This blog entry was written by Mandie. I consider Mandie and her family as dear friends and fellow servants of the Lord. They are members of Mount Zion Road Church and most importantly, they are faithful followers of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. I am thankful and blessed that she was willing to allow me to post this entry on my website. Mandie encourages all of us to recognize the covenant relationship we can have with our Savior, Jesus. This relationship is one that we must pursue intentionally and with purpose as we grow in faith. I pray that you find her words to be a blessing as you read. To God be the glory!
I was looking at a depiction of Noah and his wife. Two smiling faces staring back at me and it occurred to me that the Bible does not tell us a name for Noah’s wife. If you do an online inquiry you will find that there have been speculations about her name but they are just that- human speculations. The Bible also does not mention anything about Noah’s wife’s character. We do know that she was loyal to board the ark with her husband and family. This brings to mind two other Biblical wives who were not as loyal to their husbands- Lot’s wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt because she turned around, in presumed longing, to steal one last glimpse of her wicked hometown being destroyed by God in judgment (Genesis 19), and Job’s wife, who, when given the chance and privilege to support and encourage her husband in their shared time of grief, chose to instead discourage him (Job 2:9). I find it interesting then, in the case of Job, that after his wife failed to do what she ought to have done, his friends stepped in and were, at the least, present with him in his grief. The Biblical account of Noah does not mention any friends that he had in support of his mission and arduous task from the Lord. He had God and his wife and family who were faithful in remaining by his side.
If we go back to the book of Genesis and the creation account, we see God’s words in chapter 2 verse 18 “Then the Lord God said, “it is not good that man should be alone; “I will make him a helper fit for him.” The words “fit for him” shows God’s design in marriage. Each man, each husband, is very different in the gifts they possess, the needs that they have and yet God has designed a way for those personal expressions to be supported and met. Marriage is a high calling for both the husband and the wife. Each have their own set of responsibilities and while they will look different depending on the household and the couple- the directive from our Lord is clear throughout the Bible. From Proverbs where we read “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (18:22) and “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” (31:10-12) to Ephesians where we read “Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (5:33) It is in Ephesians where we read about the symbolism of marriage being a depiction of Christ and the church. Before reading further, please read Ephesians 5:25-32 in your Bible.
The charge then is this that to remain strong in our earthly marriage covenant, we need to remain strong in our spiritual marriage covenant with God. To have a humble, loyal and Christ-centered marriage we need to stay connected to the Vine from which we are branches (John 15). Furthermore, encouragement from the picture shown in Ephesians 5 is for everyone! This beautiful passage of Scripture shows us how Christ treats our covenant with Him- a covenant we have as believing individuals- He loved us so much that He gave Himself up as an atoning sacrifice for us (v. 25), He desires that we would be holy, and blameless through sanctification (v. 26 & 27), He nourishes and cherishes us because we are members of His own body (v. 29 & 30). Verse 31 quotes Genesis 2:
23 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. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Here is the passage out of Ephesians 5:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Just as we are meant to be “one flesh” with a spouse within a marriage covenant, we are meant to be “one flesh” with Christ in our spiritual marriage covenant. For we know, as Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
and also in the prayer offered by Jesus during His last few hours on earth in John 17:
17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Praise God for His sacrifice and infinite grace and love towards us!!
– Mandie
Corby Shuey 