The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Peter 3:1-7,
"Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
Marital relationships are the bedrock of the success or failure of the family. God designed marriage and family for his purposes when he created mankind. It is through the family and the gospel (the redemption provided by Jesus Christ) that God is building his kingdom: the human race physically propagating itself through marriage and family, and the kingdom of God propagating itself through the gospel within the hearts and lives of those brought into the world.
The destruction of the family with broken marriages and the resulting issues brought into people's lives clearly have an impact on the way God has designed things. It leads to anything other than our well-being. With our sinful natures and plenty of help from the spiritually dark side, marriages and families are always subject to risk.
Peter brings a much needed admonition in this passage. Wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands are to love and respect their wives. If we were to follow God's direction through Peter for us, that bedrock of success for the family will be greatly enhanced. Likewise, the rejection of this teaching will have its damaging effect on the success of our marriages and families.
I note Peter refers to Sarah, who lived 2 millenia before he wrote this. His reference spans beyond any cultural setting and is universal for all mankind, anywhere for all ages. Abraham and Sarah lived a nomadic lifestyle during a patriarchal age that preceded the nation of Israel and was quite a different cultural setting Peter was accustomed to. We live in another day than Peter, yet his instruction is just as much for us today as it was in his day, no matter what outrage it might inspire in the hearts of sinful and rebellious mankind.
Paul provides the very same admonition, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:22-33.
Of course, instead of reading our own mail, we read our spouse's. That leads to problems. Wives are told to submit to their husbands. That is for her, it is her instruction from the Lord. Husbands are not told to make their wives submit to them, they are told to love and respect their wives. Husbands simply cannot make their wives submit to them, and, likewise, wives simply cannot make their husbands love and respect them. However, when we both do our part we have been given, it can have an impact to bring those things about. Note how Peter begins his passage above by teaching that the wife can influence even an unbelieving husband by doing her part.
"Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
Marital relationships are the bedrock of the success or failure of the family. God designed marriage and family for his purposes when he created mankind. It is through the family and the gospel (the redemption provided by Jesus Christ) that God is building his kingdom: the human race physically propagating itself through marriage and family, and the kingdom of God propagating itself through the gospel within the hearts and lives of those brought into the world.
The destruction of the family with broken marriages and the resulting issues brought into people's lives clearly have an impact on the way God has designed things. It leads to anything other than our well-being. With our sinful natures and plenty of help from the spiritually dark side, marriages and families are always subject to risk.
Peter brings a much needed admonition in this passage. Wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands are to love and respect their wives. If we were to follow God's direction through Peter for us, that bedrock of success for the family will be greatly enhanced. Likewise, the rejection of this teaching will have its damaging effect on the success of our marriages and families.
I note Peter refers to Sarah, who lived 2 millenia before he wrote this. His reference spans beyond any cultural setting and is universal for all mankind, anywhere for all ages. Abraham and Sarah lived a nomadic lifestyle during a patriarchal age that preceded the nation of Israel and was quite a different cultural setting Peter was accustomed to. We live in another day than Peter, yet his instruction is just as much for us today as it was in his day, no matter what outrage it might inspire in the hearts of sinful and rebellious mankind.
Paul provides the very same admonition, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:22-33.
Of course, instead of reading our own mail, we read our spouse's. That leads to problems. Wives are told to submit to their husbands. That is for her, it is her instruction from the Lord. Husbands are not told to make their wives submit to them, they are told to love and respect their wives. Husbands simply cannot make their wives submit to them, and, likewise, wives simply cannot make their husbands love and respect them. However, when we both do our part we have been given, it can have an impact to bring those things about. Note how Peter begins his passage above by teaching that the wife can influence even an unbelieving husband by doing her part.
What might happen if the husband did his part?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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