30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 18 The covenantal relationship of marriage 07 The wise woman builds her house
📖 Luke 16:18
24Apr2020 - *The wise woman builds her house* - _Luke 16:18_ - Bible reading: _Ephesians 5:21-24_
Luke 16:18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery._
We have been learning about the covenantal relationship of marriage. As always, we must let the word of God bring healing in our lives and in our marriages. We have now begun to study the passage in _Ephesians five_ on marriage.
We have said that the marriage relationship is built on a foundation of submission to each other. If this is not understood and committed to, right from the beginning, the marriage experience will be a rocky relationship.
Having understood the base of submission to one another, _Ephesians 5:21)_, we now move into _Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (23) For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body._ God’s word is specifically asking the wife to submit to her husband.
I have heard many women questioning as to why the wife needs to submit. We will address this question later but the wife is able to submit to her husband because He is bringing in the leadership qualities of Christ into the marriage. He is already practising a submissive attitude and he also brings in righteousness, justice, lovingkindness and mercy. He is also faithful and sacrificial. These are the leadership qualities of Christ. _Hosea 2:19 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy. Ephesians 5:24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything._ The church’s submission to Christ is total and that is how it needs to be for the wife to her husband, always bearing in mind that the husband has a submissive attitude and is demonstrating the character of Christ to her.
Why does the Bible specifically require the wife to submit to her husband in everything? The reason is explained for us, with clarity, in the book of Proverbs. The woman has a dangerous tendency to be contentious. Instead of being defensive, women need to be willing to accept and overcome this propensity.
_Proverbs 15:17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred. 17:1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife. 19:13 A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping. 21:9 Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. 21:19 Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman. 25:24 It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. 27:15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike;_
What happens when the woman overcomes this predisposition to be contentious? She emerges as a wise woman. _Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. 24:3 Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;_
The entire passage in _Proverbs 31:10-31_ is about the wise woman. The wise woman emerges out of a wife who recognises and affirms that submission is not a negative but a positive quality to bring into the marriage relationship. _(Let us always keep in mind the sequence, beginning with _Ephesians 5:21 of submission to each other)_
What are we saying? Does a husband desire his wife to be wise? Then he knows now, where it all begins. He has to help his wife deal with her inclination of being contentious, to empower her to overcome this habit and produce wisdom from within her, by which she will build the house.
*Thought to ponder*
```Submission of the church to Christ produces wisdom, so it is in the home.```