Reading Between the Lines
RISE & SHINE FOR JESUS!
By
Pam Iannello (my late mother)
"Reading Between the Lines"
There
is no doubt that the Bible is packed full of unique personalities.
Some of these men and women are good examples and some are bad
examples. I have been challenged by every one of them to either add
the right or subtract the wrong in my life. One of the women in the
Bible I most admire is Noah’s wife. I am looking forward to meeting
her in heaven! Actually, scripture does not even give us her name and
there is not a whole lot plainly stated about her but if you read
between the lines, you’ll see why I admire Noah’s wife so much…
Genesis
6:5-8 (KJV)
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great
in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually. [6] And it repented the Lord that he had
made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. [7] And the
Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of
the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls
of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. [8] But Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
As
is the case with any man, when we observe the life of Noah, we will
learn much about the woman behind him. In the midst of an age when
the wickedness of the human race had reached its peak, the Bible
states that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. While everyone
else was bathing in sin, Noah was bathing himself in righteousness.
He kept himself pure though surrounded by perversion. He walked with
God and gained His favor. What a rare testimony! No wonder the Lord
chose to use him in a big way… What might that tell you about his
wife?
NOAH’S
WIFE WAS ENRICHED BY HER HUSBAND’S CHARACTER. NOAH WAS ENRICHED BY
HIS WIFE’S CHARACTER.
Genesis
6:9-10 (KJV)
These
are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his
generations, and Noah walked with God. [10] And Noah begat three
sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Here
we gain a glimpse of the character and family life of a man who lived
in a corrupt world. One cannot help but observe they were a radiant
light in a very dark place. While everyone else was occupied with
sin, Noah was busy building a godly home and God blessed him with
three sons. What might that tell you about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE WAS
SPIRITUALLY MINDED. NOAH’S WIFE WAS CONTENT WITH THE MAN SHE
MARRIED AND LOVED HOME/FAMILY LIFE. NOAH’S WIFE ENJOYED INTIMACY
WITH HER HUSBAND.
Genesis 6:11-16
(KJV)
The earth also was
corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. [12] And
God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh
had corrupted his way upon the earth. [13] And God said unto Noah,
The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with
violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the
earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the
ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. [15] And this
is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark
shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and
the height of it thirty cubits. [16] A window shalt thou make to the
ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the
ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third
stories shalt thou make it.
Because
of the violence that filled the earth through wicked vessels, God
instituted a divine plan to destroy it and Noah was appointed to the
difficult task of building an extremely large vessel three stories
high. His current line of work would come to an end and a new calling
was put before him. There were specific details involved in this
construction of which God expected Noah to pay strict attention, to
the end that the ark was well built. He would also be called upon to
preach righteousness to the ungodly and warn them of God’s
impending judgment. No doubt such a vocation would bring daily
ridicule upon Noah and opposition of all sorts. Nevertheless, he
obeyed. What might that tell you about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE WAS
SUBMISSIVE. NOAH’S WIFE COOPERATED WITH MATTERS OF JUDGMENT AND
DISCIPLINE WITHOUT DISPUTE. NOAH’S WIFE HELD A HIGH REGARD FOR
EXCELLENCE. NOAH’S WIFE WAS IN GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION TO ASSIST
HER HUSBAND IN HIS GOD GIVEN DUTIES.
Genesis 6:18-20
(KJV)
But with thee will I
establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and
thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. [19] And of
every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring
into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and
female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of
every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort
shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
God
made a covenant with Noah that would save him and his whole family by
way of the ark. They would not face death, as would the others. Their
want of righteousness invited God’s mercy and would not be wasted
but preserved and utilized. The Lord intended to separate Noah’s
family unto Himself and use them to bring a new beginning to the
world. Father, Mother, sons and daughters-in-law would all live
together in this large vessel, having also to share their new
situation with a large array of living cargo while tending to a wide
variety of their needs. What might that tell you about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE ADDED
TO THE TENOR OF FAMILY UNITY. NOAH’S WIFE GAINED AND MAINTAINED THE
RESPECT OF HER SONS & DAUGHTER’S IN LAW. NOAH’S WIFE
POSSESSED A NURTURING PERSONALITY. NOAH’S WIFE WAS A WILLING
WORKER. NOAH’S WIFE WAS FLEXIBLE. NOAH’S WIFE WAS NOT EASILY
OVERWHELMED. NOAH’S WIFE WAS NOT DISTRACTED BY THE LUXURIES OF THE
WORLD.
Genesis 6:21 (KJV)
And take thou unto
thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and
it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Yes,
food for the family would need to be loaded in the ark, but so would
food for all the species of animals be necessary. Now I don’t know
about you ladies, but I am not familiar with the diet of most
animals. If I were Noah, I would have to do some research to properly
prepare for such an undertaking. What might that tell you about his
wife?
NOAH’S WIFE WAS
SKILLED IN MEAL PLANNING FOR LARGE GROUPS. NOAH’S WIFE WAS NOT
OPPOSED TO EXTRA WORK FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS. NOAH’S WIFE RESPECTED
GOD’S WILL. NOAH’S WIFE WAS NOT OPPOSED TO EDUCATING HERSELF IN
ORDER TO BETTER ASSIST HER HUSBAND.
Genesis 6:22 (KJV)
Thus did Noah;
according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Having
been entrusted with no small mission, the Bible says that Noah
followed God’s instructions in every respect. What a sermon this
man consistently lived and preached before a wayward, self-serving
generation! Noah was unaffected by the opinions of his day. What
might that tell you about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE DID NOT
HAMPER HER HUSBAND’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. NOAH’S WIFE ALSO
LOVED GOD AND OBEYED HIM. NOAH’S WIFE WAS A TRUE HELP-MEET IN ALL
NOAH’S WORK. NOAH’S WIFE DIDN’T FALL PREY TO POOR OPINION OF
HER HUSBAND.
Genesis 7:1 (KJV)
And the Lord said
unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I
seen righteous before me in this generation.
When
the work was finished, God invited Noah and his whole family into the
ark; he never crossed the threshold before the Lord bade him. Imagine
taking that last step out of normal life to new life in the ark, out
of disaster and into safety. Casting himself on the providence of
God, Noah accepted the Lord’s invitation and one by one each of his
family members followed in his footsteps. What might that tell you
about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE
FOLLOWED HER HUSBAND WITHOUT QUESTION. NOAH’S WIFE WAS A GOOD
EXAMPLE TO HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF HOW A GODLY WIFE BEHAVES. NOAH’S
WIFE TRUSTED GOD. NOAH’S WIFE WAS ABLE TO LEAVE HER COMFORT ZONE.
Genesis 7:4 (KJV)
For yet seven days,
and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty
nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy
from off the face of the earth.
In
the hustle and bustle of life, there are many things we take for
granted on a daily basis that pertain to creation. Bright sunshine,
soothing blue skies, all types of multicolored flowers with their
uplifting fragrances, soft, green grass, eye-catching trees standing
erect; each offering it’s own benefits; the inspirational songs of
various birds, the background noise of numerous insects, and the mild
caress of a gentle breeze are all part of everyday life on earth.
Can you imagine what it must have been like after washing all that
away? Little by little the rain fell over the course of forty days
and nights. This element of daily living for Noah and his family was
gradually covered over as the water level increased and God flooded
the earth. What might that tell you about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE WAS NOT
PRONE TO DEPRESSION OR A SLAVE TO FEAR. NOAH’S WIFE WAS READY TO
ENDURE HARD TIMES. NOAH’S WIFE WAS CAPABLE OF LIVING UNDER
UNPLEASANT, REDUCED CONDITIONS. NOAH’S WIFE COULD MAKE SACRIFICES
FOR THE TRUTH.
Genesis 7:5-7 (KJV)
And Noah did
according unto all that the Lord commanded him. [6] And Noah was six
hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And
Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with
him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
According
to the scriptures, Noah was 480 years old when he began working on
the ark and finished approximately 120 years later. When the flood of
waters came, the Bible says he was 600 years old. Noah and his family
were not back on dry ground until his 601st
year. Notice that the men entered the ark first with the women coming
after… What might that tell you about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE WAS A
SOURCE OF GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO HER HUSBAND. NOAH’S WIFE DIDN’T
RESENT OR COMPETE WITH MALE LEADERSHIP. NOAH’S WIFE RESTED IN GOD’S
PROTECTION AND GUIDANCE. NOAH’S WIFE WAS A ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED
SAINT.
Genesis 7:8-10 (KJV)
Of clean beasts, and
of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that
creepeth upon the earth, [9] There went in two and two unto Noah into
the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. [10] And
it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were
upon the earth.
Not
surprisingly, God instituted an orderly way for the various species
to enter the ark. Everything the Lord carries out is done decently
and in order for it is reflective of His character. Hence, God
teaches His children to avoid disorder at all cost. God commanded
that the beasts and fowls and creeping things would enter two by two,
male first and then female. There was no stampede, no chaos, and no
confusion allowed on the ark – a place for everything and
everything in its place. What might that tell you about his wife?
NOAH’S WIFE
RESPECTED GOD’S MODE OF OPERATION. NOAH’S WIFE WAS AN ORGANIZED
WOMAN. NOAH’S WIFE WAS PATIENT AND LONGSUFFERING. NOAH’S WIFE
TACKLED THINGS SHE HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE AND MAY NOT HAVE LIKED.
Reading
between the lines, we have gained much insight into the character of
Noah’s wife! I hope you have come to admire her as much as I have.
Ladies, God titled this woman exactly as He wants us to remember her
– as NOAH’S wife.
Regrettably, there are
many Christian women today who are more focused on the ministry OF
their husbands than they are focused on their ministry TO their
husbands. It matters not whether your husband is a pastor, an
evangelist, a deacon, a mailman, a policeman, a chef, an electrician,
a janitor etc. You are married to the MAN, not his vocation. (If you
were married to his calling and he left it, then you would have to
leave him!) Focus on
the condition
of your heart, not his position.
Leave your husband’s vocation with God and support him in whatever
he has to do. If we were to read between the lines of your husband’s
life, what would we learn about YOU?
God
Bless,
Pam
Isaiah
60: 1&2
Copyright 2003 Pamela
A. Iannello
Revised 2008
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