Marriage and Family Series - Duties of the Wife

I am going to change the format for presenting the duties of each spouse to the other and the different types of spouses. Please forgive any confusion this may cause.
This week we look at the duties of the wife toward the husband.

Duties of the Wife

Reverence > Ephesians 5:33
33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects [reverence KJV] her husband.

Be Trustworthy > Proverbs 31:11,12
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Love > Titus 2:4
4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

Submit > 1 Peter 3:5,6
5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

Be Satisfying to Her Husband > Proverbs 5:18,19
18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.

Be Chaste > Titus 2:5
5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Love Her Children > Titus 2:4
4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

Be Homemakers > Titus 2:5
5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Next week we examine the duties of the husband toward the wife.

Marriage and Family Series - Duties and Types 12-22-08

Merry Christmas Everyone - - Remember Jesus 

Duties and Types

Reminder:

During this cluster of essays we will look into what the duties of both the husband and wife are; while at the same time examining from Scripture the different types of husbands and wives. 

Duty of the Husband 

Be Satisfied with Wife > Proverbs 5:18,19

18Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.19As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.

Duty of the Wife 

To Be Satisfying to Her Husband > Proverbs 5:18,19

18Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.19As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.

Type of Husband 

Isaac = Loving  > Genesis 24:67

Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Type of Wife

Sarah = Obedient > 1 Peter 3:5, 6

 5For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

Marriage and Family Series - Duties and Types

Duties and Types

During the next cluster of essays we will look into what the duties of both the husband and wife are; while at the same time examining from Scripture the different types of husbands and wives.

Duty of the Husband

Love > Ephesians 5:25-33
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Duty of the Wife

Love > Titus 2:4
4that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

Type of Husband

Adam = Blaming > Genesis 3:9-12
9Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 10So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" 12Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

Type of Wife

Michal = Criticizing > 2 Samuel 6:15, 16
15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
16Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

Marriage and Family Series - The Wife

The Wife

We will focus for a now on the wife, more specifically, how the Bible describes the wife in relation to her husband.

“The crown to her husband” - Proverbs 12:4
4An excellent [virtuous in KJV] wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

“A helper comparable to him” - Genesis 2:18, 20
18And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
20So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

“A good thing” - Proverbs 18:22
22He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the Lord.

“The weaker vessel” - 1 Peter 3:7
7Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

“Your companion” - Malachi 2:14
“The wife of your youth” - Malachi 2:14, 15
14Yet you say, “For what reason?”
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.

Marriage and Family Series - Regulations of Man and Woman within Marriage

Regulations of Man and Woman within Marriage

They are required to become one flesh:

“and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Matthew 19:5,6 [Jesus Speaking]

The loyalty that man and woman are to have to one another once married is so deep it cannot be measured. It should be a loyalty and devotion that infuses them as one whole representation of God’s creation. Man and woman joined comes the closest to God’s totality of creation. Both represent God and God’s characteristics in different manners. Together they create a perfect wholeness.

Once married the relationship between the two parties supersedes any other relationship, this is why the example of leaving the father and mother is given. Prior to a spouse, the relationship between the parents and child has typically been the deepest form of relationship an individual has experienced. God considers this coming together to be so sacred He forbids anyone to attempt to interfere with the marital union.

They are required to remain married until death parts them [only two exceptions apply - adultery and abandonment by a nonbeliever]:

So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
Romans7:2, 3

Divorce is so widespread this day and time even with the church that this particular topic is very difficult to address. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that God does not intend or desire that divorce take place. It is His Will that people who have been joined in marriage remain married until death parts them. Giving up and walking away should not be an option for us. We need to find a way to work it out and make the relationship functional. As Mom would say, ‘We made our choice and we need to live with it.’ In extreme circumstances a couple could chose to take a period of time apart while each person works on personal issues and they work on marital issues together. This should only be under severe circumstances where supporting one another and helping one another with both the martial and personal issues has failed. We took vows and those vows are sacred, we should treated them as such.

They are required to meet one another’s sexual need:

Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
1 Corinthians 7:1-5

This is another topic people within the church tend to shy away from, the elephant in the room. Sex is a very necessary, healthy, invigorating aspect of the martial relationship. This aspect is so important that God has required that we take notice to care for and not neglect this portion of our relationship. Scripture makes it clear we are required to meet the physical needs of our spouse. Sexual relations between a married couple should be a beautiful thing. Learning and growing together in this arena of life should be something each person is willing and even excited about doing. Making our sex life as passionate as possible with our spouse should be a high priority for both people. Paying special attention to their likes and dislikes along with expressing ours.

Abstaining from sex should be for a purpose and an agreed upon commitment. It should not be used as a tool for one person to either punish or manipulate the other spouse, by controlling or limiting sexual contact. One spouse should not simply stop participating because they no longer desire to participate. Such things can destroy the sexual relationship and possibly even the marriage.

They are required to cover one another in holiness:

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
1 Corinthians 7:14-16

Our behavior can directly affect our spouse’s ability and desire for holiness. Therefore, it is imperative that our actions reflect the same. We need daily help to bring, through example, exhortation and encouragement, our spouse to a place of sanctification, consecration, and deeper love for God and the things of God.

Reflecting on a couple of the words in this verse and their meaning in the Greek Language will aid you in understanding better what is being spoken of here in this verse.

“Sanctified” in the Greek Language =
37. aJgiavzw hagiazoµ, hag-ee-ad´-zo; from 40; to make holy, i.e. (cer.) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate:— hallow, be holy, sanctify.
40. a{gio" hagioás, hag´-ee-os; from a{go" hagoás (an awful thing) [comp. 53, 2282]; sacred (phys. pure, mor. blameless or religious, cer. consecrated):— (most) holy (one, thing), saint.

“Venerate” in the Encarta ® World English Dictionary =
ven·er·ate
vt
1. respect somebody: to regard somebody with profound respect or reverence
2. honor somebody or something: to honor somebody or something as sacred or special

“Save” in the Greek Language =
4982. swvzw soµzoµ, sode´-zo; from a primary sw`" soµs (contr. for obs. savo" saoás, “safe”); to save, i.e. deliver or protect (lit. or fig.):— heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

Marriage and Family Series - Upcoming Study Focus

Last week we finished the portion of our Marriage and Family Series that dealt with what Biblical Love really was and how we exhibit it to our spouse, family, and friends.

Next week we will begin to focus more specifically on the husband wife relationship and each person’s role in the relationship, duties toward one another, responsibilities, regulations the Bible places on each person, look at different types of husbands and wives from the Bible, how the Bible describes a wife, special temptations, etc. We will alternate between both the husband and the wife during the same posting, offering a look at each with every posting whenever possible.

This next aspect of our Series on Marriage and Family will be exciting, enlightening, and in-depth; we will get to see what the Bibles ideas are and how they measure up to our society’s ideas today. Looking forward to next week, so join me and give me your input.

Marriage and Family Series - Fail Proof

Very few, if any, things in life can make this claim, yet, charity, aka love, does just that: God promises us it will never fail us. - -
8Charity 26 never 3763 faileth: 1601
Love never fails.

4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails.
New King James

4Charity 26 suffereth long, 3114 5719 and is kind; 5541 5736 charity 26 envieth 2206 5719 not; 3756 charity 26 vaunteth 4068 3756 not 4068 5736 itself, 4068 5736 is 5448 not 3756 puffed up, 5448 5743 5Doth 807 not 3756 behave itself unseemly, 807 5719 seeketh 2212 5719 not 3756 her own, 1438 is 3947 not 3756 easily provoked, 3947 5743 thinketh 3049 5736 no 3756 evil; 2556 6Rejoiceth 5463 5719 not 3756 in 1909 iniquity, 93 but 1161 rejoiceth 4796 5719 in the 225 truth 225 ; 7Beareth 4722 5719 all things, 3956 believeth 4100 5719 all things, 3956 hopeth 1679 5719 all things, 3956 endureth 5278 5719 all things. 3956 8Charity 26 never 3763 faileth 1601:
King James with Greek Reference Numbers

In the Greek Language the meaning of "charity" is as follows:
26. ajgavph agapeµ, ag-ah'-pay; from 25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; spec. (plur.) a love-feast:- (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.
25. ajgapavw agapaoµ, ag-ap-ah'-o; perh. from a[gan agan (much) [or comp. 5689]; to love (in a social or moral sense):- (be-) love (-ed). comp. 5368.
5368. filevw phileáoµ, fil-eh'-o; from 5384; to be a friend to (fond of [an indiv. or an obj.]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; while 25 is wider, embracing espec. the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: the two thus stand related very much as 2309 and 1014, or as 2372 and 3563 respectively; the former being chiefly of the heart and the latter of the head; spec. to kiss (as a mark of tenderness):- kiss, love.

Charity, love, benevolence in all it forms, whether for a social or moral cause is a beautiful and life changing act. Love is an act in that it is often a choice we make and a desire within us at the same time. Some days it flows with ease from an affectionate feeling on other days it is a matter of principal and duty. Nevertheless, we must make it a priority to love. We need to allow our lives to carry the mark of tenderness only found in those who consistently chose to love each person in their lives.

In the Greek Language the meaning of "never" is as follows:
3763. oujdevpote oáudeápoáteá, oo-dep'-ot-eh; from 3761 and 4218; not even at any time, i.e. never at all:- neither at any time, never, nothing at any time.

Never is never people! Love does not every fail us. Love may well be one of the few things in life, which will not fail us. We even fail ourselves. Yet, love does not because God has promised us it is true. Never is a strong word and a word I believe rarely properly used. People say never casually, just as they use the word love casually, rarely having their "never" proclamations come true. The power to claim never is not possible by humans but with God, it is not only possible but also factual.

In the Greek Language the meaning of "faileth" is as follows:
1601. ejkpivptw eákpiptoµ, ek-pip'-to; from 1537 and 4098; to drop away; spec., be driven out of one's course; fig. to lose, become inefficient:- be cast, fail, fall (away, off), take none effect.

Love is one of the few things that can keep our life on an even course. The love of God, our love for others, peoples love for us, and our love for ourselves, strengthens us and lifts us up each day. Love will never have no effect. It will always, whether we can recognize it or not, touch others and at the same time do something wonderful inside of us. Love is never going away, in earth and in heaven love will always be found working its wonders in the lives of mankind.

Make your choice to love today; love in action with all its attributes and it will never let you down!

Devotional Discussions

Devotional Discussions

Please read my Devotional Discussions Writing and give your input at the following link:
http://deadseascrolls.wordpress.com/

Thank you - Queendrh [Dead Sea Scrolls - Devotional Discussion Writer]