For the past few months now, I feel that God has been dealing with me about Job’s wife and the covering she was under. Let’s take a look at some basic facts about Job. We see in Job 1:1 that Job was "…blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil." According to Job 1:2 he had "…seven sons and three daughters were born to him." Now we see in Job 1:4 "And his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them." Based on this verse of scripture, Job’s children were not under his spiritual covering, because they were in their own households. So when satan began his attack on Job, the only one’s left standing in Job’s family were himself and his wife. Why was this? Some people say satan didn’t have too because he already had her. Based on Job 2:9 "Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!." one could argue that. However I point to the above scripture John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy…" So when given the chance, the enemy will kill you! Also look at what Job said to his wife in Job 2:10 "But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job rebukes his wife’s sin and immediately pulls her back under his covering. We see at the end of the book of Job, that Job and his wife enjoys a greater life than before, Job 42:12-13 "So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.13 He had also seven sons and three daughters."
Let’s look at another scriptural example, Lot and his wife. Lot and his wife resided in Sodom and Gomorrah. This was a tremendously wicked place, so wicked that God sent two angels to destroy it, Genesis 19:13 "for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it". God had shown mercy to Lot, his wife, his daughters and their husbands and warned them of the coming destruction. Lot then went to his son-in-laws, and offered them protection under his covering, Genesis 19:14 "And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, "Up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city…". However, his son-in-laws refused Lots offer and by doing this, they got out from under Lot’s covering, Genesis 19:14 "…But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting". Lots wife and daughters were provided a way of escape, the angels even took them by the hand to lead them out, Genesis 19:16 "So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him…" Lot’s family was told not to look back towards the city, Genesis 19:17 "…Escape for your life! Do not look behind you". However, Lots wife chose to get out from under her husbands covering, by looking back. Lots wife had a way of escape but she looked back towards their old life and in doing so, she chose death, Genesis 19:26 "But his wife, from behind him, looked back; and she became a pillar of salt." .
Husbands and wives, I must also speak of the command Paul gives in Ephesians 5:22-24 "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything". Paul is not telling the husbands they are rulers over their wives, but rather protectors. Why was Paul saying this? Because Paul understood the power of a loving, praying husband. Paul also goes on to instruct husband in Ephesians 5:25-26 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; 26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word". We know that Jesus loved his church and gave his very life for the church. Husbands, you must also love your wives in this manner. You must put your own fleshly desires on hold, so you can meet the needs of your wife. You must pray even when you don’t feel like it.
In closing, I also want to point out what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:7 "You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.". Did you catch that last part? So that your prayers may not be hindered. Husbands, we live in a time where we simply cannot afford to have our prayers hindered. You must give your wife the honor she is due. The covering placed upon your family is depending on it. Now I am not saying that every attack will stop, but when the attacks come, you will be better prepared to handle and defeat them. You will be stronger and your family will be able to stand firm against the attacks.
