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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 7:39-40
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
In regard to marital relationships and biblical guidance as to how we should approach them, you will be hard pressed to find a more comprehensive compilation of wise direction than in the seventh chapter of 1 Corinthians. The forty verses in this chapter are chocked full of instruction and this has translated into a dozen different messages, the last of which is today. In it, Paul provides advisement to female surviving spouses. Look again at his words here:
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 7:39-40
Death can bring a ton of instability to a person who has lost their husband. A big void is left behind where special love and companionship used to occupy, leaving overwhelming feelings of emptiness and loneliness. An element of dependency is also lost and a widow is often left to handle affairs they had entrusted to their husband who she has been bound to for as long as he has lived. The loss is overwhelming from a physical, mental, and emotional standpoint and it’s easy to fall into the pit of depression and despair. I would add confusion too for a widow may have very mixed emotions about the prospect of ever loving another man again. It can often be a totally scary proposition.
It’s this place that we find the scriptures speaking into as we look at these final two verses of 1 Corinthians. It answers a basic question any widow might have:
1. My husband is dead. Does the Lord permit me to remarry?
We find the answer in our passage:
If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.
Now, let me see a show of hands if you knew that a widow was required to wed a man of the Lord if she chose to remarry.
I’m pretty sure not many hands are up.
You see, I think the church has probably messed this up many times over in the guidance given to widows and I believe it is grounded in worldly influence and biblical ignorance. The latter is easy. The majority of Christian believers today have only a surface knowledge of the Bible. I see it over and over and over again in all the teaching I do. Couple this with a worldly viewpoint that a widow is okay to remarry, choosing whoever they want, and you can see where the right approach gets distorted.
So why would the Bible place a limit on who a widow can remarry?
Because the Lord has a special place in His heart for widows and wants the absolute best for them. This included a man who is in a believer, a man who is godly and will be a spiritual leader within the marital relationship, a man who will commit to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). This kind of relationship will ensure the remarried widow is well cared for and loved by a man who loves the Lord first.
Now, note that it’s perfectly okay for the widow to remain unattached as well. The Bible doesn’t mandate remarriage. Rather, the widow has a choice but that choice is grounded in biblical wisdom.
Experiencing the death of a husband is one of the hardest events a wife will ever have to deal with, if not the absolute hardest. Thanks be to God that He is with the widow in Spirit and love, ready to make sure she is provided for whether she decides to remarry or not.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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