Husbands
1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”
1. Dwell With Them
2. Give Honor To
Them
3. Prayers & Heirs Together
1. Dwell With Them
The first part of verse seven: “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, …”
A husband needs to dwell with his wife “according to knowledge”.
What is this knowledge? Good question.
This knowledge … is not a knowledge gained from this world. Why is it not from this world?
It is not from this world, because this world knows nothing of this kind of knowledge.
The world is BLANK concerning this knowledge.
This knowledge is to be … “according to the knowledge” of God’s word. This knowledge is of a supernatural origin.
It is from God, and God is a Spirit.
Now, this is what the word of God says in John four, verse twenty-four: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” [John 4:24]
[I am talking to you husbands.]
In order to have this knowledge imparted to you, you as a man must be “born again”. A husband needs to be a “quickened”, or made alive spiritually in order to receive [believe] the supernatural knowledge in God’s word of “how to dwell” with your wife.
The woman was created by God to complement the man. Do you understand this? This truth is rooted in the very creation of the man and the woman nearly six thousand years ago. She was “taken out of Man” … for the man!
Here is the account as given by the Spirit of God in Genesis chapter two, verse eighteen, and twenty-one to twenty-three, and in Genesis chapter three, verse sixteen.
First, verse eighteen: “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” [Genesis 2:18]
Now, verses twenty-one through twenty-three: “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; And 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.” [Genesis 2:21-23]
Lastly, verse sixteen: “And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.” “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” [Genesis 3:16]
There, you have it! Husbands, something is missing in your life when you do not have your wife with you. You will never be … all that you can be … without her. A man is incomplete without the woman! This truth will humble you if you will let it sink into your heart. The wife is … for the husband. [Genesis 2:21-23] Do not get this thing reversed [like the world does to their hurt].
Here is what we learn from God’s word:
1. The wife came out of the man. [Genesis 2:21-23]
2. The wife came out of her husband’s side. [Genesis 2:21-23]
3. The wife received her name from her husband. [Genesis 3:20]
God … in his perfect design intends for you to study your own wife … to be focused solely on her … according to the knowledge which is gained by understanding [reading, and believing] God’s word. Only by understanding [thru believing] God’s word … will you come to the knowledge of “how to dwell” with your wife.
2. Give Honor To Them
The next part of this verse: “giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, …”
The wife is the weaker vessel [as compared to the husband]. This is just major fact of life. Husbands, you need to dwell with your own wife … according to this knowledge which knowledge comes from God’s word.
Believe the BOOK! She is the weaker vessel. You are the stronger vessel. Listen to me, you husbands. You need to protect her … and you need to maintain her.
Now, how are you to do this? Here is how. You need to honor her above all other women in your life. This must be demonstrated … by your actions towards her … in such a way that it shows her how priceless in value she to you. “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” [Proverbs 31:10]
Your eyes … are to be for her, and see … her only. How are you to do that? As a husband, you need to put those horse-blinders on concerning seeing other women around you. This thing needs to be a continual and deliberate practice of yours. You are to deliberately … deliver yourself to your wife and completely dedicate yourself to her. She needs to know that your eyes belong to her and that they are not for other women.
Honor her! Honor is part of your wife’s clothing. “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” [Proverbs 31:25]
Honor your wife! Let her rejoice! Show to her your singleness of heart and devotion toward her. She will honor you for this. Her desire will be towards you [As it says in Genesis chapter two, verse sixteen - “and thy desire shall be to thy husband”].
You will be able to put your trust in her because God’s word will be found true just as it says in Proverbs chapter thirty-one, verse eleven and twelve: “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” [Proverbs 31:11]
3. Heirs & Prayers Together
The last part of this verse: “and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”
Now, everything in this verse implies that BOTH you and your wife are true, born again, saved, blood-bought believers in Jesus Christ. You are then BOTH “heirs together of the grace of life.”
As “heirs together of the grace of life” your walk together is … to be as one. ONE … because both of you are in agreement concerning the most important issue found in life … Jesus Christ! [Amos 3:3] “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
When you are in agreement with God, and each other, yours prayers will go up to God.
When something is wrong between you and wife, you will both be impaired and paralyzed in your ability to pray to God. Your prayers as a husband and as a wife will be blocked! Consider what it says in Lamentations. “Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.” [Lamentations 3:44]
Now when you get back in-line with God, and with each other, yours prayers will go up unhindered to God.
Your prayers together as husband and wife will lift up to God when you are found walking together, preferring one another, loving one another … with both of you [as husband and wife] are walking in the truth and are “filled with the Spirit”. [Ephesians 5:18]
Then it will be well with you, and well in your marriage, as it was in Solomon’s prayer for Israel in Second Chronicles chapter six, verse thirty-five: “Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.” [2 Chronicles 6:35]
Your marriage will be maintained … and will grow in depth and in love in a happy home. Amen!
Do not let “your prayers be not hindered.” Amen!