More than meets the eye

Last week, we kind of began our discussion on marriage and our role as wives.  We actually started in Genesis.

Genesis doesn't give us the entire scope of our role as wives, but it is significant, because it gives us a nutshell kind of view, the "why" for wives.  Sometimes we make things very complicated and we only focus on the "hows", and it is good to remember the why.

And the LORD God said, 

It is not good that the man should be alone; 

I will make him a helper suitable for him.  

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 its name.  

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 a helper suitable for him.  

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 its place with flesh;  

And from the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, 

made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  

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.  

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, 

and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:20-25

This short account is very beautiful and reminds us of our primary role as wives, that of helper.  Help with what?  With what God has called our husband to do.  

Today, we may wonder where this puts us specifically, because we live after the fall of man, after the saving work of Christ on the cross, after the advent of commercial farming.  Obviously, we aren't gardening in Eden anymore.   What is there to help with?  Help earn a living?  Help wash dishes?  What?

Though we are positioned as heirs together with our husbands in the grace of life (1 Peter 3:7), the marriage relationship, as God describes in Genesis, is a picture of Christ and the church.  The way it was designed to function is a picture of how it is with Christ and his bride.  Paul continues and expands on the "one flesh" picture in Ephesians 5:29-33

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. 

He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; 

but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, 

and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular 

so love his wife even as himself; 

and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

There was a time when people would look at a pond, and only see murky water, frogs, lily pads, turtles, and mosquitos.  That was about it.  Nobody had yet seen a drop of pond water under a microscope.  Nobody had yet realized the uncountable forms of life flourishing in ponds.  There is much more life in pond water than meets the eye:  microscopic life, interdependent life.

As we consider what the Bible says about our role as wives, we will also find more than meets the eye.  We will find that our "why" far exceeds pruning fruit trees in Eden.  Our relationship with our husband, our role as helper, has many dimensions.  The scriptures, through good and bad examples, lays out a pattern and purpose for wives that not only glorifies the Lord in modeling Christ and the church, but is foundational to our testimonies as disciples of the Lord, and works together for our own personal growth in the Lord.

Just as we would rightly question the devotion of a child or teen who could memorize scripture effortlessly, but rarely helped her parents or showed them respect, our true devotion to the Lord is reflected by how we pursue pleasing the Lord in our role as wives, primarily but not exclusively as helpers.   (And if we have children at home, we have a built-in amplification system.  :) )

Just as with everything God designed, we can expect marriage to be good.  We can expect depth.  We can expect it to have functions beyond our initial understanding.  We can expect it to be dynamic, that as the environment changes, it can still thrive.  

This week we will continue looking at scriptures, that is, looking in the mirror of God's Word, and seeking to encourage one another to put it into practice!