Listen up, little ones
Listen for the words husband and wife.
Reading
Ephesians 5:22-33—A Profound Mystery
Optional Reading
Song 1:1-11
Keys for kids
- Married love speaks about Jesus and his church.
- Wives submit to their husbands as the church submits to Jesus.
- Husbands love their wives as Jesus loves the church.
Questions
- What is the role of wives in marriages?
- What is the role of husbands in marriages?
- How does marriage reflect Jesus and his church?
Notes
Bible students don’t always agree on Solomon’s Song of Songs. Some, especially scholars from longer ago, took the position that it is mostly about Christ and his church. Others have recognized that it is truly about courtship and consummation of married love. Yet, even if we are convinced it is about the latter we are confronted in Ephesians 5 with a profound mystery. That mystery is that in this text, clearly defining roles of husbands and wives in marriage, Paul (guided by the Holy Spirit) says, I am talking about Christ and the church.
Based on this, we expect that Song of Songs is also talking about Christ and his church. Just as Paul’s words here do not remove the instructions about husbands and wives in marriage, so the Song’s celebration of married love does not remove the instruction about Christ and his church. So, we see that vs 22-33 are first of all about Jesus and His church (v.32). Then, by way of application, they speak to the husband-wife relationship.
Hendriksen states that Paul is saying … the wife should voluntarily submit herself to her husband whom God has appointed as her head. [and that] his relation to her is patterned after the sacrificial interest of Christ in his church. May God grant those of us who are married willingness to practice it by His grace.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 127a, 34a
Prayer
- Pray that marriages in our church reflect Jesus and his church.
- Pray for a specific application from yesterday's sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.