14/12/13

Wife a helper and support to her husband

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.


In India from November starts the marriage season, so there are marriages after marriages happening here. I had been to my native place Mangalore for a marriage and they being Catholic were full of traditions. Near the end of the reception comes a tradition of giving away of the girl. Here you are sure to find girl and her relatives crying like someone has died. The girl's relatives cry as if they are not going to see the girl ever again, even though by their own custom she comes home with her husband for a grand lunch the very next day. Even after that she is not restricted from visiting her family like it happens in Hindus, yet some part of Hindu understanding they keep.

People lack understanding of marriage. In India Hindu traditions are so fused into Christians (especially Catholics) that one stands to wonder if they are Christians or Hindus.

In marriage boy's family does not gain and the girl's family lose. In fact both gain for the boy becomes a son to the family of the girl and the girl a son to the family of the boy that is why they exchange rings. The rings are not sign of love but a sign of authority in a family and in old days the name of the family was written on the ring. We see in the parable of Prodigal Son on return of the son the father puts a ring on the son to restore his right in the family.

When God made Eve, God made her as a helper (help meet) for Adam. God did not say Adam you are above Eve nor said Eve you are above Adam. Adam led Eve because he was the more mature among the two; He had more time with God face to face than Eve did and God gave instructions through Him.

Marriage is not a private club where man is the boss and wife a member. Marriage is a mission wherein two people fulfil the plan of God in their lives to form a family and bring up souls (their own children) in the Lord that is why it is called a Church.

When God created man and woman in spirit both were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), but when He made them in the flesh He first made man and then out of man He made woman. When He made woman He took a bone out of man and made woman. Bone symbolizes nature or character, that's why no bone of Jesus was allowed to be broken. So we see in the physical man is made in the image of God and woman in the image of man that is why although they are alike yet they have some differences in their physical structure and that is why man does the role of Christ and loves his wife as Christ loves His people. This is only for understanding, but in spirit both are equal and in the image of God.

Proverbs 31:10-31 gives an excellent picture of a wife, of her role in the family. We see no distinguishing only we need to keep in mind the aspects of the woman in society or outside world else there is nothing that differentiates between husband and wife. That is what is called a help meet for each other.



[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, even though in spirit we are alike and as Angels yet in the natural You made us differently so as to understand your plans and the working of your Kingdom which is hidden. Lord Jesus You did not come to rule but to serve. Even though You were King yet You became a servant for the love of your people. Today our Churches are shaky because marriages are shaky. Lord, heal the marriages of your people. Let them know the mission called marriage as to why they come together here on earth even though in Heaven they would not be married or husbands and wives but be the same brethren as the Angels...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Genesis 1:26-27
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (male gender - plural).

Genesis 2:7-8, 18-24
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Ephesians 5:
22 Wives, unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, himself the saviour of the body.
24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so the wives also to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
27 that he might present the church to himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself:
29 for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church;
30 because we are members of his body.

Mark 12:25 - For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)