Lessons #201 and 202
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Guidelines for sexual relationship within marriage (1 Cor 7:3-7)
3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
Let me refresh your mind what we considered in our last study regarding the guidelines for sexual relationship within marriage. The primary guideline regarding sexual relationship between a husband and his wife as we stated in our last study is that there should be regular sexual intercourse between them. This guideline is important that the Holy Spirit through the apostle stated it both positively and negatively. The positive and negative declarations of the primary guideline enable us to understand the primary guideline as consisting of two specific guidelines that say essentially the same thing. A positive guideline that indicates there should be sexual relationship between a husband and his wife regularly is given in the instruction or command issued to the husband in the first sentence of 1 Corinthians 7:3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife. As we stated previously, it is possible for a wife to say the command was addressed to the husband and so she has no problem if the husband does not fulfill the requirement of regular sexual relationship. To which we stated that it was not up to the wife to release the husband from his obligation. This is conveyed by the fact the Holy Spirit issued the same command to the wife in the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 7:3 and likewise the wife to her husband. This phrase implies that the wife is obligated to having sexual relationship with the husband at a regular interval. Despite referencing ancient sources regarding its frequency, wedid not specify what is considered regular but we indicated that sexual relationship between a husband a wife should be such that it can be considered regular. It is one of those things that you know it if you see it. Anyway, this specific positive guideline of regular sexual relationship is elaborated or explained by the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul. It is with this explanation that is given in verse 4 that we begin our study this day.
It may not be easy to recognize that 1 Corinthians 7:4 is an explanation of the positive guideline given in verse 3 that requires regular sexual relationship between a wife and a husband. The difficulty in understanding verse 4 is explanatory is because there is no connective in the Greek between verses 3 and 4 of the type that would indicate that verse 4 is explanatory to verse 3. This, notwithstanding, we contend that verse 4 is explanatory of the guideline given in verse 3. The reason for this assertion is that verse 4 can be considered parenthetical in that verse 4 could be omitted without doing damage to the guideline regarding sexual relationship within marriage given in the passage of 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 that we are considering. In fact, verse 5 continues the guideline in a negative way to solidify the guideline given in verse 3 in a positive way. Thus, we could consider verse 4 to be truly parenthetical. This being the case, there is no satisfactory explanation as to why the Holy Spirit directed the apostle to pen the sentence of verse 4 except that it was needed to explain the positive guideline of regular sexual relationship between a husband and a wife. We can also recognize that verse 4 is an explanation of the instruction of verse 3 by noting that the subject of the last phrase of verse 3 in the NIV likewise the wife to her husband is the wife. Verse 4 in the Greek begins with the wife, implying that the apostle wanted to still focus on the wife in such a way to convey to the wife that there is something she needs to understand, especially as some think that some women in Corinth have taken the position that because they are spiritual, they do not need to be bothered with such earthly function as sex. Hence, we are sure that the intent of verse 4 as given by the Holy Spirit is to provide explanation to the positive guideline given in verse 3 regarding the frequency of sexual relationship between a husband and wife. The point is that verse 4 is explanatory of verse 3 because it is parenthetical and not needed to continue the guideline for regular sexual relationship between a husband and his wife.
The explanation that the Holy Spirit gives regarding the guideline of regular sexual relationship between a husband and his wife is something unique that is not stated in any other place in the Scripture. The Holy Spirit has indicated that sexual relationship between a man and a woman creates a unique bond between them that is mysterious. It is for this reason that sexual immorality is to be avoided since such creates a bond of the type that God reserved to exist only between a husband and the wife as implied in 1 Corinthians 6:16:
Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
So, we recognize that sexual relationship is something unique that God created to be between a man and his wife. However, in the explanation of the guideline regarding regular sexual relationship between a husband and his wife, the Holy Spirit provides an explanation that we will not expect if the instruction from verse 4 was not from the Holy Spirit. The reason I say that we will not expect what is given in verse 4 is first because in the ancient world, it was understood that a man has authority over his wife and over his slaves explaining the reason for sexual abuse of masters over their slaves. Furthermore, the Scripture is clear that a woman is under a husband’s authority in their marriage relationship as we cited in our last study as we read, for example, in Colossians 3:18:
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
The same truth is stated through Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 3:1:
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,
Hence, it should be clear that the husband has authority over the wife. This means that when authority is the issue, the husband has all of it not a half-half proposition as we hear today. This makes what the Holy Spirit explained through Apostle Paul surprising and earth shattering as it relates to the regular sexual relationship between a husband and his wife. This surprising thing the Holy Spirit puts forth through the apostle is that when it comes to the regular sexual relationship between a husband and his wife, there is equality in authority. In effect, a husband has no more authority over the wife when it comes to sexual relationship between them than the wife has over him. Subsequently, when it comes to regular sexual relationship each has authority over the other. It is not a one-way kind of authority that exists in all the other relationships between a husband and his wife. No, there is a limited equality of authority when sexual relationship is involved, conveying that sexual relationship between a man and his wife is something special or unique. There is nothing like it in the world when it comes to relationship between a man and woman. The husband has authority over the wife in a limited fashion as the wife has over the husband. My friends this teaching was certainly radical in a patriarchy society of the ancient world. This teaching, of course, adds to the understanding that Christian doctrines are radical and contrary to what the world knows.
This equality in exercise of authority in sexual relationship is given first by indicating that the man has a special kind of authority over the wife when it comes to sexual relationship between them. It is this special kind of authority that is given in the first sentence of 1 Corinthians 7:4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. On reading this, you may say to me that there is no mention of authority in this sentence and so you may think that I am just making things up. Well, I can assure that when it comes to the word of God, I will never knowingly make things up. I have great respect and fear of the Lord to twist His word. This is the reason I strive within all the ability He has given me to be as thorough as I know how in trying to explain His word. This being the case, let me show you that I am not making up the point that I have stated regarding the equality of authority in sexual relationship between a husband and his wife.
The point I have made regarding equality of authority in sexual relationship between a husband and his wife may be disputed because of the translation of the NIV that again reads The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. However, other English versions read differently. For example, the NET reads It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. Such reading will at least cause a person to recognize that there is validity to my explanation. Anyway, a literal Greek reads The wife does not have authority over her own body but the husband (does). This because the word “belong” in the NIV is translated from a Greek word (exousiazō) that from the Septuagint we start to get an idea of the possible range of meanings of the word in the Greek. For example, it is used to translate a Hebrew word (šālǎṭ) that means “to have or gain or exercise power over” someone or something as the word is used in the Septuagint of Ecclesiastes 2:19:
And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
Here the Hebrew word used has the meaning of “to have control.” It is our Greek word that is used to translate a Hebrew word (māšǎl) that means “to rule” in Ecclesiastes 10:4:
If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest.
These meanings are reflected in the NT where our Greek word means “to have the right of control,” that is, to have the right or power for something or over someone as the word is used by the Lord to explain the authority rulers of Gentiles have over them in Luke 22:25:
Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
The clause those who exercise authority over them is literally those who have authority over them. Apostle Paul used the word to describe that he would not be controlled by anything although the word “mastered” is used in its translation in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 6:12:
“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 7:4, the sense of the word is “to control,” that is, “to be in authority over.” Thus, our Greek word is concerned with exercising of authority. The implication is that the sentence of 1 Corinthians 7:4 of the NIV The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband states the wife does not have authority over her body but that the husband does. The translators of the NIV probably wanted not to deny that a wife has also authority over her body that they included in their translation the word “alone” that does not appear in the Greek. Furthermore, the translators probably recognized the difficulty caused by their translation since they did not translate the Greek word that means “own” as we read in the literal translation The wife does not have authority over her own body but the husband (does). Even if one takes the meaning “to belong” of the NIV, the implication is still that of authority because when something belongs to someone, the person has authority over what the individual has. Thus, either way we look at the Greek word, it conveys the sense of “authority.”
It sounds strange to say to a woman that she does not have authority over her body. Therefore, it is important to understand what the body means here. The word “body” is translated from a Greek word (sōma) that refers to the body of a human or animal. Human body is to be understood in different ways. The body could refer to the seat of sexual function as it is used to describe the state of Abraham when the Lord promised him of having a son, as we read in Romans 4:19:
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.
The body may refer to seat of mortal life so that Apostle Paul used it to indicate being alive in contrast to being dead as to be with the Lord in 2 Corinthians 5:6:
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
The body may refer to organ of human activity so that it is the activity that is done through the body that will be evaluated before the Judgment Seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:10:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 7:4, the body has the sense of seat of sexual function. It is this that the Holy Spirit says the wife does not have authority over in a strong possible way since the word “not” used in the Greek is for a strong denial or absolute denial of what is stated. In other words, to say that a wife does not have authority over her body is to say that in a strongest way of communicating something that it is not up to her to decide if there should be regular sexual relationship between her and the husband. Hence, the thing that I hear that a wife withholds sexual relationship from the husband for whatever reason is unbiblical for those who are Christians. Of course, you should be careful to understand that what we are studying is for believers. Unbelievers would reject this truth as you often hear when it is said that a woman has control over what she does with her body. This said, we maintain that the wife does not have the right to decide when or when not to have sexual relationship with the husband except as we would note later. In saying this, it is important for us to recognize that as we have stated a wife does not have the right to let off her husband of this obligation. I recall some time ago, hearing in the news media of a woman for whatever reason, resents sexual relationship with the husband that as she was being interviewed stated that the husband could get that wherever he wants but not from her. That my friends, reveals a serious darkness in the soul of the woman. Furthermore, she rejects God’s design in marriage and so even encouraged sexual unfaithfulness on the husband. If they are both believers, then I would be certain that that woman has created for herself divine punishment because she is in violation of what the Lord stated in Matthew 18:6:
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
My point is that a woman who causes her husband to stray because she refuses to accept that it is not her prerogative to tell her husband that he is free from his sexual obligation in marriage and so implies he should go astray, has judgment coming to her in keeping with our Lord’s statement. Of course, the reverse is also the case although such is rare.
Our assertion of equality of authority of the husband and wife in sexual relationship could be challenged if the Holy Spirit through the apostle simply wrote the first sentence of 1 Corinthians 7:4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband but that was not the case. Consequently, the Holy Spirit through the apostle gives the other half of the verse that solidifies the point we have made in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 7:4 In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Literally, the Greek reads and similarly also the husband does not have authority over his own body but the wife (does). The literal clause indicates that what is true of the wife’s body is also true of the husband’s body. A man does not have authority over his body as it relates to sexual relationship with the wife. As in our previous interpretation, the truth is that it is not up to the husband to decide when or when not to have sexual relationship with the wife since she has authority over his sexual function since she also has a say regarding sexual relationship between her and the husband. Of course, it is quite rare to have the situation where a man is the one who refuses sexual relationship with the wife, but it does happen. However, our passage indicates that such should not be the case. That aside, the fact that there is equality of authority in sexual relationship between a husband and a wife implies either could initiate sexual relationship between them. Again, we should indicate that it is rare for women when they reach certain age to do this but that does not change the truth that if they wanted, they could do so. They would not be wrong to initiate sexual relationship between them and their husbands.
By the way, it is our assertion that the idea of equality of authority in sexual relationship in marriage is unique and so it is limited to sexual relationship. This equality of authority does not invalidate the instruction given to believing wives regarding obeying or submitting to their husbands in everything regarding their marriage, as we read in Ephesians 5:24:
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
The phrase in everything certainly includes sexual relationship and so there is no contradiction between the instruction here in Ephesus with the concept of equality of authority in sexual relationship between a husband and his wife.
The interpretation we have given regarding the implication of equality of authority in sexual relationship between a husband and wife that it implies that none of them is in the position to reject or refuse sexual advance of the other is supported in the negative declaration of the primary guideline of sexual relationship being regular in marriage that is given next. But before we get to it, let me remind you that we stated that verse 4 is parenthetical in that it explains the guideline given in verse 3. This, we proved by stating that verse 4 could have been omitted without any loss of thought regarding the guideline concerning regular sexual relationship between husbands and wives as given in the section of 1 Corinthians 7 that we are considering. That there would have been no loss in thought of the instruction is conveyed in the next verse that is not directly tied to verse 4 since there is no connective between verses 4 and 5.
In any case, a negative guideline that is indeed the second guideline is that regular sexual relationship should not be interrupted unless by mutual agreement between a husband and his wife because of spiritual exercise. It is this guideline that is stated in a command issued to husbands and wives in verse 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent. There are several observations we should make about this command.
First, the apostle used a milder Greek negative word (mē) that means “not” instead of the stronger Greek negative (ou) the apostle used in previous verse to indicate that neither the husband nor the wife has authority over their sexual function in relation to each other. This milder negative recognizes that it is possible for interruption of the regular sexual relationship to occur probably because of conditions that are beyond the control of the wife or the husband such as sickness. Another possible condition is the menstrual condition that prevents sexual relationship between a husband and the wife as that is also forbidden, according to Leviticus 18:19:
“‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
Second, the word “deprive” in 1 Corinthians 7:5 is derived from a Greek verb (apostereō) with a range of meanings. The word may mean to cause another to suffer loss by taking away something through illicit means hence the word may mean “to defraud” as it is used when the Lord Jesus reminded the young rich ruler regarding some of the codes of the Ten Commandments in Mark 10:19:
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
The word may mean “to cheat” as in the question of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul regarding what believers should do instead of suing their fellow believers, as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:7:
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
The word may mean “to fail to pay” as it is used to charge the wealthy of not paying workers their rightful wages in James 5:4:
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
The word may mean to prevent someone from having the benefit of something, that is, “to deprive.” It is in this sense of keeping someone from having something, that is, “deprive” that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 7:5. In effect, marital relationship entitles the one in it to have sexual relationship and so it would be wrong for either spouse to keep the other from sexual relationship that is ordained by God within the marriage bond. In effect, the word would imply that one is taking something that belongs to another in such a way that it could be understood as cheating or even taking away something that belongs to another.
Third, it appears that some spouses in Corinth were depriving each other sexual relationship so that the apostle used a negative with a present tense in the instruction of our passage. This being case, the instruction of the Holy Spirit is to cease such practice. To capture what we stated, the command Do not deprive each other may be translated stop continuing depriving each other. This command was first addressed to the Corinthians, but it is applicable to us. Thus, if you are depriving your spouse of sexual relationship, you should stop that. Failure to do so means that you are sinning against the Lord. Remember that I commented at the beginning of this section that sin is disobeying God’s word. The implication here is that if all things being equal, that is, there is no health problem, and the age factor does not apply, then denying your spouse of sexual relationship is a sin that you need to repent and rectify. You may have many excuses for your lack of sexual relationship with your spouse, but they are not valid unless they fall into the case of health problem or age factor where both are not able to engage in such activity. I am saying that if you are depriving your spouse of sexual relationship not because of health problem that whatever else is the reason implies that whether you want to accept it or not, you have a spiritual problem that needs addressing.
Fourth, the use of the word “except” in the command Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent as the UBS handbook states that the Greek phrase translated “except” seems to suggest that “Paul is speaking tentatively or even grudgingly.” This interpretation would be useful in interpreting 1 Corinthians 7:6.
We indicated that the apostle used a milder negative in the command Do not deprive each other instead of the stronger negative in the Greek that would have meant that absolutely there should never be a time when a spouse deprives the other of sexual relation. As it is, there is an exception to this command. This exception requires there should be communication between the spouses. It is the sense of communication between them that is given in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 7:5 except by mutual consent and for a time. The phrase mutual consent implies that there is discussion between the spouses regarding taking a break from the regular sexual relationship between them. If a spouse buffs the advance of the other without proper discussion or explanation the individual is still sinning in the area of sex. You see, many believers probably think that sin that involves sex is only concerned with sexual immorality but do not recognize that denying a spouse sex is a sex related sin. Thus, the guideline we are considering indicates that the spouses should communicate with each other about temporary cessation of sexual relationship with each other. We use the phrase “temporary cessation” because that is implied in the phrase for a time.
The word “time” is translated from a Greek word (kairos) with a range of meanings. It can mean “opportunity” as it is used when Governor Felix postponed hearing the defense of Apostle Paul because he was speaking of God’s coming judgment, as we read in Acts 24:25:
As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”
The clause when I find it convenient is more literally when I have an opportunity. Another meaning of the Greek word is “occasion” as the apostle used it in his instructions regarding constancy of prayer in Ephesians 6:18:
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Still another meaning of the Greek word is “a point of time” or “period of time” as it is used by Apostle Paul in describing the conditions of the last days in 2 Timothy 4:3:
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 7:5, it has the sense of “short time.” Subsequently, we are correct in stating that interruption of the sexual relationship between a husband and a wife should be temporary and not indefinite.
The temporary cessation is for specific purpose of attending to one’s spiritual life or exercises as conveyed in the next clause of 1 Corinthians 7:5 so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. There is a textual problem with this clause because some manuscripts contain a Greek phrase that translates into the English as “to fasting and” as reflected in the KJV. However, such addition seems not to have been in the original since the most ancient manuscripts do not have that reading.
That aside, the word “devote” is translated from a Greek verb (scholazō) that in the classical Greek means “to have leisure or spare time.” In the Septuagint, the word appears three times with the meaning “to have nothing to do” as it is used in the charge Pharaoh levied on the Israelites because Moses and Aaron requested Israel should take a trip to the desert to worship their God, as we read in Exodus 5:8:
But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
The sentence They are lazy is in the Septuagint they have spare time. Another meaning of the word in the Septuagint is “to cease acting” as it is used in Psalm 46:10:
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The command Be still is in the Septuagint Cease from action. When we come to the NT, the word is used twice. The first meaning that pertains to a house is “to be unoccupied, to be empty” as in what Jesus said about a demon that has been cast out returning to where it was originally cast out from because nothing good has taken its place in that there is no moral reformation since the man is without the influence of the Holy Spirit, as we read in Matthew 12:44:
Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
The other meaning of our Greek word is “to devote oneself to” or “to give time to someone or something.” It is this meaning that is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 7:5. Consequently, the purpose given for temporary cessation of regular sexual relationship between a husband and a wife is, according to the verse we are considering, for prayer.
The mention of prayer in the clause so that you may devote yourselves to prayer is simply a way to speak of spiritual exercises that believers should set time to engage. Although as someone has observed the apostle’s statement in the clause, we are considering, parallels what is given in the OT pseudepigrapha specifically in Testament of Naphtali 8:8:
There is a time for having intercourse with one’s wife, and a time to abstain for the purpose of prayer[1]
but there is more to what the apostle said. We know that Jewish rabbis include the study of Torah as a reason for a husband not to have sex with the wife for a specified period. So, I am saying that the reason the apostle gave for temporary cessation of regular sexual relationship between husband and wife is to spend time to attend to the spiritual exercises that impact their spiritual life. Prayer is a part of spiritual exercise that a believer should spend time doing but it is not the only one. In fact, in the order of things, I would say that studying of the word of God precedes everything. For without the studying of the word of God, a person would not know how to pray and so may not be effective in prayer. That aside, let me demonstrate to you that the study of the word of God is at the top of the spiritual exercises believers should engage. We can see that it is the study of the word of God that was an activity that believers should first engage according to the Scripture although the word “devote” may or may not have been used in conveying the importance of the word of God as part of the spiritual exercises required of believers. So, let me take you through some passages in the Scripture beginning with OT to convey to you the importance of devotion to the study of the word of God as a necessary part of spiritual exercise in a believer’s life. It is interesting that while prayer is essential in the life of a believer or a believer who is in a leadership position that that was not the first thing required of such a person. We can see this first in the instruction the Lord gave through Moses regarding one of the first activities of Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 17:18–20:
18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
The king was expected to busy himself with the copy of the law so that by studying it he would learn how to conduct himself. This speaks to the importance of studying the word of God as part of the spiritual exercise of a believer more so of a believer in a leadership role. When the Lord spoke to Joshua to encourage him to be a strong leader after taking the mantle of leadership of the Israelites from Moses, the instruction the Lord gave him involved the study of the word of God, as we read in Joshua 1:8:
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
The Book of the Law refers to the Scripture that was available at the time of Joshua although he certainly added to it. Therefore, for the Lord to instruct Joshua to be occupied with the Book of the Law as in the instruction Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth is tantamount to studying of the Scripture. Studying of the Scripture involves thinking through what one reads, that is, pondering over it as to get the meaning or significance of the passage one studies. Hence, if the Lord required Joshua to meditate daily on the word of God as implied in the phrase day and night then we should recognize that studying the word of God is paramount among the various spiritual exercises that a believer would engage. The importance of the study of the word of God as primary spiritual exercise of believers is evident in the activity of the post-exilic priest of Israel, Ezra, as we read in Ezra 7:9–10:
9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Ezra was devoted to two things in this passage. He was devoted to the study of the word of God and to its application. Thus, his spiritual exercises involved first the study of the word of God and then its application. What is said of Ezra should remind us that we should always be concerned that we are not only those who hear the word of God but those who do what we learn. If we merely listen to the teaching of the word of God over and over but do not apply what we hear, we could not be described as those who are fully devoted to the study of the word of God. I am saying that as much as we emphasize that you should spend time in the study of the word of God, you should not lose sight that what goes along with studying the word is its application. Anyway, in the NT, we find Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul encouraging Timothy and by application to all believers of the necessity of being devoted to the study of the word of God in 1 Timothy 4:13:
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
I have so far demonstrated the importance of being devoted to the study of the word of God as the primary exercise of the activities of the spiritual life by citing various references in the Scripture that should enable us to reach such conclusion. However, there is another indisputable way of demonstrating that while Apostle Paul mentioned prayer as part of the spiritual exercise a believer should devote time carrying out in 1 Corinthians 7:5 that such is a representative of the spiritual exercises of the believer. This proof is found in the spiritual exercises of the early church, as reported in Acts 2:42:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
There are four activities that the early church was involved as part of their spiritual exercises or activities. At the top of the list is listening to the teaching of the apostles. Interestingly, the passage did not say the early church was involved in the proclamation of the apostles as they preached the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ instead what we have is the teaching of the apostles. The teachings of the apostles involved the doctrines of the Christian faith. Unfortunately, today, we rarely have doctrines taught in our local churches which is contrary to the early church. That aside, believers, we are told were devoted to apostolic doctrine. The second and third activities involved activities that can only take place while interacting with other believers. For only in company of believers that fellowship or close association is possible. Likewise, the breaking of bread involves communal meal of believers that was followed by the Lord’s Supper. The fourth involved prayer. The first activity of listening to the teaching of the apostles can be continued on individual basis in the sense that a believer could spend time meditating on the teaching received; in this way, we can say that such a person devotes time to the study of the word of God. Prayer is certainly an activity that the believer does on a private basis as well. Hence, when Apostle Paul mentioned prayer as something that couples should be devoted to, he would not have excluded the first activity of the church that involves the study of the word of God. It is for this reason that we contend that prayer the apostle mentioned in 1 Corinthians 7:5 should be recognized as referencing to the spiritual exercises expected of believers to carry out privately. Thus, the guideline the Holy Spirit gave regarding the agreement between a husband and the wife to defer sexual relationship temporarily is so that time would be devoted to personal study of God’s word and personal prayer.
The devotion to spiritual exercises implied in 1 Corinthians 7:5 is not to be a one-sided effort but involve both husband and wife. This is because the plural involved in the clause so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Because we are concerned with guidelines in this section, I am compelled to offer a practical approach to what we have here. This means that it is advisable for the husband and wife to spend time together, say, discussing their notes from their church after they receive teaching from their pastor. They should probably sit together and relisten to the message of their pastor if their pastor’s message is recorded in such a way that they could do so. But in the absence of such, the best approach of husband and wife devoting themselves together in the study of the word of God is to discuss their notes from church or bible study. This does not mean that each could not independently spend more time in the word as to meditate on it, only that it is beneficial for both to spend time together discussing what they have been taught in their local church. Of course, they should endeavor to pray together but that should not take the place of personal private prayer by each. What we are advocating is that it would be incomplete for a spouse to spend time in the word while the other does nothing but wait until such an agreed time for sexual relationship with each other.
A caution that we are also compelled to make is due to human hypocrisy. We like to use whatever we can to cover up our failures or unwillingness to carry out God’s instruction. Therefore, it is necessary to stipulated that a spouse should not use devotion to the word or prayer as a way to avoid sexual relationship with the other spouse. I mean that one of them could form the habit of studying the word of God or praying until the other falls asleep, for example, in order to avoid such relationship. Or, the one studying may say to the other, “do you not see that I am studying and so I do not want to be interrupted.” This should not happen; hence, the guideline is that there should be mutual agreement between a husband and a wife in this matter of sexual relationship. All I am saying is that no spouse should use spiritual exercise to shy away from the sexual obligation in marriage. The Scripture tells us that there is time for everything. Therefore, the guideline we are considering recognized this and so recommends both agreeing to set aside time during which they would be devoted to spiritual exercises.
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Notice that it is when you devote time to the word of God and live by it that you will be prosperous and successful. Take this concept to sexual relationship between a husband and his wife then it is easier to observer that if you do what the passage says that part of being prosperous and successful is the right kind of sexual relationship between a husband and wife. There is more to this guideline but we are out of time so we will continue with it in our next study.
03/06/20
[1] Charlesworth, J. H. (1983). The Old Testament pseudepigrapha (Vol. 1, p. 814). New York; London: Yale University Press.