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COLLECTIONS
Commentaries, Word
Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
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'AZAR
HELP, SUPPORT |
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'azar
(5826) is
used 80 times in the OT (Ge;
Dt;
Josh 4x;
1Sa;
2Sa
3x;
1Ki
2x;
2Ki;
1Chr
10x;
2Chr
12x;
Ezra
2x;
Job
4x;
Ps
17x;
Isa11x;
Jer;
Lam;
Ezek;
Da
3x;
Zec)
'Azar according to Strong's
Dictionary means first to surround. The more common uses in the OT mean to protect, aid, help,
succor, support, give material or nonmaterial
encouragement.
Azar often refers to aid in the form of
military assistance and in many instances refers to help from Jehovah as
illustrated by the uses discussed below.
The Septuagint translates 'azar most
often with the word group that includes:
boáo,
boetheo,
boethos,
all conveying the general idea of running to the aid of one who cries out
for help.
Help or aid comes from a variety of
sources: Thirty-two kings “helped” Ben-hadad (1Ki
20:6); one city “helps” another (Josh
10:33); even false gods are believed to be of “help” (2Chr
28:23). Of course, the greatest source of help is God Himself; He
is “the helper of the fatherless” (Psalm
10:14).
Azar is used mockingly of the
inability of idols or pagan gods to aid their people (Deut
32:38). It describes people helping each other to accomplish
goals (Josh
1:14,
10:4).
'Azar is first found in the Old
Testament in Jacob’s deathbed blessing describing God's help to Joseph: "From the God of your father who helps ('azar, LXX =
boetheo)
you, and by the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the
womb." (Ge 49:25).
In
1Chronicles 5:20
we see God grant Israel help ('azar) in the form of victory over their
enemies when they cried out for His help. Is it possible that sometimes we
fail to have victory in our lives because we are unwilling to humble
ourselves and cry out for His help?
2Chronicles 14:11
Then (time
phrase when is "then"? From
the immediately preceding context we learn that the Ethiopians were coming
against Judah with "a million men and 300 chariots", which is what prompted
godly King Asa to cry out for help) Asa called (LXX =
boáo) to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD,
there is no one besides Thee to help ('azar) in the battle between the powerful and
those who have no strength; so help ('azar) us, O LORD our God, for we trust in
Thee, and in Thy name have come against this multitude. O LORD, Thou art our
God; let not man prevail against Thee." Did God run to Asa's cry for
help? The next verse says "So (term of conclusion)
the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the
Ethiopians fled." (2Chr 14:12)
And so we see Jehovah respond to Asa's cry for help, confessing his complete
powerless, and expressing total confidence in and dependence in His Name.
(see His covenant keeping Name
Jehovah
and especially "Jehovah
Ezer")
1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah
(meaning "watchtower" or "lookout" indicating a place where a panoramic view
was possible)
and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, (Eben = stone + ezer = help) saying, “Thus far the Lord has
helped
('azar, LXX =
boetheo) us.”
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This encouraging
OT event should be read in context (the saga spans 4 chapters
1 Samuel 4-7) for
the full effect. In summary, when the Philistines heard that the
Israelites were at Mizpah, they supposed a revolt was in the making,
and attacked Israel who was totally unprepared for war. The Israelites
in a state of terror pleaded with Samuel to intercede for them, and he
responded with a whole burnt offering, and prayer. God in turn
responded and miraculously routed the enemy with loud thunder, so that
Israel was victorious. In gratitude and recognition of the Source of
their victory, the prophet Samuel "took
a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer,
saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped (run to our aid upon
hearing our cry) us.
He stone was
named Ebenezer which means stone of help. God’s deliverance was entirely
supernatural
the Lord
thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and
confused them, so that they were routed before Israel
1Samuel 7:10
And it was very likely not a coincidence that God selected thunder as
to confuse the enemy who worshipped the false god Baal who was the
"god of storms". Jehovah, Israel's Helper came to Israel's aid
when Samuel cried out, and the result was a defeated and humiliated pagan idol at Ebenezer.
If you have read the
context as suggested (1 Samuel 4-7),
you quite likely observed that the story began and ended at Ebenezer.
It began with a humiliating defeat of Israel at Ebenezer in (1 Samuel 4)
but it ended with a resounding ("thunderous") victory by
Jehovah in (1 Samuel
7) at the site
memorialized by a stone named Ebenezer. What was the
difference? Why did God help Israel? In (1 Samuel
7:3-6) we read
Then Samuel spoke to all the house
of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your heart,
remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct
your hearts to the LORD (see related study
on Ezra 7:10 regarding directing or
setting one's heart) and
serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the
Philistines." 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the
Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone.5 Then Samuel said, "Gather all
Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you."6 And they
gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD,
and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the
LORD." And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah."
Israel as a nation humbled
themselves, sought God's face, turned from their wicked ways and
prayed and God heard from heaven, forgave their sin, gave them victory
over their enemy and healed their land for a time.
Beloved, is their some sin which need to confess and
from which you need to repent? Has God allowed
"the Philistines" to defeat you time and again, trying to get your
attention so that you might humble yourself and cry out for His Help?
Beloved, may today be the day you set up a memorial stone and declare
"Thus far Jehovah has helped." |
2Chronicles 26:7
"And (see context
below) God helped
('azar) him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in
Gur-baal, and the Meunites.
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In
context
this passage refers to King
Uzziah of whom Scripture records that
"he did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his
father Amaziah
had done. 5 And he continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who
had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought
the Lord, God prospered (this Hebrew word elsewhere describes the
Holy Spirit's affect on persons making them powerful) him. 6 Now he went out and warred against the
Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and
the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among
the Philistines." (2Chronicles 26:4-6).
In contrast to
godly King Uzziah Scripture records that the evil King Ahaz
"At that time (time
phrase)...sent to the
kings of Assyria for help ('azar; LXX =
boetheo).17
For again the Edomites had come and attacked Judah, and carried away
captives. (2Chronicles 28:16-17) So "at that time" Ahaz was
troubled by the nations which his fathers had subdued, Edom and
Philistia, but instead of seeking help from Jehovah, Ahaz turned to a
pagan king in the country that would eventually carry the northern
tribes off to exile. It does make a difference who you seek help
from in your extremity. Beloved, be like Uzziah and seek first the
kingdom of God for He alone is your ultimate source of help. |
Psalm 28:7
"The LORD is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him,
and I am helped ('azar; LXX =
boetheo). Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall
thank Him."
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"Heart trust is never disappointed. Faith must come
before help, but help will never be long behindhand.
Divine help is given us every moment, or we would go back into
perdition; when clearer help is needed, we have only to put
faith into exercise, and it will be given us." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David)
"Do you need help today? Lift up your hands to the Lord in
supplication and in expectation, and soon you will lift up your hands
in jubilation and celebration." (Warren Wiersbe. Prayer, Praise and
Promises). |
Psalm 30:10
"Hear, O
Lord, and be gracious to me.
O Lord, be Thou my helper. ('azar; LXX =
boethos
= One Who runs on hearing our cry and gives assistance)”
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"Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me. A short and
comprehensive petition, available at all seasons, let us use it full
often. It is the publican's prayer; be it ours. If God hears prayer,
it is a great act of mercy; our petitions do not merit a reply.
Lord, be thou my helper. Another compact, expressive, ever fitting
prayer. It is suitable to hundreds of the cases of the Lord's people;
it is well becoming in the minister when he is going to preach, to the
sufferer upon the bed of pain, to the toiler in the field of service,
to the believer under temptation, to the man of God under adversity;
when God helps, difficulties vanish. He is the help of his
people, a very present help in trouble."
Lord, be thou my helper. I see many fall; I shall fall too except thou
hold me up. I am weak; I am exposed to temptation. My heart is
deceitful. My enemies are strong. I cannot trust in man; I dare not
trust in myself. The grace I have received will not keep me without
thee. Lord, be thou my helper. In every duty; in every conflict; in
every trial; in every effort to promote the Lord's cause; in every
season of prosperity; in every hour we live, this short and inspired
prayer is suitable. May it flow from our hearts, be often on our lips,
and be answered in our experience. For if the Lord help us, there is
no duty which we cannot perform; there is no foe which we cannot
overcome; there is no difficulty which we cannot surmount. James
Smith's Daily Remembrancer. (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David) |
Psalm 37:40
"And the Lord helps
('azar; LXX =
boao)
them (Who?
verse 37-39 "the blameless...the
upright...a man of peace...the righteous"), and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked, and saves them,
because they take refuge in Him."
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"In all future time Jehovah will stand up for his
chosen. Our Great Ally will bring up his forces in the heat of the
battle. He shall deliver them from the wicked. As he rescued Daniel
from the lions, so will he preserve his beloved from their enemies;
they need not therefore fret, nor be discouraged." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David)
John Trapp comments on the King James rendering "the LORD shall help
them" writing "He shall, He shall, He shall. Oh, the rhetoric of God!
the safety of the saints! the certainty of the promises!" |
Psalm 46:5
"God is in the midst of her
(Who is her? Check the
context - "her" = "the city of God"),
she will not be moved (wavering, wobbling action); God will help ('azar; LXX =
boetheo
= run to her assistance upon hearing her cry for help) her when morning dawns.
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"God is in the midst of her. His help is therefore
sure and near. Is she besieged, then he is himself besieged within
her, and we may be certain that he will break forth upon his
adversaries. How near is the Lord to the distresses of his saints,
since he sojourns in their midst! Let us take heed that we do not
grieve him; let us have such respect to him as Moses had when he felt
the sand of Horeb's desert to be holy, and put off his shoes from off
his feet when the Lord spake from the burning bush.
She shall not be moved. How can she be moved unless her enemies
move her Lord also? His presence renders all hope of capturing and
demolishing the city utterly ridiculous. The Lord is in the vessel,
and she cannot, therefore, be wrecked.
God shall help her. Within her he will furnish rich supplies,
and outside her walls he will lay her foes in heaps like the armies of
Sennacherib, when the angel went forth and smote them. And that right
early. As soon as the first ray of light proclaims the coming day, at
the turning of the morning God's right arm shall be outstretched for
his people. The Lord is up betimes. We are slow to meet him, but he is
never tardy in helping us. Impatience complains of divine delays, but
in very deed the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. Man's
haste is often folly, but God's apparent delays are ever wise; and
when rightly viewed, are no delays at all." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David) |
Psalm 54:4
"Behold, God is my helper ('azar; LXX =
boetheo
= runs to my assistance upon hearing my cry for help); The Lord is the sustainer
of my soul."
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"David now is trusting the Lord. It's one thing to
cry out to God, but it's something else to believe that He is going to
hear and answer." (Warren Wiersbe. Prayer, Praise and Promises).
David "saw enemies everywhere, and now to his
joy as he looks upon the band of his defenders he sees one whose aid
is better than all the help of men; he is overwhelmed with joy at
recognizing his divine champion, and cries, Behold. And is not
this a theme for pious exultation in all time, that the great God
protects us, his own people: what matters the number or violence of
our foes when HE uplifts the shield of his omnipotence to guard us,
and the sword of his power to aid us? Little care we for the defiance
of the foe while we have the defence of God." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David) |
Psalm 72:12
"For he
will deliver the needy when he cries for help . The afflicted also,
and him who has no helper ('azar, LXX =
boethos)."
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"For he shall deliver the needy. Here
is an excellent reason for man's submission to the Lord Christ; it is
not because they dread his overwhelming power, but because they are
won over by his just and condescending rule. Who would not fear so
good a Prince, who makes the needy his peculiar care, and pledges
himself to be their deliverer in times of need?
When he crieth. He permits them to be so needy as to be driven
to cry bitterly for help, but then he hears them, and comes to
their aid. A child's cry touches a father's heart, and our King is the
Father of his people. If we can do no more than cry it will bring
omnipotence to our aid. A cry is the native language of a spiritually
needy soul; it has done with fine phrases and long orations, and it
takes to sobs and moans; and so, indeed, it grasps the most potent of
all weapons, for heaven always yields to such artillery." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David) |
Psalm 79:9
"Help ('azar; LXX =
boetheo
= run to our assistance upon hearing cry) us, O God of our
salvation, for the glory of Thy name; and deliver us, and forgive our sins,
for Thy name’s sake."
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"Help us O God of our salvation, for the
glory of thy name." This is masterly pleading. No argument has
such force as this. God's glory was tarnished in the eyes of the
heathen by the defeat of his people, and the profanation of his
temple; therefore, his distressed servants implore his aid, that his
great name may no more be the scorn of blaspheming enemies." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David) |
Psalm 86:17
"Show me a sign for good, that
those who hate me may see it, and be ashamed, because Thou, O Lord, hast
helped me and comforted me."
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"God doth nothing by halves, those whom he
helps he also consoles, and so makes them not merely safe but joyful.
This makes the foes of the righteous exceedingly displeased, but it
brings to the Lord double honour. Lord, deal thou thus with us
evermore, so will we glorify thee, world without end. Amen." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David) |
Psalm 107:12
"Therefore He humbled their
heart with labor. They stumbled and there was none to help (Lxx =
Boetheo)." 13 Then they cried
out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses.
Psalm 109:26
"Help ('azar; LXX =
boetheo
= run to my assistance upon hearing my cry) me, O Lord my
God; Save me according to Thy lovingkindness."
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"Laying hold of Jehovah by the appropriating
word my, he implores his aid both to help him to
bear his heavy load and to enable him to rise superior to it. He has
described his own weakness, and the strength and fury of his foes, and
by these two arguments he urges his appeal with double force. This is
a very rich, short, and suitable prayer for believers in any situation
of peril, difficulty, or sorrow.." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David) |
Psalm 118:7
"The Lord is for me among those
who help ('azar, LXX =
boethos) me; therefore I shall look with satisfaction on those who
hate me."
"Jehovah condescended to be in alliance with the good man and his
comrades; his God was not content to look on, but he took part in the
struggle. What a consolatory fact it is that the Lord takes our part,
and that when he raises up friends for us he does not leave them to
fight for us alone, but he himself as our chief defender deigns to
come into the battle and wage war on our behalf. We are not to think
little of the generous friends who rally around us; but still our
great dependence and our grand confidence must be fixed upon the Lord
alone. When our gracious Jehovah is pleased to support and strengthen
those who aid us, they become substantial helpers to us." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David)
Psalm 119:173
"Let Thy hand be ready to
help me, for I have chosen (Heb = to take a keen look at, a choice base
on thorough examination and not an arbitrary whim) Thy precepts."
"Let thine hand help
me. Give me practical
succor.
Do not entrust me to my friends or thy friends, but put thine own hand
to the work. Thy hand has both skill and power, readiness and force:
display all these qualities on my behalf. I am willing to do the
utmost that I am able to do; but what I need is thine help, and
this is so urgently required that if I have it not I shall sink. Do
not refuse thy
succor.
Great as thy hand is, let it light on me, even me. The prayer reminds
us of Peter walking on the sea and beginning to sink; he, too, cried,
“Lord, help me,” and the hand of his Master was stretched out
for his rescue.
For I have chosen thy precepts. We may fitly
ask help from God’s hand when we have dedicated our own hand to
the obedience of the faith. His mind was made up. In preference to all
earthly rules and ways, in preference even to his own will, he had
chosen to be obedient to the divine commands. Will not God help
such a man in holy work and sacred service? Assuredly he will. If
grace has given us a heart with which to will, it will also give us
the hand with which to perform. Whenever, under the constraints of a
divine call, we are engaged in any high and lofty enterprise, and feel
it to be too much for our strength, we may always invoke the right
hand of God in words like these." (Spurgeon,
Treasury of David)
"David having before made promises of thankfulness, seeks now help
from God, that he may perform them. Our sufficiency is not of
ourselves, but of God; to will and to do are both from him. In
temporal things men ofttimes take great pains with small profit;
first, because they seek not to make their conscience good; next,
because they seek not help front God: therefore they speed no better
than Peter, who fished all night and got nothing till he cast his net
in the name of the Lord. But in spiritual things we may far less look
to prosper, if we call not for God's assistance: the means will not
profit us unless God's blessing accompany them. There is preaching,
but for the most part without profit; there is prayer, but it prevails
not; there is hearing of the word, but without edifying; and all
because in spiritual exercises instant prayer is not made unto God,
that his hand may bc with us to help us." --Abraham Wright.
Divine help came to Daniel via the angel Michael -
Daniel 10:13 “But the prince of the kingdom
of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one
of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with
the kings of Persia."
In (Isaiah
50:7) a prophetic passage that describes the Messiah, we see the Messiah
explain that He did not cover His face to protect Himself from humiliation and spitting
because He knew "the Lord God helps ('azar; LXX =
boethos
= the Lord God runs on hearing Messiah's cry and gives Him assistance!) Me, therefore (term of conclusion),
I am not disgraced (ashamed, blushing).
Therefore, I have set My face like flint (a massive hard quartz that
produces a spark when struck by steel), and I know that I shall not be
ashamed. (Isaiah
50:7 read Messiah's entire declaration in
Isaiah
50:4-9) In sum, because Messiah was certain of the Lord God's
help He was determined to be firm and resolute amidst all contempt and scorn
which He would meet, having made up His mind to endure it, and not shrink
from any kind or degree of suffering which would be necessary to accomplish
the great work in which He was engaged. It follows beloved, that as we walk
in His steps and find ourselves "suffering for the gospel" we are enabled to
set our faces like flint "according to the power of God" Who stands ever
ready to send help upon hearing our cry.
'Azar
is compounded with names of God, El or Yah in the following
proper names:
Azarel ("God has helped"), the name of 6 men in the OT.
Azriel ("My help is God", "God is Helper"), the name of 3 men in
the OT.
Azariah ("The Lord has helped" - a common name in Israel, especially among
the families of the priestly line and describes 23 different persons
including a king of Judah and one of Daniel's 3 friends. |
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'ezer: help, helper |
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'ezer (5828) is used 21 uses
in the OT (Ge
2x;
Ex;
Deut
3x;
Ps
11x;
Isa;
Ezek;
Da;
Hos)
and is translated help 18; helper, 2 and helpers, 1.
'Ezer is a masculine noun which
means
help, support. It can also refer to a helper or one who assists and serves
another with what is needed. For example in the first OT use where Moses
records
"Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone;
I will make him a helper ('ezer: LXX =
boethos) suitable for
him." (Ge 2:18)
The woman is the perfect counterpart of man, possessing neither inferiority
nor superiority, but being like and equal in personhood, and unique and
different in function. (Genesis 2:18)
emphasizes man’s need for a companion, a helper, and an equal. He was
incomplete without someone to complement him in fulfilling the task of
filling, multiplying, and taking dominion over the earth. This points to
Adam’s inadequacy, not Eve’s insufficiency. Woman was made by God to meet
man’s deficiency
'Ezer refers to aid or assistance
that is given, whether material or immaterial. It is often Jehovah Who helps
His people. Jehovah is called the shield or
protection of Israel's help (Deut 33:29).
The Septuagint translates 'azar most
often with the word group that includes:
boáo,
boetheo,
boethos,
all conveying the general idea of running to the aid of one who cries out
for help.
The Lord as Israel's chief Helper (Ex 18:4;
Deut 33:7;
Psalm 33:20;
Psalm 115:9-11).
Israel spurns Jehovah's help in (Hosea 13:9)
Below are some of the uses of 'ezer
accompanied by explanatory notes and comments:
Ex 18:4
The other (son of Moses from
Zipporah) was named Eliezer,
(El = god; 'ezer = help) for he said, “The God of my father was
my help (LXX =
boethos
= the Lord God runs on hearing the cry and gives assistance), and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
(See
note)
Deut 33:7
And this regarding Judah; so he said,
“Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people.
With his hands he contended for them, and may You be a help (LXX =
boethos
= Who on hearing the cry of Judah runs to give aid) against his adversaries.”
Moses prayed that the tribe of
Judah would be powerful in leading the nation to be victorious in
battle through the help of Jehovah, a prayer which speaks
ultimately of the Messiah, the Lion from the tribe of Judah (cf
Rev 5:5)
Deut 33:26-27
There is none like the God of Jeshurun (literally "upright one" = righteous),
Who rides the heavens to your help (LXX =
boethos
= the Lord God "rides the heavens" on hearing the cry of His beloved to give
assistance), and through the skies in His majesty.
“The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms;
and He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’
Moses, who had been all his life long a prophet, now closes his career
a poet, and dies singing. He praises God, setting Him above all gods, and
defying all men to find one like Him.
Spurgeon in a sermon on this verse
adds
"The Lord is the great joy and the delightful portion of his people.
In nothing were the tribes of Israel so favored as in having the true God to
be their God. This was the great glory and the peculiar privilege of the
chosen people, that the only living and Most High Jehovah had manifested
himself unto them and to their fathers, had taken them to be his people, and
given himself to be their God...the God of Jeshurun made the heavens, and
then before their eyes made the heavens to drop with manna; he made the
earth, and for their supply made the flinty rocks to flow with rivers. He it
was who went before his people with a pillar of fire and cloud, made them
victorious over all their enemies, and promised to bring them into the
promised land. “Well,” said the man who had seen all this, “There is none
like unto the God of Jeshurun."
Spurgeon continues his exposition on the help from the "God
of Jeshurun" noting that
"Men can come to our help, but they travel slowly, creeping along the
earth. Lo, our God comes riding on the heavens. They who travel on the earth
may be stopped by enemies, they certainly will be hindered; but he that
rides upon the heavens cannot be stayed nor even delayed. When Jehovah’s
excellency comes flying upon the sky on the wings of the wind, how
gloriously are displayed the swiftness, the certainty, and the
all-sufficiency of delivering grace. God has ways to help us that we dream
not of. “Thy way, O God, is in the sea.” He has a way in the tempest, and
the clouds are the dust of his feet. Jehovah has made for himself a highway,
a chariot road along the heavens, that his purposes of love may never be
hindered. If we will but trust in God, invisible spirits shall fight for us,
the great wheels of providence shall revolve for our good, and God the
Eternal himself, dressed in robes of war like a valiant champion, shall come
forth to espouse our quarrel. Fall back upon yourselves, lean upon your
fellow creatures, trust upon earth-born confidences, and ye fall upon a
rotten foundation that shall give way beneath you; but rest ye upon your God
and upon your God alone, and the stars in heaven shall fight for you, yea,
the stars in their courses, and things present and things to come, and
heights, and depths, and all the creatures subservient to the will of the
omnipotent Creator, shall work together for good to you, seeing that you
love God and are depending upon his power. Thus, and thus sweetly, does
Israel’s prophet sing of Israel’s God."
Jeshurun
means “righteous” and is used by Moses as a name for Israel to
sarcastically express the fact that Israel did not live up to God’s
law after entering the Land. This name should have
served to remind Israel of God's calling to be His special possession
and should have severely rebuked their tendency toward apostasy. Such
a rebuke would be especially emphatic in light of the dramatic picture
that God Himself was willing to ride through the heavens to give
Israel any help they would need to live as more than conquerors amidst
the pagans! Beloved, are we not all a lot like Israel, for we too
serve the Most High God Who stands ready and willing to come to our
aid on hearing our cry for His help and yet all too often we fail to
cry out.
Spurgeon adds that
"These verses (Deut 33:26-27)
show that the Lord is
above, around, and underneath His saints. “Lord, You have been our
dwelling place in all generations” (Ps 90:1)."
We are as surrounded by You as the earth is surrounded by the atmosphere."
Oh that God would open the eyes of our heart to understand that such a
Mighty God also condescends to be our Helper.
Deut 33:29
“Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
Who is the shield of your help (He is your shield and helper) (LXX =
boethos
= Jehovah runs on hearing the cry and gives aid) and the sword of your majesty!
So your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread upon their high places.”
"The "high places" refers to the elevated sites of
abominable idolatrous worship which the LORD hated but which Israel
failed to eradicate and in which tragically the choose to participate.
In this verse we see that Jehovah provided all they needed to destroy
the evil from their land.
Psalm 20:2
May He send you help (Lxx =
boetheia) from the sanctuary and support you from Zion!
"Out of heaven’s sanctuary came the
angel to strengthen our Lord, and from the precious remembrance of God’s
doings in his sanctuary our Lord refreshed himself when on the tree. There
is no help like that which is of God’s sending, and no deliverance like that
which comes out of his sanctuary. The sanctuary to us is the person of our
blessed Lord, who was typified by the temple, and is the true sanctuary
which God has pitched, and not man: let us fly to the cross for shelter in
all times of need and help will be sent to us. People of the world seek help
out of the armory, or the treasury, or the pantry, but we turn to the
sanctuary." (Spurgeon, Treasury of David)
Psalm 33:20
Our soul waits for the Lord.
He is our help
(Lxx =
Boethos) and our shield.
Spurgeon has an interesting
comment...
"Our help in labor, our shield
in danger. The Lord answers all things to his people. He is their all in
all. Note the three ours in the text. These holdfast words are precious.
Personal possession makes the Christian; all else is mere talk."
(Treasury of David)
Psalm 70:5
But I am afflicted and needy.
Hasten
(Lxx =
Boetheo) to me, O God!
You are my help
(Lxx =
Boethos) and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.
My help in trouble, my deliverer out
of it.
Psalm 89:19
Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, and said, “I have given help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
Psalm 115:9-11
O Israel, trust in the Lord.
He is their help
(Lxx =
Boethos) and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord.
He is their help (Lxx =
Boethos) and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord.
He is their help (Lxx =
Boethos) and their shield.
Psalm 121:1-2 - click for devotional commentary
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains.
From where shall my help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) come?
My help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:8
Our help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth. (Click
note)
Spurgeon comments that Jehovah
is...
Our help for the future, our
ground of confidence in all trials present and to come. Is in the name of
the Lord. Jehovah’s revealed character is our foundation of confidence; his
person is our sure fountain of strength. Who made heaven and earth. Our
Creator is our preserver. He is immensely great in his creating work; he has
not fashioned a few little things alone, but all heaven and the whole round
earth are the works of his hands. When we worship the Creator let us
increase our trust in our Comforter. Did he create all that we see, and can
he not preserve us from evils which we cannot see? He has rendered us help
in the moment of jeopardy. He will to the end break every snare. He made
heaven for us, and he will keep us for heaven; he made the earth, and he
will succor us upon it until the hour comes for our departure. Every
work of his hand preaches to us the duty and the delight of reposing upon
him only. (Treasury of David)
Psalm 146:5
How blessed is he whose help
(Lxx =
Boethos) is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Warren Wiersbe writes...
This tells us that God is all we need
for today--and for tomorrow. When you know God, you have happiness, help and
hope: happiness in walking with Him, help for the burdens of the day and
hope for the concerns of the future. What more could you want? (Wiersbe,
W: Prayer, Praise and Promises).
Isaiah 30:5
“Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot profit them, who are not for help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) or profit, but for shame and also for reproach.”
Ezekiel 12:14
“I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers
(Lxx =
Boethos)
and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them.
Daniel 11:34
“Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, (Lxx =
ischus = capability to function effectively, strength, power, might) and many
will join with them in hypocrisy.
Hosea 13:9
It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help (Lxx =
Boetheo).
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'ezra: help |
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'ezrah, (5833)
is used 26 times (Jdg;
2Chr;
Job
2x;
Ps
14x;
Isa
4x;
Jer;
La;
Nah)
in the OT and means help, support, assistance, aid, either human or divine.
It is often used in the sense of a helper or assistant, one who
assists and serves another with what is needed
Click on the Scripture links below to read the passage in context and note
who this helper often is in Scripture.
Judges 5:23
'Curse Meroz,' said the
Angel of the LORD, 'Utterly curse its inhabitants; Because they did not come to
the help (Lxx =
Boetheia) of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the warriors.'
2 Chronicles 28:21
Although Ahaz took a
portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the palace of the king and
of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help
(Lxx =
Boetheia)
him.
Job 6:13
"Is it that my help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) is
not within me, And that deliverance is driven from me?
Job 31:21
If I have lifted up my hand
against the orphan, Because I saw I had support
(Lxx =
Boetheia) in the gate,
Psalm 22:19
But Thou, O LORD, be not far
off; O Thou my help, hasten to my assistance.
Spurgeon comments that...
Hard cases need timely aid; when
necessity justifies it we may be urgent with God as to time, but we must not
do this out of willfulness. In the last degree of weakness he calls the
Lord my strength; after this fashion the believer can sing, “when I am
weak, then am I strong. (Treasury of David)
Psalm 27:9
Do not hide Thy face from me,
Do not turn Thy servant away in anger; Thou hast been my help (Lxx =
Boethos); Do not
abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!
Using a Hebrew expression which
suggests God’s abiding nature as David's Helper in the past, now David
pleads that God would not forsake Him at this crucial moment either. It is a
good and godly practice to remind God of His past goodness and help and a
firm foundation for pleading for present and future goodness.
Psalm 35:2
Take hold of buckler and
shield, And rise up for my help (Lxx =
Boetheia).
The Lord is pictured armed for battle,
and interposing himself between his servant and his enemies. The greater and
lesser protections of providence may be here intended by the two defensive
weapons, and by the Lord’s standing up is meant his active and zealous
preservation of his servant in peril. The psalmist thought of God as a real
personage, truly working for his afflicted (Treasury of David)
Psalm 38:22
Make haste to help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Spurgeon comments that...
Delay would prove destruction. The
poor pleader was far gone and ready to expire; only speedy help would serve
his turn. Affliction gives new life to our pleading, and drives us with
eagerness to our God.
Psalm 40:13
Be pleased, O LORD, to
deliver me; Make haste, O LORD, to help
(Lxx =
Boetheo) me...17 Since I am afflicted
and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me; Thou art my help
(Lxx =
Boethos) and my
deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.
Psalm 44:26
Rise up, be our help (A short, but sweet and comprehensive prayer. Lxx =
Boetheo),
and redeem us for the sake of Thy lovingkindness.
Psalm 46:1
For the choir director. A
Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and
strength, A very present help
(Lxx =
Boethos) in trouble (Heb = tsarah =
straits, distress, anguish; Lxx = thlipsis = pressure derived from word
meaning to crush).
God is also “abundantly available for
help in tight places”. Blessed are we when we realize that our safety
and protection lie not in riches or armies but in Jehovah alone!
Spurgeon comments that God...
He never withdraws himself from his
afflicted. He is their help, he is present or near them, close at the side
and ready for their succor, and this is emphasized by the word very. He is
more present than friend or relative can be, closer even than the trouble
itself. His assistance comes at the needed time. (Treasury of David)
Warren Wiersbe has this devotional
comment...
This assurance from the Lord ought to
take care of all of our fears and problems. God is our refuge--He hides us.
God is our strength--He helps us. These two go together. At times in our
lives we need a refuge. The storm is blowing and the battle is raging, and
we have to run somewhere to hide. It's not a sin to hide, but it is a sin to
stay hidden. God hides us so that He can help us. Then we can return to the
battle and face the storm. This is not escape but rejuvenation.
The Old Testament contains 21 different Hebrew words for trouble. Here the
word trouble means "in tight places." If you are in a tight place today, let
me suggest that you run by faith to Jesus. But don't go to Him to escape. Go
there and tell Him, "Lord, I want to go back to the battle. I want to go
back to my work. I want to carry the burdens of life, but you have to give
me the strength." Then you can claim this marvelous promise of Psalm 46:1.
Notice the conclusion: "Therefore we will not fear" (Psalm 46:2).
When God is available as your refuge and your strength, you have nothing to
fear. Take time to run to the Lord.
Are circumstances overwhelming you? Take refuge in the Lord. He will enable
you to continue with renewed strength and confidence. (Wiersbe, W:
Prayer, Praise and Promises on Ps 46:1)
Psalm 60:11
O give us help
(Lxx =
boetheia) against the adversary, for
deliverance by man is in vain. 12 Through God we shall do valiantly, and it
is He who will tread down our adversaries (LXX = Greek verb thlibo
= literally to press together or hem in, which figuratively pictures
sufferings that arise from the pressure of circumstances or from the
antagonism of persons)
David acknowledged that victory had to
come from God. The Israelites could not obtain it without His help. Who do
you cry out to for help? On whose strength do you draw, the Lord's or your
own? The source of your help and your strength will determine whether you
experience victory or defeat.
MacDonald adds that
The believer’s
enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil. In himself he is powerless
to conquer them. And the help of other men is insufficient, no matter
how well-meaning they might be. But there is victory through the Lord Jesus
Christ. Those who trust in Him for deliverance will never be disappointed. (MacDonald,
W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or
Logos)
Psalm 63:7
For Thou hast been my help (Lxx =
Boethos),
and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.
Psalm 70:1
For the choir director. A
Psalm of David; for a memorial. O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten
to my help
(Lxx =
Boetheia)! (Click
here for note)
David is urging the Lord to make haste to deliver him. He is crying out for
immediate help.
Spurgeon adds that
It is not forbidden us, in hours of
dire distress, to ask for speed on God’s part in his coming to rescue
us...It is most fitting that we should day by day cry to God for deliverance
and help; our frailty and our many dangers render this a perpetual
necessity." (Treasury
of David)
Warren Wiersbe asks
Has God ever been slow in your life? He was in
David's. This undoubtedly was one of the psalms written when David was being
harassed by King Saul. So he cries out, "Lord, why don't You do something?
You're being awfully slow."
Have you ever pondered the delays of God? He is never in a hurry, but
once He starts to work, watch out! He patiently accomplishes His work. David
pleads, "Make haste, make haste" (v. 1). He repeats his plea in
verse 5 : "I
am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my
deliverer; O Lord, do not delay." If right now it seems as though God is
tarrying instead of working, if it seems as though He is delaying instead of
acting, what should you do? Seek Him and wait on Him and love Him. Verse 4
says it beautifully: "Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
and let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'Let God be
magnified!"' We've seen that phrase before. David, when he was sinking,
said, "I . . . will magnify Him with thanksgiving" (Ps
69:30).
Here's a good lesson for us. When God is not moving as rapidly as we
think He should, when our timetables do not coincide, what should we do?
Rejoice in Him, love Him and magnify Him. Let Him worry about the timetable.
God is always working, and we know that all things are working together for
good (Rom. 8:28). But He waits for the right time to reveal His victories.
Let Him watch the clock.
God's delays are a part of your character-building process. The next time
God gives you a delay, encourage yourself by remembering that He never stops
working for you, and He knows when and how to help you. Submit to His
timetable and His care." (from his devotional "Prayer, Praise and
Promises").
Psalm 71:12
O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, hasten to my help (Lxx =
Boetheia)!
Spurgeon writes that...
To call God ours, as having entered
into
covenant
with us, is a mighty plea in prayer,
and a great stay to our faith. (Treasury of David)
Psalm 94:17
If the LORD had not been my
help (Lxx =
Boetheo), My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.
When God is your Help, when you
have the strength of God that comes from His Word, you can stand up against
the sin in this world.
Psalm 108:12
Oh give us help (Lxx =
Boetheia)
against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain.
Isaiah 10:3
Now what will you do in the
day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom
will you flee for help (Lxx =
Boetheo)? And where will you leave your wealth?
Isaiah 20:6
"So the inhabitants of this
coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for
help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we
escape?'"
Isaiah 31:1-2
Woe to those who go down to
Egypt for help (Lxx =
Boetheia), And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because
they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not
look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD! 2 Yet He also is wise and
will bring disaster, And does not retract His words, But will arise against
the house of evildoers, And against the help of the workers of
iniquity.
Jeremiah 37:7
"Thus says the LORD God of
Israel, 'Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to
inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come out for your
assistance
(Lxx =
Boetheia) is going to return to its own land of Egypt.
Lam 4:17
Yet our eyes failed;
Looking for help
(Lxx =
Boetheia) was useless. In our watching we have watched For a
nation that could not save.
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