“Truth for
Truckers *December 29, 2013* Proverb 29
“He that being often reproved, hardens his
neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Once again the
first verse of today’s Proverb is the focal point. And coupling this verse with
yesterday’s topic of staying under God-ordained authority, the emphasis today
is the believer that has been reproved/corrected by the Lord in times past
concerning the same offense, but continues to go their way, disobeying the
Lord’s commands in light of repeated offenses.
The offense that comes to mind concerns
the first and most important authority structure God ordained and that is the
husband-wife relationship. Actually, this is the second structure ordained, the
first is man’s submission to God. The wife’s submission to their husband is the
second: The word ‘submit’ means in battle ready position
for spiritual warfare!
1. Filled with the Spirit/Wives submit
yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord
(Ephesians 5:18-22)
2. Filled with the Word/Wives submit
yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord
(Colossians 3:16-18)
3. Likewise ye wives be in subjection
to your own husbands/Chaste conversation coupled with fear
(I Peter 3:1ff)
4. A meek and quiet spirit/Even as
Sarah obeyed Abraham (I Peter 3:4-6)
5. Sober, loving, discreet, chaste,
good obedient to their own husbands (Titus 2:4ff)
If
the believer obeys the first authority structure, submitting to God, then all
of the other seven structures will fall into place automatically for in reality
we are submitting to God if we submit to His ordained people/institutions. So,
it is very simple to comply to His commands, even though it might appear
complex at the outset, simplicity is always in Christ! But, as in all human
relationships, the believer has an adversary and his name is Satan. He is ever
in the midst of the home, the job, the highways etc. working full-time to
defeat the believer. However, we have a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ through
whom we must thank God for His unsearchable riches which can only be found in
His precious Son.
The victory is already won if we “Crucify
the flesh” and “Die daily” to our own desires putting on the whole armor of God
as we go out into the battle-field day by day for it is only through the
fleshly “Doorways of the Devil” that the
believer allows him to enter the fray. But, if we defeat him ahead of time each
morning as we prepare for warfare/winning “Souls for Jesus” which is our
“Battle Cry”, then he has no opportunity to enter in as we walk in the Holy
Spirit with the King of kings and Lord of lords! This all sounds great, and it
is possible, but conflicts do come, and the relationship of husband and wife
which was Satan’s primary focus from the beginning continues to this day as we
speak.
Listen, drivers, you know what I’m talking
about. Many of you don’t see your wives/husbands for weeks at a time and this
only adds to the problem of wives staying under the authority of husbands as
the Lord designed in the Garden of Eden. And, it has not changed since (I
Corinthians 11:3), even though our culture and many of the world’s cultures
have been given over to the contrary, bringing about much confusion and chaos
to the family, the community and the country.
So, where do we start? If we examine what
the Lord has ordained, we find that He has put the wife in the same position as
His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. The wife is submissive under the husband just as
the Son is submissive to the Father. This places her in the exalted position of
servant of God just like Jesus. She has the opportunity to receive great
eternal reward by submitting to God’s will just like Jesus. She is the one that
makes the relationship work as God designed, just like Jesus. She can obey or
disobey, she is the one that as the saying goes: “There’s always a good woman
behind a successful man.” What would have happened if Jesus decided to disobey
His Father? Chaos and confusion and open rebellion in the spiritual realm…just
like when Satan decided to rebel against God!!
This is what happens in essence
when the wife decides to take charge and rebel against her husband…chaos,
confusion, calamity in the family! So, as (v.1) of our daily Proverb states, destruction [of the
family] will come if these many reproofs to the wife are not heeded! The
husband’s duty will be discussed in tomorrow’s Proverb of the day! Stay tuned
in, Driver, for the Lord’s message to
you!
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