Submission and Noah's Wife

My great idea of writing through Proverbs 31 didn't seem so great when I realized that the next verse was on marriage. I am married to a godly man who makes it easy to be submissive - and yet I still have much more to learn about being a good wife. Because I fail often, I'd rather not hand out marriage advice. But when I looked into this verse and then considered an example of Noah's wife, I was inspired - so maybe you will be too.

And a disclaimer: I'm not addressing whether or not a Christian woman should submit to her husband. I consider the Scripture to be rather clear. (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18) Neither am I addressing what you should do if your husband is not a godly man. My interaction with women at the detention center have introduced me to stories of evil men who ask their wives to join them in despicable acts. That topic demands much prayer and more wisdom than I posses.

Submission and Noah's Wife

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” Proverbs 31:11

“Noah, imagine what our neighbors will say. They already think we are crazy. Will God really destroy the earth? Why waste your time building an ark?”

We know very little about Noah's wife. She is mentioned only five times in Scripture and never by name. Did she balk at obeying God's command to build an ark? Did she compare her husband with the other men and wish she was married to one who wasn't so radical in his obedience to God?

As I consider Noah's wife, I think of my own reaction to my husband's projects. My husband has never considered building an ark, but once he told me that whenever he makes a suggestion, I try to find all the reasons it won't work. Oops!

I consider myself a practical, detail-oriented person. These may be good qualities—sometimes. But in this area, I needed to keep my mouth shut. I wasn't a safe place for my husband to share his dreams and ideas.

A wife's attitude can encourage or hinder her husband. Every man wants and needs a wife who respects his leadership. We women have the power to undermine our husband's ministry. 

I like to think that Noah's wife was a virtuous woman who had a heart of submission toward God and her husband. Instead of the negative words above, maybe we could have heard her say something like this.

“Noah, how blessed we are that God has warned you of the coming judgment. How can I help you? I suppose we won't have any stores to purchase our food after the flood. I've been buying our cheese at the local market, but I think I'll start making my own. And our daughter-in-law is so good at growing plants. Maybe she can help me decide what kind of plants and seeds we need to bring in the ark to grow our own food. I could talk to our midwife and ask her some questions about what kinds of medicines I should pack.

“But Noah, what concerns me most is the influence our children face. What if our sons do not choose to come with us on the ark? There is so much evil around us and they have no godly friends. We must faithfully teach them the ways of God.

“And Noah, I'll be praying for you when you are preaching today. Maybe some of our neighbors will choose to join us in the ark.”

None of us face quite the daunting challenges as Noah's wife—the rejection, the loneliness, the huge responsibility of her family's survival. She had not one friend who shared her goals. She prepared for a disaster that no one had experienced before. Yet she raised faithful sons; she survived the flood; she help build new homes. Her example shows it is possible to be a trustworthy wife that a husband can depend upon even in the worst of circumstances.

How did Noah's wife stand strong in the many years it took to build the ark, endure the flood, and rebuild their home?

We can only guess. The Bible says that Noah “walked with God” and he “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8-9) The same God that gave Noah courage to preach to evil people, could also give grace to Noah's wife. 

Grace is the gift of God's power to live a victorious life. Noah's wife may have been a skillful and wise woman, but no amount of talent could have protected her from the flood. Only Noah and his wife's submission to God saved their family.

God's grace is available to me too. He can help me funnel all my words through a heart of submission. Maybe my husband too can say of his wife that he can “safely trust in her.” 

What about you? Want to be brave (or humble) and share how you are challenged to submit? How does God's grace help you to be a godly wife?