“Truth for
Truckers *December 30, 2013* Proverb 30”The Unloved Wife”
“For three things the earth is disquieted
[shaken] and for four which it cannot bear…for an odious [unloved] woman when
she is married” (v.21-23). Our
focus is upon the unloved married woman. Her husband does not show ‘agape’ love
which is required by the Lord as commanded in Scripture. Ephesians 5:22ff is a
passage that contains both the command to the wife to submit unto her own
husband and the command to the husband to show active love to his wife, in the
same way that Christ loves the church. This sacrificial love is necessary for
the relationship to function properly and the onus in reality is written to men
who are responsible for the leadership of the home, the community, the church
and the country!
If this agape love is missing, if the
husband does not fulfill his obligation to love his wife as his own flesh, then
the relationship will fail. However, if the wife does not submit to his
leadership the relationship will fail. It takes two, one flesh is how God
describes this mysterious oneness as Paul calls it a mega-mystery that even he
did not completely understand as he was not married, not involved in this one
flesh mystery, but those who are can see the intimacy that brings about the
spiritual and physical interaction when both husband and wife are saved
fellowshiping in the Spirit!
So, this unloved wife in Proverb 30:23 is
our topic for the day. Her condition ‘shakes the earth’ spiritually because it
puts her in a very undesirable situation according to the Word of God. She is
commanded to submit to a man who does not show the love that makes the
relationship work the way God designed, and she does not enjoy the one flesh
oneness which should give her the joy of being married to a husband that loves
her unconditionally. But, she still must obey the command to submit to her
husband in all things knowing that the Lord will bless her regardless of her
husband’s response to her love for him,
for she is not only commanded to submit to his authority, but she is
also commanded to love him.
This is exactly what my wife did for ten
years, for she was saved for ten years before the Lord saved me in March 1980.
Even though I lived the life of Jekyll and Hyde, a successful engineer by day
and a wild Harley riding madman by night, she continued to pray for me knowing
that the Lord told her I would be saved one day. Her submission and prayers for
me brought about my salvation after living the life of a drug-abusing alcoholic
husband and father for fifteen years.
So, Drivers, the Lord is speaking to each
and every one of us to make sure that our families are in order so that we can
be blessed of the Lord according to His precious Word! Husbands must be
exercising agape love for their wives as is taught in Ephesians 5:22-31 which
includes loving her as our own flesh, just as the Lord Jesus Christ loves the
Church and gave Himself for it on the Cross of Calvary. His great love brought
about our so great salvation and all the spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1-3) we
enjoy as children of the King of kings and Lord of lords!
And, although wives are commanded to love
their husbands on numerous occasions in the New Testament, the one-flesh union
is the ultimate goal for both husband and wife in order that the family can
enjoy the battle-ready position that the Lord desires. This puts the
husband/wife into place for becoming the Spiritual force for propagating the
Gospel! The husband as the leader of the family must take full responsibility
for the Spiritual success of the family as he utilizes the weapons of our
warfare in the ongoing battle for “Souls for Jesus” which is our continuing
“Battle Cry”!
So, Drivers, let us band together as we
look forward to serving the Lord as we witness to those the Lord sends our way and
as we pray for the Lord’s will to be fulfilled in our ministries for Him!
Husbands, love your wives…wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands…Proverbs
31-The Virtuous Woman is tomorrow’s topic!
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