Husbands–Servants and Guards
By Dr. W.P. Abercrombie
The Bible is a tremendous source of instruction and challenge
for the Christian husband. God’s Word reminds the man that
he ultimately bears the responsibility for the care, support,
protection, and guidance of his home. As the leader of the home,
the man is God’s focal point, the one accountable for the
functioning of the household. Nowhere in Scripture is this truth
more evident than in 1 Peter 3:7:
“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding,
giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being
heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not
be hindered.”
When I first read this passage, I was elated! I thought; “This
explains why my wife acts the way she does…she is the weaker
vessel and can’t help herself.” I reasoned that
since I am a stronger and superior creation, I should
have compassion and empathy for my frail partner. In short, I
should lower my expectations and persevere; enduring her unreasonable
feminine ideas and conduct.
As you can imagine, sharing this insight with my wife did not
go very well. To put it kindly, she felt I had overlooked some
key points and encouraged me to reconsider my interpretation
of Scripture. I think her exact words were; “You’re
nuts!”
A bit bruised, I returned to my place of study and found the
verse had little to do with my wife and everything to do with
me. It is not a passage that elevates the husband as a superior
monarch, but instead humbles the man to the position of servant
and guard. Like a rare antiquity, the wife is to receive the
very highest level of care and respect. Failure to provide, as
instructed, leaves the wife, the home, and the marriage in great
jeopardy. To elaborate, let’s break down the Scripture
point-by-point:
First, the husband is to “dwell with them with understanding,
giving honor…” This portion alone negates my first
interpretation. How can a husband give understanding and honor
to the wife if she is inferior? Instead God is telling the man
that he has been given a precious, valuable creature, worthy
of his love, attention, focus, and commitment. In the original
Greek, “honor” (timen) is a term used to describe
the value of a precious stone. Thus, the wife is to be treasured
and protected as her worth is priceless.
Second, we must understand the meaning of the term “weaker
vessel.” Imagine if you will two vessels (containers).
One is a thick crock of pottery (the husband); the other a fine
cut glass vase (the wife). Stone pottery is common and made for
work. Cut glass is expensive, beautiful, and rare. Pottery can
become chipped or cracked and maintain its function as a working
container. The cut glass is not designed to bear the same weight
or duty because its function is not the same.
Weaker denotes “difference” not inferiority. God
made us “male and female” (Genesis 1) so that we
could relate, strengthen and support each other. Can you imagine
the difficulty in the home if God had made us the same? Different
is good, and it is God’s order for the home. In honoring
the wife, and her different function, we give respect to God’s
design.
Third, the husband is to recognize that he and the wife are “heirs
together of the grace of life.” God prompts us to remember
that our wives are “precious” to the Kingdom of God. Whenever
tempted to harm our wives with word or action, we must not forget
that, as a believer, she has a Kingdom inheritance. If Christ
prepared a paradise for her, shouldn’t we, as husbands,
provide the same?
Finally, God tells us to do all of this so that our “prayers
may not be hindered.” The Word tells us that sin divides
us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Here God makes it known that failure
in the home is a sin that limits our access to His throne. God
makes it very clear that our wives and our homes are to be our
first priority, our first point of ministry. If we as husbands
aren’t serving and protecting those entrusted to our daily
care, we cannot advance our Christian walk.
Needless to say, my wife appreciated my expanded review
of the Scripture and the revised interpretation. Moreover,
she really welcomes those rare occasions when I am able to place
God’s Word into action and live out His instructions in
a practical, meaningful way.
Scripture taken personally is alive with nourishment. Men
who take God’s instruction to heart will bless their wives
and will build an order to the home that is strong, enduring,
and impenetrable. Seek to become the sturdy, working, servant
and guard, caring at all cost for the jewel of your possession.
Copyright © 2005, Dr. W.P. Abercrombie
