If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. – Deuteronomy 24:5
Newly married men were exempt from military or state service for a year. | WATCH ON YOUTUBE
The purpose of this law was not to encourage men to become lazy.
Rather, they were to prioritize and invest time and effort into their marriage. The man was to bring happiness to his wife with the purpose of building strong foundations for their marriage. God takes marriage seriously and so gave detailed laws about marriage.
Matthew 10:39 says we find our lives by losing our lives in Christ. So also, man finds most happiness when he makes his wife happy. The husband cannot make his wife happy without being happy himself. On the other hand, if he makes his wife unhappy, he himself will feel miserable. A happy wife is the foundation of a happy home. A bitter and quarrelsome wife makes a miserable home (Proverbs 27:15).
A man who does not provide for his family has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8.) The husband is to prioritize his marriage above his career, job, and responsibilities, even above himself. Wives are not to take this out of context, but they should be responsible to make their husbands happy. God expects the husband to lead the relationship and has commanded them to love their wives, as Christ loved the church. Wives, on the other hand, are to respond kindly and wisely. A long-lasting happy marriage can only be the result of a deep God-centered foundation.
In what new ways can you make your spouse happy?
Lord, bless and direct our marriage, I pray.
Extended Reading — Deuteronomy 24-27
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