Scriptural references are from the Hebrew Names Version of the World English Bible available at http://www.ebible.org/bible/hnv/.

• Why Sarai Gave Hagar in Marriage to Avram
• Hagar Despised Her Mistress
• Yahweh is the Provider of Children
• Avram Faithful to the Arrangement
• Hagar a Surrogate Mother
• Hagar Was to Submit to Her Mistress
• Hagar Flees From Her Mistress
• Why Hagar Was Treated Harshly
• The Angel of Yahweh Reaffirms Hagar's Lower Status
• Hagar Instructed to Return to Her Mistress
• What About Mistreating Superiors?
• Yahweh Hears Our Afflictions

• Yah'shuah Submitted to His Human Parents
• Yah'shuah's Humility

• Blasphemy Against the Mighty One's Word

• Women are Commanded Not to Speak in Assembly
• Husbands to Teach their Wives the Word of Yahweh
• Should Knowledgeable Women Speak in Assembly?
• The Role of Knowledgeable Women

• Mistreated Wives Should Not Flee From Their Husbands

• Wives Battling to be Head Over Their Husbands
• Adam and Chavah's Experience
• Penalty for Insurbodination

• Longsuffering When Under Oppressive Authority

Beresheet (Genesis) 16:1-6 reads,

Sarai, a childless wife, was a mistress and had a maidservant under her authority whose name was Hagar. In consideration of her childless plight, and probably also of that of her husband, she urged her husband to take her maid, under her authority, as an additional wife, for the purpose of bearing children, who would be credited to her as her children. That the children, even though biologically those of her maid, were not to be credited to her maid implies that her maid would still remain her maid whether or not she was now to become her co-wife. Her maid’s status vis-à-vis her husband was to be lesser than hers, for she was still to remain as her maid, and her maid’s biological children were to be credited as hers. In other words, her maid becoming her co-wife was not to release her maid from her maid’s position of still being maid to her. The impression one gets is that even though Hagar was to become an additional wife of Avram, her status would be lesser than that of Sarai, Avram’s existing wife. Hagar would not have all the rights that Sarai had in her relationship with Avram, for she would still be under her mistress. On the basis of this understanding it appears that Sarai was quite willing to have Hagar as co-wife, though of lesser status and still under her authority, out of consideration of her childless plight.

Hagar, after her conception, despised her mistress, probably because she had conceived whereas her mistress had failed to bear any children to their joint husband. By despising her mistress she was no longer submitting to her, probably thinking that she had now bettered her mistress and co-wife in that she had now conceived while her mistress had still failed to do so. She probably thought that she no longer really needed to be under her mistress, for why should she, she might have reasoned, be under the authority of one who could not even conceive?

If this was the case she probably confused issues such as the fact that she was to remain her co-wife’s maid and the fact that the power to conceive children lies not in humans but in Yahweh. In other words, had Yahweh chosen to close her womb, she too would not have been able to conceive. Also, on the other hand, had Yahweh chosen to open Sarai’s womb, then she too would have conceived by this point in time. In other words, the power to conceive children lies not in humans but in Yahweh, and humans should therefore not erroneously use one’s capability to conceive as a ground for thinking one is better than another or as a ground for despising another. What Hagar should have done was to thank Yahweh for enabling her to conceive, rather than despising her mistress for not being able to conceive. It manifestly appears that she failed to understand the source of children. Also, if she had a kind and understanding heart, she should have sympathised with Sarai’s plight and commiserated with her. But her heart was not so inclined. In other words, she did not at this stage really know Yahweh.

Avram, unlike Hagar, kept to the understanding between the three parties, that Hagar would be co-wife to Sarai for the purpose of bearing children to be credited to Sarai, and that Hagar would continue to remain Sarai’s maid, despite being co-wife to Sarai. In other words, Sarai was to be the senior wife with Hagar being a lesser wife. Because of his faithfulness to the agreed arrangement Avram did not interfere with the authority structure between Sarai and Hagar, and reminded his wife Sarai that she still had authority over her maid, even though her maid was her co-wife.

Hagar was co-wife of Sarai for the purpose of bearing children for Sarai and nothing more than that really. She was effectively a surrogate mother, one who only bears a child for a woman incapable of so bearing a child, but hands over the delivered child to the woman whose child she bore.

Hagar really had lesser rights in this arrangement. She was just a maid answerable to her mistress, and bearing children for her mistress. Her role was to submit to the authority of her mistress and do whatever her mistress instructed her to do. She should not have entertained lofty thoughts that she would displace her co-wife and mistress from her position as senior wife, and that by virtue of having conceived a child she was now de facto the senior wife. She forgot the nature of the arrangement, or thought that she could change that arrangement’s nature to one more suited to her interests.

It is conceivable that had Hagar not been Sarai’s maid she probably might not have consented to this arrangement, and might probably have tried to seduce Avram to take her as wife on equal terms with Sarai. But she was just a maidservant or slave and did not have the rights that one who was not in her position would have had. Her role was just to do as she was told by her mistress - complete submission to her mistress.

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Beresheet (Genesis) 16:7-9 reads,

Hagar was fleeing from the presence of her mistress. She did not want to be under her authority and manifested her lack of submission to her mistress by fleeing away from her presence. She might have argued that she was not submissive to her mistress because her mistress dealt harshly with her.

But what were the circumstances prior to her mistress dealing harshly with her? Wasn’t she the one who initially manifested her disrespect for her mistress when she despised her mistress in her eyes, because she had conceived whereas her mistress had not conceived? Wasn’t she the one who was unfaithful to the arrangement between herself and her mistress and their husband? For she refused to agree, by her conduct, to her role of merely bearing children on behalf of her mistress, and not really having all other rights as wife to Avram, such as Sarai had.

Hagar, by showing disrespect and derision to her mistress brought about the unpleasant circumstances on her herself. For we do not have record here that Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar prior to the time Hagar despised her after the latter’s conception. The harsh treatment she experienced appears to have been a direct consequence of her lack of submission to her mistress coupled with her derision of her mistress. Hagar brought about the circumstances on herself from which she was now fleeing.

The Angel of Yahweh, when addressing Hagar, called her Sarai’s maid. In other words, despite the fact that Hagar did not desire to be maid to Sarai, and was fleeing from being maid to Sarai, the Angel of Yahweh still considered her Sarai’s maid. That was her position at that particular point in time, and that was the position that the Angel of Yahweh instructed her to return to.

The Angel of Yahweh instructed her to return to her mistress and to submit herself under her mistress’s hand. In other words, the Angel of Yahweh disregarded Hagar’s desire of not wanting to be under her mistress. Her role at that particular point in time was to be maid to Sarai, and when maid to Sarai to submit herself to Sarai’s authority. She was placed under Sarai’s authority and she was to submit to her mistress.

The same instruction holds for all who are placed under someone else. Whenever we are under someone else’s authority, our role is to submit to that person as long as we are under that person’s authority. We should not erroneously aspire to equality of authority with our superior while we are under our superior. We should not disrespect or despise or deride our superiors. Rather we should accord due respect and honour, and should fully submit to them. After all, while we are under their authority our role is to submit to that authority and do whatever we are supposed to do. We should therefore avoid making the mistake of Hagar, who failed to submit to her mistress but instead showed derision for her.

But what if our superior is mistreating us? What should we do? Should we run away from the presence of the superior?

I will suggest that the course of action open to us depends on the circumstances at hand. But if we are, at a particular point in time, to be under the authority of a superior, then at that time we should be under that superior’s authority and should fully submit to that superior’s authority. We should then take the matter to Yahweh and cry out our plea to him to rescue us from our predicament or otherwise deal with us in a manner he deems appropriate.

In Hagar’s case Yahweh saw and heard her affliction, and because of this Hagar’s son was named "The Mighty One has heard your affliction", otherwise translated Ishmael, as Beresheet (Genesis) 16:11-12 shows.

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Beresheet (Genesis) 16:10-14 reads,

Hagar, from this encounter with the Angel of Yahweh, realised that Yahweh hears our afflictions when we are mistreated when we are under someone else’s authority. Because of her affliction Yahweh rewarded her with a son and a multitude of descendants.

When we are under someone else’s authority and we are not being properly treated, we should take our pleas to Yahweh, fully trusting him to provide the appropriate solution for our circumstances. Our reliance should be on Yahweh, and we should not take matters into our own hands, especially when by so doing we end up taking a course of action that we ought not to take in the circumstances. For, learning from Hagar’s example, her particular role at that point in time was to be Sarai’s maid and to fully submit to her. It was not to run away from her mistress. The manner her mistreatment would end was not by her running away, but rather by her submitting to her mistress, for the indication seen from this case is that her mistreatment started only after she stopped submitting to her mistress and started despising her.

Likewise, in a case when we are not being properly treated by our superior or superiors, our solution may be not to separate ourselves from our superior or superiors. It may in fact lie in our conduct and relationship with our superior or superiors, and by appropriately changing our conduct our difficulty may evaporate. Alternatively the solution could be something else, but the key thing is to ensure that we remain in the position that we ought to be in at a particular point in time. We should also act in a manner consistent with Yahweh’s teachings, including that of submitting to those in authority over us.

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Luke 2:41-52 reads,

Yah'shuah, as a child and boy in the household of his human parents, Joseph and Mary, was subject to them, thereby setting us an example whereby we too should be subject to all placed in authority over us. Yah'shuah' example is even more poignant in that he is Yahweh and had created human beings, and went so far as to agree to be subject to, for a period of time, a part of his own creation. What humility Yah'shuah showed - Yahweh submitting himself unto human beings, his own creation, for a period of time! Amazing!

This example of the Messiah’s humility is one all of us should emulate. Whenever we are under the authority of others, we should be fully subject and fully obedient to them, irrespective of whether or not we are better than them in one aspect or another. This is quite unlike Hagar’s behaviour, who when she thought that she was better than her mistress Sarai, because she had conceived, whereas Sarai had at that point in time failed to conceive, refused to submit to her mistress’s authority. Hagar evidently did not have the humility Yah'shuah the Messiah had.

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Romans 13:1-7 reads,

We are all to be subject to the governing authorities, acknowledging that the authorities that exist do so by his permission, and are appointed by him. Therefore any who resists the authorities resists the law of Yahweh. Those who so resist bring judgement upon themselves.

We should note that rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil works. They are Yahweh's ministers to us for good. Nevertheless, if we do evil, we should note that they are Yahweh's ministers, who avenge to execute wrath on those who practice evil. We should therefore be subject to rulers, not just out of fear of the consequences of doing evil, but also out of good conscience. For by not submitting to them we are rebelling against the law of Yahweh.

Therefore, because they are Yahweh's ministers, we pay taxes to them, for their service to the duties Yahweh has appointed them to. We should therefore render to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs are due, fear to whom fear is due, and honour to whom honour is due.

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1 Corinthians 14:26-40 reads,

In the context of decent practices versus shameful ones, orderly ones versus those of confusion, women are commanded not to speak in assembly of called out ones. They are to be submissive and obedient to this command of not speaking in assembly of called out ones!

For those women desirous of learning better the word of Yahweh, or who want clarification on various points concerning the word of Yahweh, the instruction is that they seek such learning or clarification at home from their husbands. By implication, for such wives to so obtain such learning and such clarification, their husbands must of necessity have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the word of Yahweh to enable them to so impart learning and clarification to their wives. There is therefore an implied duty on husbands to sufficiently learn the word of Yahweh to enable them to impart whatever needed knowledge and understanding to those in their families.

And if the wives’ husbands are not sufficiently knowledgeable and insightful in the word of Yahweh, or if the women concerned are not married, then such women need to find alternative individuals to impart to them the requisite knowledge and understanding in the word of Yahweh. But the alternative approach taken should still not break the command to them that they speak not in assembly of called out ones.

From the context above, it appears that other women whom Paul was addressing were not the type referred to above, that is those with insufficient knowledge and understanding in the word of Yahweh who sought additional knowledge and clarification on various matters pertaining to the word of Yahweh. This second category was of those women who were presumably knowledgeable and therefore thought themselves just as capable as anyone to speak in assembly of called out ones in the context of preaching or teaching others who came to assembly of called out ones. For why else would Paul chide them by asking them whether the word of Yahweh came originally from them, or whether it was only to these women that the word of Yahweh reached?

The word of Yahweh is clear on this matter. Women are not permitted to speak in assembly of called out ones. They are commanded not to speak in assembly of called out ones. They are commanded to be submissive and obedient to this command of Yahweh.

But this does not mean that the knowledge and understanding already possessed by those women knowledgeable in the word of Yahweh is not to benefit others apart from themselves. Such knowledgeable women are really the ones who should impart their greater knowledge and understanding to those other women who are not as knowledgeable in the word of Yahweh, and do not have husbands who can impart the requisite additional knowledge of and understanding in the word of Yahweh that they need. In other words, the allotted constituency of knowledgeable women who desire to share their knowledge by way of preaching or teaching is not the assembly of called out ones setting. Rather it is the other women who have not yet attained to their level of knowledge or understanding in the word of Yahweh. In other words, they can do so with other women, but not so with men, for this is the command of Yahweh.

For if such knowledgeable women were allotted a constituency including men, then there would be no need to have a command from Yahweh barring them from speaking in assembly of called out ones. But that this command exists implies that women are not to have authority over men in assembly of called out ones or ecclesiastical matters. This is Yahweh’s design and all should fully submit to and obey Yahweh in this matter.

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Ephesians 5:22-33 reads,

The human marriage relationship is typical of the relationship between the Messiah and the assembly of called out ones. In fact, the human marriage relationship should be patterned after that between the Messiah and the assembly of called out ones. In marriage the husband typifies the Messiah, while the wife typifies the assembly of called out ones.

Human beings were made by Yahweh male and female, and once a man has sufficiently matured to be able to leave his parents, and likewise a woman, the two are to be joined together or to cling together in sexual union, thereby becoming one flesh. As far as Yahweh is concerned, Yahweh who joins them, those two individuals, the man and the woman, are no longer two but one flesh. And because it is Yahweh who has joined them together, man has no authority to separate the union, for Yahweh’s authority is greater than that of man’s, and neither has he delegated to man this authority of separating a union he himself has made.

Marriage is a relationship that typifies the Messiah and the assembly of called out ones, and it is one based on love by the Messiah and submission by the assembly of called out ones, with both parties being faithful to one another, without committing adultery or prostituting themselves with others. The Messiah does not commit fornication or prostitute himself with those who are not part of his assembly of called out ones. Likewise husbands should also not commit fornication or prostitution. The assembly of called out ones is also supposed to be fully submissive and obedient to the Messiah. Likewise, wives should be fully submissive and obedient to their husbands in everything, shunning all adultery or prostitution or other sexual immorality. Faithfulness to one another is a key foundation block for any marriage.

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Earlier on, is examining the case of Sarai and Hagar, it was seen that when we are put in a particular authority structure, with someone over us, we should fully submit to that someone over the period of time when we are under that someone’s authority. We should also not flee from being under the person’s authority, even when being mistreated, for that is the place we ought to be at that particular moment in time.

This is even more so in the area of marriage. For in marriage Yahweh has made the husband head over the woman. Yahweh has also made the marriage union a lifelong relationship, with no human granted the power or authority to dissolve a union that Yahweh himself has put in place. The only situation whereby the union may be severed is where adultery has been committed by the wife, that is where the wife has proved unfaithful to the husband.

I will suggest that even this right should not be exercised at the first instance of adultery. The faithful husband should have some mercy and be forgiving to the unfaithful wife, provided the unfaithful wife is willing and prepared to repent of such unfaithful and adulterous actions. But if not then the faithful husband has every right to sever the marriage.

On the other hand, the reasons why the wife has resorted to adultery also need to be examined. It may be that the unfaithful wife was driven into adultery by the husband, through actions such as the husband denying her appropriate sexual rights, thereby contributing to the wife seeking to satisfy her sexual gratification outside the marriage bed. In this case, as Yah'shuah taught, the husband also has committed adultery, for he has placed his wife in a situation whereby she was likely to commit adultery.

This therefore calls for reasonable and considerate behaviour among those who are married, and yielding to and satisfying the needs or proper desires of the other party, sexual or otherwise.

Should a wife find herself in a marriage whereby her husband mistreats her, to relieve her plight she should pray to Yahweh for deliverance. And just as in the case of Hagar, the Mighty-One-Who-Sees will hear her plight or affliction and take appropriate action for her benefit. This calls for faith in Yahweh and complete trust in him that he will handle the matter in his own time and in his own method. It also means that the wife, despite being mistreated by her husband and head, should nevertheless continue to submit to him in everything, as Yahweh through Paul has exhorted us. The easy option of leaving the marriage, fleeing from the husband who is mistreating one, is not really an option allowed the wife by Yahweh, for Yahweh has given one, and only one condition - adultery committed against the husband, whereby the husband may sever the marriage relationship. The mistreated wife’s role is therefore to fully submit to her mistreating husband, and take her plea to Yahweh for Yahweh’s intervention in Yahweh’s own time and manner.

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Ephesians 6:1-9 reads,

Bondservants, those bonded to their masters for a period of time, whether fixed in years or until their death, are exhorted to be obedient to their masters according to the flesh, with both fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, serving their masters as if serving the Messiah, their ultimate master. Their priority should be doing the will of Yahweh from the heart, not just verbally or in action yet without acquiescence from the heart. Rather, service to human masters should be both in action or word, and also in the heart. For so sincerely serving their human masters from their hearts, and showing this in word and action, in reality serving them as they would serve the Messiah, Yahweh will give them an appropriate reward.

Within the definition of bondservants I might include wives. For a wife is bound to or bonded to her husband as long as both of them are alive, save where a severance to their relationship occurs on the ground of adultery committed by the wife. And Yahweh has placed the husband as head over his wife.

The wife should therefore be obedient and subject to her husband in everything. The wife should serve her husband with fear and trembling, and with sincerity of heart, serving her husband as if serving the Messiah. And in this she will be doing the will of Yahweh, for that is how Yahweh has set it to be. And for so doing she will be rewarded by Yahweh. This also calls for faith in Yahweh, in that the wife trusts that for her complete obedience and submission to her husband in everything, serving her husband with a sincere heart, as she would serve the Messiah, Yahweh will reward her appropriately. This is living faith, demonstrated by the submissive and obedient conduct of the wife to her husband. And this is how Yahweh designed it to be, for human marriage simply typifies the relationship between the Messiah and the assembly of called out ones, in which the assembly of called out ones is to be fully submissive and obedient to the Messiah in everything - in everything!

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Colossians 3:18-4:1 reads,

It is fitting before Yahweh, and he is well pleased, when wives submit to their husbands and children obey their parents, and bondservants obey their masters in all things. We are all to be fully submissive and obedient to those who are in authority over us.

And we should be fully submissive and obedient to our superiors as if our superior was none other than Yahweh, knowing fully that by so being submissive and obedient we will receive from Yahweh the reward of the inheritance, which is life everlasting in Yahweh’s kingdom. But if we refuse to heed Yahweh and we are not submissive and obedient to those who are in authority over us we will be doing wrong and will instead be repaid for the wrong we have done. And it does not matter what position we happen to be holding, for Yahweh is not a respecter of persons and does not show partiality. If we are not fully submissive and obedient to those in authority over us Yahweh will repay us for the wrong we have been doing! It is therefore imperative that all of us be fully submissive and obedient to all those who are in authority over us.

1 Timothy 2:8-15 reads,

Titus 2:1-10 reads,

It should be noted from verse 5 that when the word of Yahweh is not adhered to by those who profess to follow Yahweh, such as by wives not being in subjection to their own husbands, the Mighty One's word is BLASPHEMED! Therefore, for those who profess to be followers of Yahweh not to give opportunity for blasphemy against the Mighty One's word, they MUST indeed live their lives in a manner consistent with Yahweh's word.

Titus 3:1-8 reads,

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Hebrews 13:17 reads,

We should do all in our power to facilitate the rule of those over us in authority, by being fully obedient and submissive to them. When we are not so fully obedient and submissive our experience of being subject to others in authority over us becomes an unprofitable one. The clear implication here is that there is profit to be derived by our being fully obedient and submissive to those in authority over us, those who rule over us. As this profit is there for the taking we should so be fully submissive and obedient to enable us to obtain it.

And what is this profit? The inheritance to be received from Yahweh.

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Yaakov (James) 4:1-10 reads,

The above verses apply to the marriage environment, or other master-servant relationships, just as much as they apply to other settings. An example in the context of this discussion?

A wife can be battling with her husband for supremacy in the family unit, as is pretty common in our day and age. In so doing she is clearly disregarding the will of Yahweh, for Yahweh’s instruction is that wives should be fully subject and obedient to their husbands in everything, for the husband is the head of the wife, as so set by Yahweh.

Therefore even if she battles hard for supremacy in the family unit, this is a battle that has no support from Yahweh, for she is battling amiss, to be in a role different to that Yahweh set for her.

As adulterers and adulteresses have been addressed in the above verses there should be no shadow of doubt that they apply to the marriage setting. For the adulterer does not love his wife in the manner the Messiah loves the assembly of called out ones and showed his love for her by giving his life for her. On the other hand the adulteress does not submit to or obey her husband and is manifestly showing the opposite of the traits that the assembly of called out ones should be showing to the Messiah, including being faithful to one’s husband and master and not serving more than one master. For how can she say that she serves her husband when she breaks faith with him and enjoins herself with another who is not her husband, when she is not authorised to so enjoin herself with anyone other than her husband?

These traits, of wives battling for family supremacy, and adultery, are worldly traits and are pretty common in the world. They are not of Yahweh and Yahweh opposes all such traits. Those who engage in such traits make themselves enemies of Yahweh.

What wives should do is avoid any desire for family supremacy, but should instead fully accept the role that Yahweh gave them, that of being fully submissive and obedient to their husbands, and being faithful to their husbands in not entertaining adulterous thoughts. By so humbling themselves, accepting to be in the position placed them by Yahweh, and not coveting that which rightfully is not theirs, such as being head over their husbands, wives will be aptly rewarded by Yahweh.

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In the context of wives not submitting to their husbands, desiring instead to rule over their husbands, and the husband acquiescing in allowing the wife to be head over him, we should remember the experience of Adam and Chavah in the garden of Eden and how Yahweh looked on that matter.

Beresheet (Genesis) 3:9-19, which records the matter, reads,

Adam disregarded Yahweh’s command and chose to listen instead to his wife in a matter contrary to Yahweh’s command. By so doing he was submitting to his wife rather than to Yahweh, and therefore serving another master - his wife, rather than serving Yahweh in complete obedience and submission!

Chavah, Adam’s wife, disregarded her role of being submissive to her husband and also of being submissive to Yahweh, assuming a position over her husband in misleading her husband out of being submissive to Yahweh. Chavah was to submit to and be obedient to Adam, just as he was likewise to do the same to Yahweh. By so doing Chavah would have been submitting to Yahweh. Nevertheless Chavah chose to have another master over her, choosing to have the serpent over her, rather than Adam immediately over her and Yahweh over both Adam and her. Chavah rebelled from under her husband, having been so induced by Satan, the serpent, and Adam acquiesced in the rebellion of his wife under him, and chose even to submit to his wife! And all this was in clear disregard to the very clear instructions from Yahweh! This was clear friendship with Satan rather than friendship with Yahweh, and became enmity with Yahweh!

As a consequence of her lack of submission, manifested by her rebellion from under both Yahweh and her husband, Yahweh punished Chavah by greatly multiplying her sorrow and pain in child bearing and childbirth, and reiterated that her husband would rule over her, as he was her head.

Adam was punished because he heeded his wife’s voice rather than that of Yahweh, thereby making his wife his master rather than Yahweh. The ground was therefore cursed because of Adam’s rebellion from under his master - Yahweh, in that it would not be as fruitful as it would otherwise have been. Also, and probably even more importantly, he, together with his race, would die. The promise of everlasting life, which was placed within his grasp via his eating of the tree of life, was removed from within his grasp, thereby bringing about, eventually, Adam’s death, for he was mortal and did not have immortality.

The penalty for insurbodination to authority placed over one is certain death, not counting other penalties. And I am talking here about the second death, the one from which one will never be resurrected - the permanent death! On the other hand, the reward for being fully obedient and submissive to those in authority over us is everlasting life in Yah'shuah the Messiah our Master. The issue really is as simple as that, and the choice really is ours to make. If we desire life, not this temporary present life that will end in our deaths, but the inheritance from Yahweh, everlasting life out of which it will not be possible for us to be denied life evermore, then we ought to heed Yahweh and be fully submissive and obedient to those in authority over us. The choice is entirely ours.

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1 Peter 2:11-17 reads,

1 Peter 2:18-25 reads,

We should note that it is commendable before Yahweh if, because of conscience toward Yahweh, we endure grief and suffer wrongfully. For we have been called to a life of suffering wrongfully, following in the example of the Messiah. Therefore, even in the context of marriage, whereby a wife is mistreated by her husband, she should not flee from under the authority of her husband, as Hagar fled from her mistress Sarai when her mistress treated her harshly, but she should rather endure the grief and wrongful suffering. For by the wife so doing she obtains a commendation before Yahweh, who will in due time aptly reward her for all the wrongful suffering and grief she endured in her marriage. In other words, her current suffering will be more than compensated for by the reward Yahweh will give her in due time. The wrongfully mistreated wife should, like the Messiah, commit herself to Yahweh who judges righteously.

This is a difficult thing for a wife to do, or for any other subordinate; nevertheless, this is the life that we have been called to live, that of emulating the Messiah. And the reward will pale into insignificance the sufferings and grief of this present age.

1 Peter 3:1-6 reads,

1 Peter 3:7 reads,

1 Peter 5:1-11 reads,

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