There is no better "Life encyclopædia" than the Bible. Definition time: according to Wikipedia which is one too, "An encyclopedia (also spelled encyclopaedia or encyclopædia) is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge."
The best part about our "Life encyclopædia" is that it never requires updating because it is current from generation to generation afterall it even tells us that: "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new." (Ecc 1:9 - NLT) So what does all this have to do with the topic...well, wise people know and learn from history...
Not sure if we've discussed it before but it's worthy of remphasis. As wives, we need to watch our husbands' back and help them cover it - not just for them but for ourselves too. Too many families are made up of individuals doing their own thing - now that is not necessarily a bad thing if they are all in sync (remember the piece on "Living in the same house"*?)
Our Life encyclopædia has examples of what happened to wives who didn't care enough or take time to watch their husbands' back...let's learn from them and not repeat that history.
I like these 3 quotes:
History is the sum total of the things that could have been avoided. ~Konrad Adenauer
History is philosophy teaching by examples. ~Thucydides
History is the open Bible: we historians are not priests to expound it infallibly:
our function is to teach people to read it and to reflect upon it for themselves.
~George Macaulay Trevelyan
The last one inadvertently encourages us to read our Bibles - great advice if you ask me.
So let's start with the examples I mentioned:
Example 1: Numbers 16: 1 - 3 - The Message version puts this in contemporary language:Getting on his high horse one day, Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, along with a few Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—rebelled against Moses. He had with him 250 leaders of the congregation of Israel, prominent men with positions in the Council. They came as a group and confronted Moses and Aaron, saying, "You've overstepped yourself. This entire community is holy and God is in their midst. So why do you act like you're running the whole show?" Can you imagine the effrontery?
Then what happened after Moses and Aaron went to God? The incredible...their wives & children went for it too - "...the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community." (v 31b-33; NIV)
Example 2: In Daniel 6:24, the wives and children of those that ganged up against Daniel had a similar experience - "At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones." (NIV)
Example 3: In Acts 5:2, 9 -10, Sapphira put her foot in it by conspiring with her husband - "And with his wife's knowledge and connivance he kept back and wrongfully appropriated some of the proceeds, bringing only a part and putting it at the feet of the apostles." A few hours later, "...Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed and conspired together to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out [also]. And instantly she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men entering found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband." (Amp)
I wonder if any of these wives said anything to stop their husbands or at least make them reconsider the path they were going down on. Ladies, obviously in the interest of self-preservation and even for your husband and family, you need to prayerfully watch your husband's back. Now whatever you do, please do not spy on or suspect your husband - that is not what this is about.
Please pray for him and partner with him so you both progress in your marriage and ministry.
Remember:
God's mandate - you are a helpmeet; and
Your marriage vows - which are (not were) essentially to be there for each other...
Don't worry, you're covered...
...God is watching your back as He's promised in Psalm 139:5.**
References:
*http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.com/2011/07/living-in-same-house.html
** "You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head." (NLT)
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