| WHOM SHOULD YOU MARRY? |
| A good partner can make or break your life. |
| Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. 21:9 |
| In ancient times women were often viewed as men's property, good for bearing children and not much more. Proverbs, addressed to young men approaching the age of marriage, takes a different view. It holds up marriage as a crucial choice, to be made with great care. A good wife (or husband, we can assume) will make or break her partner's life. Her duties lay the foundation for her family's welfare (14:1; 31:10-31). She shares with her husband the most significant task of teaching their children the way of wisdom (1:8-9; 6:20). Therefore, her character matters far more than her physical beauty. Not that Proverbs ignores the physical side of love. It urges marriage partners to rejoice in their love, to be captivated by it (5:18-19). It warns young people against sexual sin precisely because this wastes sexuality on unsatisfying, unloving relationships. Sex ought to be saved for the long-lasting, productive joy of marriage. Proverbs on sexual sin: 2:16-19; 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:6-27; 23:26-28. Proverbs on marriage: 5:15-19;12:4; 14:1; 18:22; 19:13-14; 21:9, 19; 27:15, 16; 31:10-31. Life Questions:What do you look for in a mate: How does your list compare with Proverb's rating of attributes such as physical attractiveness? |