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!
1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the
word be won by the
conversation of the wives;
1 Peter 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with
fear.
1 Peter 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of
plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of
apparel;
1 Peter 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of
the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a
meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
1 Peter 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women
also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection
unto their own husbands:
1 Peter 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose
daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any
amazement.
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 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of
another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1 Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but
contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye
should inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him
refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
1 Peter 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace,
and ensue it.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and
his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is
against them that do evil.
1 Peter 3:13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of
that which is good?
1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are
ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of
the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil
of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse
your good conversation in Christ.
1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye
suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in
the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1 Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in
prison;
1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the
longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a
preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now
save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of
God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.