Today, I want us to consider something “precious in the sight of God.” God created the Universe. All things belong to Him. He sees all things before Him. Interesting to me is that as God sees all things, the Bible reveals that there is something that is “precious in the sight of God.”
The meaning of “precious” is ‘having surpassing value.’ With that in mind, do you have any guesses as to what is “precious in the sight of God?”
Gold or silver? No! Diamonds, emeralds or rubies? Nope! It is any rare metal or gemstone. In fact, it isn’t anything material that we might treasure.
Is it the Human Race? Or, a person’s soul? Or, maybe, the Church as it is comprised of God’s children? All of these things do have great value to God but they are not specifically stated in the Scriptures as being “precious in the sight of God.”
The answer is found in 1 Peter 3:4. It is a woman who possesses and demonstrates “the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.” God regards this temperament or disposition in a woman as having surpassing value. It is highly esteemed by God.
We need a little bit of clarification to understand what is meant by “a gentle and quiet spirit.” So, let’s define these terms.
Gentle or Meek Spirit
The word “gentle” is the Greek praus and originally it was used to describe a wild animal that has become a domesticated, trained animal which has learned to obey the voice of its master. It came to mean, when describing people, the quality of self-control which can accept the guidance and direction of another. It speaks of a submissive spirit rather than being self-assertive and showing resistance.
The Bible tells us that Jesus had a gentle spirit. Paul alluded to Jesus’ gentle spirit, in 2 Corinthians 10:1, when he said, “Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” Jesus used the term in reference to Himself, in Matthew 11:29, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” Even though He was the eternal, all-powerful Son of God, He emptied Himself and was willing to be a servant in complete submission to the Father. Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Please note from this passage that Jesus was ‘equal’ with God the Father but He willingly humbled Himself and placed Himself in submission to the Father’s will. John 6:38, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
Peter says that the godly woman is to be like Jesus, emptying herself of fleshly pride and humbly submitting her will and life to the direction and guidance of the Lord.
Now if the woman is married, she is to submit herself to the guidance and direction of her husband. This is the primary context of our 1 Peter 3 passage. 1 Peter 3:1,5, “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands…For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.” To the extent that a woman willingly submits to the Lord, she ought to submit to her husband. Ephesians 5:22, “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”
The husband should be able to trust that his wife will support and affirm his leadership in the family. Proverbs 31:10-12, “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.”
Quiet Spirit
The word “quiet” is the Greek hesuchios and had the literal meaning of ‘keeping one’s seat.’ It came to describe someone who is ‘at peace’ or content with their position and role. The opposite of a “quiet spirit” is one that is inwardly and outwardly defiant.
In the context of our passage, a woman with a “quiet spirit” is content with the position she has in the home which is under the guidance and direction of her husband. Rather than defy and challenge her husband’s leadership, she happily desires to submit to his leadership knowing that she is fulfilling God’s will.
Today, too many women demand a position of equal authority if not supreme rulership in the home. They may not have such intentions but such is the case when they openly disregard their husbands’ leadership, challenge his direction and constantly question or criticize his decision-making.
When a wife is unwilling to allow the husband to fulfill his God-appointed role and is revolting from her God-appointed role, the whole household becomes dysfunctional and torn-apart by confusion and discord. I am reminded of a few Proverbs -
Proverbs 21:9, 19, “It is better to live in a corner of a roof, than in a house shared with a contentious woman…It is better to live in a desert land, Than with a contentious and vexing woman.” A contentious woman simply means one who frequently causes discord and strife by having a quarrelsome and angry disposition. A vexing woman, according to the Hebrew, is a woman who provokes others to frustration and anger by her yelling and complaining. Obviously, we are not talking about a woman who has “a gentle and quiet spirit.”
Proverbs 19:13, “And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.” One of the most annoying and exasperating situations is to have a leaky faucet that won’t stop dripping. It drives you crazy. Equally, it is exasperating to live in a house with a leaky roof. It is frustrating and maddening. So it is for the household when the wife is a frequent loud-mouthed complainer. It is hard to bear constant fault-finding and nick-picking. It is demoralizing.
Proverbs 27:15-16, “A constant dripping on a day of steady rain and a contentious woman are alike; He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand.” The writer again likens a contentious woman to water dripping but then goes further by stating that it is fruitless for the husband to try to restrain his wife from complaining and criticizing and arguing. Its like trying to stop the wind from blowing or holding oil in your hand without a container. The truth be told, the more you try to repress and restrain a contentious woman, the louder and more cantankerous she gets. The contentious woman has to decide for herself whether or not she will seek to cultivate within herself “a gentle and quiet spirit.”
“A gentle and quiet spirit” is produced by inward respect. In 1 Peter 3:1-2, Peter talks about how the wife can make great positive changes in her husband by demonstrating submissiveness and “respectful behavior.” Ephesians 5:33, Paul commands, “let the wife see to it that she respect her husband.” The godly woman is to have respect for her husband in his position or role as head of the household. Even if he does not always act in ways that naturally elicits respect and honor, for the Lord’s sake she is to honor her husband and the place God has appointed him. This respect is to be demonstrated in her behavior; that is, in her words and her actions.
In 1 Peter 3:6, Peter brings forth the example of Sarah. Her respect for her husband, Abraham, came from the heart. It was demonstrated in her words (“calling him lord”) and actions (“Sarah obeyed Abraham”). Abrham was not the only one in his household who possessed faith. Sarah also demonstrated faith and trust and hope in God by the way she regarded her husband and treated him. I have got to tell you that, in my opinion, there were times that Abraham - by his behavior - little deserved Sarah’s respect and submissiveness. It was in those situations, when she continued to do what was right despite Abraham’s actions, that showed she was being submissive from the heart and will - by faith.
Peter encourages today’s Christian women to follow Sarah’s example - “you have become her children if you do what is right.”
As we close our remarks, let us be reminded that “the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit… is precious in the sight of God.”
