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A Woman’s Great Mistake
You shall not commit adultery. – Exodus 20:14
Updated: It may be helpful in understanding the quote below knowing a few things in context. The seventh commandment is concerned with protecting marriage. Next to the covenant with Christ to be your Savior, there is no covenant more sacred. The importance of marriage transcends the family and the social structure. God ordained marriage prior to man’s fall into sin, It is not good that man should be alone. Gen 2:18. Marriage is not primarily about family or children, neither is it primarily about mankind’s need for love and communication. Marriage is about mankind fulfilling its creation mandate. Gen. 1:28. When the focus of marriage is shifted away from mankind’s responsibility and service to God, it undermines the concept of living responsibly. If a person has no responsibility to God, then he has no responsibility to anyone but himself. Man was called to work, in service to God Genesis 2:15. God created Eve only after Adam proved himself responsible in his work. Work, regardless of vocation, is part of the calling in obedience and service to God in a marriage.
If marriage cannot be reduced to sex, neither can it be reduced to love. The Scripture gives no ground whatsoever to the idea that a marriage can be terminated when love ends. While love is important to a marriage, it cannot replace God’s law as the essential bond of marriage. Moreover, a woman can make no greater mistake than to assume that she can take priority in her husband’s life over his work. He will love her with a personal warmth and tenderness as no other person, but a man’s life is his work, not his wife, and the failure of women to understand this can do serious harm to a marriage. – R.J. Rushdoony
5 Pt. Salt 
No where that I can find does the Bible say work should be of a higher priority than a spouse. Scripture indicates “Love your wife like you love yourself” and “Lay down your life for your spouse.” Jesus responded to Martha’s work as not the “best choice”
I trust that Jesus loves me more than He loves His work!
My husband is not employed, so I don’t have to worry about this. I have other issues of concern, like his failure to lead and provide. Any advice?
Think Rush missed this one. I agree with Carol’s comment. Also, this position raises many questions. Is my work more a priority than my children? More than my pastor? More than my brothers and sisters in Christ?
Rushdoony was at one time a missionary, and later a very prolific writer, speaker, etc. Important functions all, for sure. But what if you work at McDonalds? Ought McDonald’s occupy first place in your life? What if you are retired? Incapable of work? Unemployed?
I suppose one reads into “a man’s life is his work and not his wife” what one wants to, but I dont find anywhere the Bible indicates I am in any sense “one” with my job as I am with my wife. None of us are right about everything, and I’m afraid Rushdoony got a bit carried away.
I understand the concern over a man putting his job before his wife and family. I believe that would be wrong and that there are scriptures, some of which have already been metioned to validate this. However, I believe man’s highest call is to his creator. Jesus shed a little light on this topic when He spoke the following:
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.
When a man truely believes in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit he will, by faith and obedience, fulfill the purpose for which he was placed on this earth. Each man has a unique purpose in the will of God on this earth. I think possibly the author of the article was trying to communicate the importance of a man completing his assignment from the Lord, whatever that may be.
To be sure, if a man is married, an important part of that assignment IS to love his wife and family and all that goes with that. However, there are times when a woman may somewhat selfishly desire more of her husband and his time than she should, thereby hindering him from a higher calling. I believe this is why Paul indicated it would be better if a man were to remain single, that he would more completely be able to give himself to the work of God.
Hope this helps…;