Beauty and the Duty of a Christian Wife

Driving home: Much of our Bibles is history and biography, as we are seeing in our Old Testament reading, because it is in history and biography that we not only have the record of God's march through history, accomplishing his redemp…

Peter's use of Old Testament biography illustrates principles of godly living in a 'mentally touchable' way, just as a picture is worth a thousand words.

6b. He says, And why does he do this? Well, I'm sure Peter never heard the saying that one picture is worth a thousand words, but he understood the principle embodied in that little aphorism. Much of our Bibles is history and biography, as we are seeing in our Old Testament reading, because it is in history and biography that we not only have the record of God's march through history, accomplishing his redemptive purposes, but all along the way he is giving us the stuff of living, breathing, and mentally touchable examples. And that's the great benefit of biography and of history. We see the p...

6:46 - 8:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He elaborates on the conduct of these holy women, noting they continually adorned themselves with true feminine beauty (inwardly) and were in subjection to their own husbands…

Martin challenges the notion that godly women like Rebecca and Sarah were 'doughty and frumpish,' asserting they focused on inner beauty but were not outwardly unattractive.

And while the record, and I, I challenge some of you, I threw out a little tweaker this morning about Rebecca. And I did some more reading about Sarah. And I would challenge you to go back and read the accounts of these godly women. And you will see that when I asserted this morning they were not doughty and frumpish and Quaker looking.

17:42 - 18:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He elaborates on the conduct of these holy women, noting they continually adorned themselves with true feminine beauty (inwardly) and were in subjection to their own husbands…

Abraham's repeated fear that Sarah's beauty would endanger him (Genesis 12, 20) illustrates that Sarah was not a 'frumpy old hag,' implying her outward appearance was still striking, even as she cultivated inner beauty.

When Abraham's afraid going into strange territory that people will say, you see, and he does this twice in Genesis 12 and Genesis 20. The beauty of Sarah, he could have said, look, just let the desert dust get into your hair and don't wash your hair and have a good case of the greases overlaid with dust. And let the stuff get caked on your face and don't bother to wash. And no one would look at you.

18:11 - 18:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that calling your husband 'Lord' is about the principle of respect and embracing his headship, not necessarily using the specific word.

Sarah's suggestion to Abraham to take Hagar as a concubine illustrates her human failings, showing that even godly examples have sin, but Peter focuses on her virtues.

verse 6a as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord now who is this example that's question number one well it is Sarah this very unusual prominent woman and she's a fascinating woman the Bible does not overlook her form at some points she was a very pushy woman she said there's a promise Abraham Lord Lord Abraham however she called him that day and it's not getting fulfilled and we've got to get on with it now I've got a handmaid you make her your concubine and let's help God's promise along here and the scripture tells us that Abraham obeyed Sarah there was a temporary role reversal he should ...

23:26 - 24:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that calling your husband 'Lord' is about the principle of respect and embracing his headship, not necessarily using the specific word.

Sarah's agreement with Abraham's lie about her being his sister illustrates her human failings, showing that even godly examples have sin, but Peter focuses on her virtues.

verse 6a as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord now who is this example that's question number one well it is Sarah this very unusual prominent woman and she's a fascinating woman the Bible does not overlook her form at some points she was a very pushy woman she said there's a promise Abraham Lord Lord Abraham however she called him that day and it's not getting fulfilled and we've got to get on with it now I've got a handmaid you make her your concubine and let's help God's promise along here and the scripture tells us that Abraham obeyed Sarah there was a temporary role reversal he should ...

23:26 - 24:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that calling your husband 'Lord' is about the principle of respect and embracing his headship, not necessarily using the specific word.

David's many recorded failures, yet being called one who 'wholly followed the Lord except in the matter of Uriah,' illustrates God's greater grace towards His sinning people compared to human judgment.

I appreciate your desire to protect but surely my beloved Lord Abraham this is not God's way and she should have graciously and out of biblical principle resisted his chicanery but the Bible doesn't gloss over the sins and the failures of Abraham but he sets her before us focusing upon her virtues and surely brethren we learn a vital lesson in that James says in many things we all offend and isn't it amazing how we can overlook the virtues of our brothers and sisters but let them step aside in one area and we're prepared to put the spotlight on it not only in our own minds but with our tongues...

24:55 - 26:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that calling your husband 'Lord' is about the principle of respect and embracing his headship, not necessarily using the specific word.

Sarah's willingness to leave her home with Abraham for an unknown destination, despite the lack of tangible security, illustrates her submissive disposition and obedience to her husband's directives based on God's promise.

she showed her submissive disposition by obeying his explicit directives now I've already said there were some directives she should have principally disobeyed but when you go back and read the record Genesis chapter 12 God comes to Abraham and tells him get up from the place where you've lived all your life and I want you to go to a place you don't have a clue where it is to a place where I'm going to show you and I'm going to make of you a great nation I'm going to bless you he has nothing but quote the word and promise of God leaving a place of security a place where all the reference point...

27:53 - 29:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that calling your husband 'Lord' is about the principle of respect and embracing his headship, not necessarily using the specific word.

Sarah's silence during Abraham's offering of Isaac, her miraculously given son, illustrates her profound obedience and trust, even in the face of immense personal cost and potential grief.

she showed her submissive disposition by her obedience when you read that moving account of the offering up of Isaac Abram's own son Isaac the record is absolutely silent that there was any objection from Sarah I think it is stretching all sense of credulity to think that Abraham kept her ignorant of what he was going to do imagine what it meant for a mother who had waited all those years she had pre-menopausal signs she came a classic post-menopausal woman the scripture says it had ceased to be with her after the manner of men and God says you're going to have a child she laughs and says an o...

29:22 - 30:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that calling your husband 'Lord' is about the principle of respect and embracing his headship, not necessarily using the specific word.

Sarah's internal thought, 'my Lord being old also,' when eavesdropping on the angel's promise (Genesis 18), illustrates that her respect and submission to Abraham were deeply ingrained in her heart, even in moments of unbelief and privacy.

believe it takes us to the heart of the issue Genesis chapter 18 three angels appear to Abraham one of them the angel of the Lord Jehovah himself most likely a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus and they speak to Abraham verse 9 and they say to him where is Sarah thy wife and he said behold in the tent and he said I will certainly return unto you when the season comes round and lo Sarah your wife shall have a son now notice where Sarah is the spirit of God has given us a precious little detail and Sarah heard in the tent door which was behind him Sarah was not being directly addressed ...

32:20 - 33:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that calling your husband 'Lord' is about the principle of respect and embracing his headship, not necessarily using the specific word.

The analogy of what one says 'under your breath' or 'behind your bedroom door' about parents illustrates that internal thoughts reveal true attitudes, just as Sarah's internal 'my Lord' revealed her true disposition.

she was speaking to herself after I'm waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also and the Lord said unto Abraham the God who sees and hears when men do not speak and when men do not outwardly express themselves he knows wherefore did Sarah laugh saying shall I have assured he bear a child who am old is anything too hard for the Lord the picture seems to be this that when Sarah eavesdropping on the conversation between the angel and Abraham hears she's going to be a mama she laughs inwardly and says inwardly not knowing that anyone is hearing her these words shall I have pleasure my ...

33:48 - 35:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Know that Christ's grace is sufficient to make you the kind of women who are godly examples.

A quote from Lutheran commentator Lenski suggests that 'not fearing any terror' means Christian women are not to be frightened from their course by pagan disdain, insults, or husbands' resentment, illustrating courage in obedience.

to the weaker vessel a courage and a nobility and a fortitude that will enable her to stand in the way of gospel obedience trusting God to preserve and to protect her it could be and here the Lutheran commentator Lenski has what I think is a helpful comment the sense is that these Christian women are to let nothing terrifying frighten them from their course pagan women may disdain and insult them because they've adopted a nobler wifehood yet they remain unafraid pagan husbands may resent their Christianity this too does not frighten them you see the Lord Jesus says to every disciple don't be a...

47:10 - 48:06 Read in full sermon