As Peter the
apostle continued giving instructions to specific groups within the
“scattered” Christians, he shared how the “wives”
were to live before their husbands, and in chapter three and
verse seven of his letter, Peter gives instructions to the “husbands”
where we read:
Likewise,
you husbands, dwell with them
according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the
weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that
your prayers be not hindered.
The
verse begins, “Likewise, you
husbands, dwell with them
according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife,...” Peter
began with the word, “Likewise”
which means “equally and in the same way” “you
husbands”
who were “men who were married or betrothed to a woman”, “dwell”
or “reside together” “with them”
which refers to the “wives” “according
to” or
“down from, through out, toward and along” “knowledge”
which means “things known signified in general intelligence,
understanding, moral wisdom and such as is seen in right living”,
“giving honor”
or “extending a valuing by which the
price is fixed, deference or reverence”
“unto the wife” which
were “women who were either married or betrothed to a man”.
“Husbands”
were to be with their wives in a general intelligence, understanding
and moral wisdom which would be demonstrated by their right living.
The
verse continues, “...as unto the weaker vessel, and as
being heirs together of the grace of life;” Peter
added, “as unto the weaker”
which means “more feeble, impotent, without strength and delicate”
“vessel” or
“household utensil, domestic gear and a chosen instrument”, “and
as being heirs together” which
means “fellow ones who obtain something assigned to themselves with
others and participants in common” “of the grace”
or “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness,
charm, loveliness, good-will, loving-kindness and unmerited favor”
“of life” which
refers to “the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is
animate”. “Husbands”
were to know their wives in a “delicate” manner like fine china,
and they were to understand they would inherit “the joy, pleasure,
delight and sweetness” of life together when they did.
Finally the verse says,
“that your prayers be not hindered.”
Peter ended
his exhortation with this warning, “that
your prayers”
or “orations addressed to God” “be
not hindered”
which is the Greek phrase “ekkoptō
mē ekkoptō” and
means “to cut off or out”. In other words Peter declared if the
“husbands”
did not dwell with their wives “according
to knowledge”
and give them “honor”,
their own prayers to God would be “cut off” as though they were
unheard and unanswered.
When
we consider these words of Peter thoroughly, we understand the weight
of the relationship between a husband and wife is mostly place upon
the “husband”.
Knowing that “prayers”
can be “hindered”
by their lack of understanding,“husbands”
should be motivated to learn about their wives. Too often “husbands”
do not take time to “know their wives”,
“honor their wives”
and live with them as “weaker vessels”,
and they not only forfeit the joy and pleasure of being “heirs
together of the grace of life” but
also cause their prayers to be “hindered” too.
Let all “husbands”
who read Peter's words take heed, and may the Lord Jesus by His Holy
Spirit help them not only to hear his words, but to obey them as
well.
Next
time Peter tells all the Christians to “be of one mind”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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