Podcast: https://bit.ly/3XU3HLd
Let’s be honest: for most of recorded history, it sucked to be a woman. In the ancient world, a common male citizen generally had more public rights and autonomy than a noble woman.
Jewish women, however, had it better. Or at least less bad. God gave woman rights and protection in the Law. Jewish women were free to engage in commerce and real estate transactions, as seen in the 31st Proverb. A daughter could inherit if there were no male heirs (cf. Nu 27:1-11). The Law commanded husbands to provide wives with food, clothing, and conjugal rights. (Ex 21:10-11) And under civil law, a husband could be forced to divorce if he failed to do these things. The Jewish dowry was not payment for taking the woman; rather, it was for the woman to use if her husband died or divorced her for any cause other than adultery. And women were more part of life, culture, and worship than was the case for many surrounding cultures.
When the Jews followed God’s laws, being a Jewish wife was better than being a non-Jewish wife,
Fast-forward two thousand years. If God’s laws elevated Jewish wives above their pagan contemporaries, shouldn’t Christian marriages stand out today?
I think being the wife of a Christian man should be better than being the wife of an unbeliever. Our wives should be more loved, better protected, and freer to be who God made them to be. They should get better communication, more regular date nights, more help with the kids, and better sex.
Of course, this should cut both ways. Being married to a Christian woman should be better than being married to a woman who is not following Jesus. It should be clear from what he says, and how he acts, that hubby is greatly blessed in his marriage.
Here’s the big thing: This is a salvation issue. Not for the Christian couple, but for the people around them. Imagine if folks started to realise that the Christians they knew were happier, and had far better marriages. A bad marriage is a difficult and painful thing, and if it were obvious Christians had the answer to that, folks would flock to us and to our churches.
The other way your marriage “preaches” is to your children. Kids raised by parents in an unhappy marriage are less likely to get married themselves. Living a good marriage in front of your kids improves their future, and your chance of getting grandkids!
What if every Christian marriage became a living apologetic for the gospel? What if unbelievers looked at how Christian couples love, fight, forgive, serve, and sacrifice, and thought, “I want what they have”?
It’s possible. Not through perfection, but through transformation. Not through hiding struggles, but through showing how grace redeems them.
~ This is Paul, and Doing Marriage Well is evangelism!
If God is using this content in your marriage, would you consider supporting this ministry? Select $8.99 monthly, and after fees, we receive $100 over the year, enabling us to keep helping couples thrive.
Finally got the indoor Christmas tree up. And, I do mean UP!
I’ve always wanted an upside down tree. I talked Lori into it when we got a cat that refused to leave the tree alone. Thanks, Tilly!
Image Credit: © Paul H Byerly created with ideogram.ai & Paul Byerly
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