Tuesday 3 July 2007

1 Timothy 5:3-16 Widows

This post has been a long one for the making. I have done a lot of searches in the bible about widows. In Exodus 22:22-24, Mosses writes law that tells that anyone who miss treats a widow or fatherless will die and his children will be fatherless and his wife a widow.
     Verse 3 of 1 Timothy says, "Honor widows who are truly widows." Verse 4 talks about how the widow's children and grand-children should give back their mother. In other words to care for her since she cared for them. The more I was thinking about these verses as I looked for other verses, it came to me.  Is not one of the commandments to honor your mother and father (Exodus 20:12)? Paul saw a need to tell Timothy that children need to take care of their parent when they got older. Paul tells Timothy in verse 8, "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  He would not be honoring is mother. They would also would not loving their neighbor as themselves, this breaking the 2nd greatest commandment. So to honor your parents is to help them when they are in need. I see this now because I have a great-grandmother that needs help (please pray for her). Her children take care for here even when they're busy. They know what is wrong with her health and are help her thru these times.
Paul sets a criteria to define a widow. He writes in verse 9-13;
Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
He first says that they must be over 60 years of age. I can only guess that was age where they saw most widows needed help. A wife to one husband to show that they were faithful and cheating on the husband. They also need to show that they are Christians by the way they acted like raising children in the Lord, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, caring for the hurt and did make it feel like a burden to do everything. As I go thru that list of notice washing of the saints feet. There is one story that came to mind when I read that. That story is about serving. Jesus washed his disciples feet after there final meal. John 13:15-16 Jesus tells his disciples to follow his example (also 1 John 2:6) and then tells that not student is about his master.  Jesus served the people he loved. We as Christians need to also. Paul was telling Timothy and now us, that widows need to serve Christ.  Younger widows were not allowed to be part of this group. Paul talks about how the the younger should marry again and not give Satan a chance to pull them away from the church (1 Timothy 5:14-15). Paul tells the Corinthians that the young women and widows should marry if lacking in self-control so they do not fall into sin by lusting (Paul says before this that we wishes that they remain single 1 Corinthians 7:8 & 9).
As I end this post on Widows, I hope that it hit all subjects that need to be hit. I would also like you to pray that I can get doing a regular Bible study for the expansion of the Church and that what I say will be true to the Word of God and not based on the knowledge of men. If I am wrong please comment and I will look in to it and re-post the Bible study.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This was a good piece to read. I am a widow and am raising two kids alone and my son is at an age where he thinks he knows everything. Please pray for me, I am poor and alone and without hope.

Armala AUH said...

Hi. Thanks for sharing. A good reminder for widows like me. I praise God for His powerful words. God is so faithful!
Keep it up on your blogs and be a blessing!

Anonymous said...

You have made some very good thoughts on this subject. It would be good for you to proofread what you write and check your spelling.

Anonymous said...

waiting for next post

Anonymous said...

As a widow and mother, I can't even imagine having time to become "idle or a gossipmonger". My every moment is filled doing the job intended to be done by two parents while my heart is breaking from loneliness. No one seems to understand (including the church) that we never "go back to normal" and that doesn't mean that we have strayed from God.

Anonymous said...

I just wanted you ladies to know that I have read your comments. I am not a widow but you have touched my heart and I am in prayer to our Father for you today.
I know that your fervent prayers are heard by our Father. And He does see you! Continue daily in prayer and He will give you "the desires of your heart"

Anonymous said...

My mother is a widow, but she was not with her husband when he died and she had been in other relationships. she is not a Christian and dealing with her is very despessing. As a beleiver, am I still to care for her and can you comment on verse 6 because she was never emotionally involved with her children.

Beverly said...

Beverly
I am a widower of five years on August 7, 2012. For the past five years I have trusted my faith, my hope in Christ Jesus. I found myself standing alone in my home looking out the kitchen window after everyone had went back to their respective life. I asked the Lord, what do I do now?" In my spirit these words came to me, "one day at a time." There's a song I remember called one day at a time, and I began to sing it to myself. For the past four years and seven months I have lived by faith and take one day at a time. I searched the Bible for scriptures of comfort on widows, and the only one that touched my heart was I Timothy 5:3-9. This passage of the word has been a comfort to me. The young woman who is dealing with her mother ... my heart goes out to you because the only way you can help your mother is for your mother to seek forgiveness and then forgive herself. God is a God of love and of a sound mind.

Anonymous said...

I SURVIVED A LOT OF HARDSHIPS AS A YOUNG GIRL INTO BECOMING A WOMAN, LOSING MY HUSBAND LEAVING BEHIND HIS THREE CHILDREN WAS MY MOST DIFFICULT. ALTHOUGH MY GOD HAS BEEN ABLE TO LIFT MY SPIRIT ON TOP OF THIS WORLD BECAUSE MY FEET HADN'T TOUCHED THE FLOOR UNTIL SEVEN MONTHS AFTER. MY CHURCH HAS SUPPORTED ME UNCONDITIONALLY JUST LIKE A FAMILY. THEIR PRAYERS STILL BLESS ME THROUGHOUT MY ABSCENCE FROM MY CHURCH HOME, BUT I MAKE IT UP TO GOD BY GIVING HIM A SOLID MONTH OR TWO OR THREE FOR HOWEVER LONG I'VE MISSED JESUS. IT GIVES ME THE STRENGTH LIKE TIMOTHY TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. I WAS SIX MONTHS PREGNANT AND GOD CARRIES ME THROUGH EACH AND EVERY MOMENT. AMEN AND THANK GOD. I PRAISED GOD EVEN AT THE FUNERAL. BIBLE VERSES ARE SO MEANINGFUL BECAUSE ITS HOW WE FEEL GOD COME CLOSER IN OUR RELATIONSHIP TO HIM. HALLELUJAH!

Anonymous said...

I lost my husband six months ago. We been married for 9 years and have one daughter who is seven years old. My husband was my soul mate and we were in love. Even though I am only 35 and not 60 years old, I am a widow and don’t like to be called single (meaning I am available). I hated when I shared my grief with some Christians and they tried to comfort me by saying that God will turn this situation to better and that I don’t know what God has for me in future (meaning marring other person). I make me mad! It will NEVER be better without my soul mate, God is not cruel to take my husband away and make me marry someone else “better”. The “desire of my heart” is my husband alive next to me, not someone else. I know God heals my wounds and help me to go on in life. God is my strength, peace and He always with me helping me to live one day at the time. I can’t wait to go to heaven and be in His presents and also to see my dear husband. But till that day I will do whatever God wants me to do. I will take Pauls advice “widows I say that it is good for them to remain single…..exercise self-control” 1 Corinthians 7:8–9 also I will not to let my sensual desires overcome my dedication to Christ. “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.” 1 Timothy 5:6 “..older man .. exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” I just recently got my first tattoo on my ring finger with my husband name on it because it belongs only to him. May God bless all the godly young widows! I haven’t met one and sometimes it feels like I am going thought this alone

Unknown said...

Thanks for your comment. Though I do not check my comments often, I am preparing another post on widows. I am still currently student so it has been hard to keep this up like I want to. Again, thanks for your comments.