THE MARRIAGE MEGA MYSTERY
Some days my wife would just like me to BE THE MAN, meaning be the servant leader husband that Yeshua wants me to be. Ok, I’ll redouble my efforts and keep trying to be all that I can be! But wait a minute, marriage is a two-sided coin! How can the husband be the man, if the female partner is not being the woman Yahweh wants her to be? Well, of course, it’s impossible to have one without the other.
“Be the man” were the last words my wife spoke to me over the cell phone before I went in to work yesterday. Immediately, the Holy Spirit began to talk to me about this subject. I can serve my wife, I can try to lead my wife, I can try to be the best husband I can be for her, but IF she is not submitting to my authority and not obeying my gentlest requests, this relationship will not work. A man cannot lead a rebellious, self-serving, disrespectful, despising, undermining woman. When every request, order, command or suggestion is met with accusations, disrespect, a rebellious “I do what I want” attitude, a butting of heads and wills, a man is soon worn down and runs out of the emotional energy to try to lead such a sheep to the living waters!! Let her get her own living water!!
We hear preachers beating their men over the head with, “If you men would just be the spiritual leader in your home, your wife would submit and obey.” In an ideal world, maybe, but think about this: Yeshua is the ULTIMATE, PERFECT, SERVANT LEADER, and yet His bride does not always submit and obey! I give you the 21st Century apostate, Laodicean Church!! Do you get my point? Marriage is a two-way street, a two-sided coin, a relationship of give and take.
Paul teaches a lot of stuff in Ephesians 5, please read the whole chapter, because verses 1-21 are the lead in to the great mystery message in verses 22-33, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Master. 23For the husband is head of the wife, as also Messiah is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24Therefore, just as the church is subject to Messiah, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Messiah and the church. 33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
The husband can lovingly and self-sacrificially serve and lead his wife, but if she does not return that love with obedience to his loving will, submission to his guiding authority, or respect for his place as the head of the family, you’ve got marriage problems. So, of course, when I got home last night from work, I approached this subject with my wife. We have a great relationship, wherein we can talk about anything. She may get emotional, because that’s who she is, but we can discuss the subject, not like my X-file, where I found trying to talk to her was like talking to a wall, stonewall X never gave an inch.
Marriage is mysterious, just like our relationship with Yeshua. Yeshua is fully capable of leading His bride before, during, and after the Tribulation, but will we as His bride always be willing, obedient, and submissive to His will? That is the mystery question of the day. I hope so, but without a broken, contrite and repentant heart, it won’t happen until we get our immortal bodies and CANNOT SIN any more!! And believe me, I’m looking forward to that day more and more with every breath!!
Looking up,
Gene Benjamin II
October 19, 2012 CE