, a business owner, a teacher, a caregiver, a friend, or all of the above? Are they retreating from the pressures, pulls, and pushes of life?
The word retreat originates, embarrassingly, from France, whose army has become known for its tendency to withdraw from battle. Why don’t credit cards work in France? Because they don’t have a word for “charge”! [Sacrebleu! ~Ed.]
But Foundry women aren’t anything like the French stereotype. Our women are fearsome warriors in times of trouble. They face trials with guile and courage. Their spring retreat is not a flight from battle, but a much-needed time to recharge and strengthen their resolve for the days ahead.
As explained in Beth Guckenberger’s latest book, Warrior of Eden, God made women to be fierce warriors in times of need. Guckenberger expounds the meaning of a word in Genesis 2:18 that is often translated “suitable helper”. In Hebrew, the word is עֵזֶר, ezer, or “helper”, and it is used to describe the woman God created out of the man. It’s found over 20 times throughout the Old Testament and most often describes God being a helper, or ezer, in times of battle. For example, Psalm 115:9-11:
All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
House of Aaron, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
You who fear him, trust in the Lord—
he is their help and shield.
An ezer is an ally, someone who rescues, who drops what she’s doing and runs to lend a hand. She is capable, trustworthy, and everything one needs to face challenges. She is not simply someone who is nice to have around. She isn’t a trophy or a decoration. She represents the glory of God, the finishing touch of the creation narrative.
During the last few years, a strange debate has swept through our news cycle—the definition of a woman. In 2022, incoming Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown-Johnson was asked to define a woman. Documentaries were created around the topic, the author of Harry Potter got involved, and most recently, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that biology determines a woman’s legal protections.
But students of the Bible know that neither the Supreme Court nor the latest scientific research determine what a woman is. The world may observe and draw conclusions about it, but God determines the real definition, and it is in God that a real woman finds her identity.
And a woman is no less than an ezer, a warrior of Eden, created to partner with the man in union with God to live out heaven on Earth. So, women of Foundry, we send you off on your retreat to be filled with the Spirit, to be encouraged by one another, and to grow in faith. The men will be ezer-less without you!
