Pure Hearts

DEVOTION

1 CORINTHIANS

PURE HEARTS

1 Cor 7:39-40

39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is — and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

NIV

It would seem a personal opinion yet also as coming from the Spirit of God. This is the last of the dissertation about marriage and singleness and it would appear the whole of the idea is that divorce is not on the table. Remarriage in the case of death is acceptable, but surely not in any other case. Why a woman would be happier if she remains a widow is certainly a strange concept to understand. We might think that people are happier in general if they do not have a spouse to love and to be loved by if we read between these lines. Yet we also see that if a women should lose her husband through the nature course of death, she may remarry, but only to another believing man. Once again, it would seem strange that a woman who has lived her life loving the Lord alone side a man who loves the Lord would even consider yoking herself to an unbeliever in marriage. Marriage requires work to be a relationship which is acceptable in the eyes of God even with both partners being believers. How much severe the relational condition if only one is a believer. We also know there is other scripture which instructs widows to remarry if they are of child bearing age, but if well beyond that age to stay a widow and serve the Lord more fully. Of course even being a widow we can see that if she excepts any assistance from the church that she would have to have met the qualifications enumerated in that same passage. But staying a widow if older she is still admonished to serve the Lord with all her heart. That is a widow should not become a busybody, a gossip but get involved wholehearted in some area of service. She should not be content to simply be all about herself. That is why we see here that Paul believes she should stay a widow so she can be of greater service to God. Yet once again we are brought to this issue that if married she is to stay married as most vows include, until death do us part. This would also imply that is we cross reference that other scripture the married woman should already be one who is faithful to her husband, well known for her good deeds such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. We surely would think that any woman with those qualities who becomes a widow would not have to wait long for another man to desire to marry her. So we are left here with the same idea, marriage is good, singleness is good, each should make up their own minds as to want is best for them in order to serve the Lord with a pure heart.