A few weeks ago, when I was speaking
from 1 Timothy chapter 5, I think I was bringing a message on piety.
And I touched on all these verses, and at the end of the message,
when Isaac was walking out the door, he said, there's a lot
in that passage. In other words, I didn't get all of it out of
there. And I would agree, I would agree, and I want to bring a
message on good widows and bad widows. from 1 Timothy chapter
5. But first I'd like to read Acts
chapter 6 verse 1. You can turn there if you want.
And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied,
There arose a murmuring of the Grecians, the Gentile believers,
against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in
the daily ministration." Now you can imagine that. You have
the Gentile widows and you have the Hebrew. widows, and preference
is shown to the Hebrew widows over the Gentile widows, and
that caused murmuring. You know, whenever the numbers
increase, the problems increase. You've got people. That's just
the way it is. And so, this was a conflict early in the church. Now, in this passage of Scripture,
Paul gives very specific instructions concerning which widows should
be supported, And which widows should not be supported? Good widows and bad widows. And
as the Lord enables me, I'm going to be preaching the gospel from
this passage of scripture. Look in verse 3 of 1 Timothy
chapter 5. Honor widows that are widows
indeed. Now, honor does not mean hold
in high esteem. All of God's people should be
held in high esteem. It means take care of them materially. Put them on the payroll. Look
in verse 9. Let not a widow be taken into
the number. That means put on the payroll
and supported under three score years old having been the wife
of one man. Look in verse 16, "...if any
man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them.
And let not the church be charged, don't let them have that financial
responsibility, that it may relieve them that are widows indeed."
Now a widow indeed was a woman who had lost her husband, This
was before Social Security, this is before welfare or any of these
social institutions, and she had no means of support and no
way of supporting herself. Now Paul says, honor widows,
support widows that are widows indeed. That's one of three times
he calls them widows indeed. Verse 4, but if any widow have
children or nephews, Let them learn first to show piety at
home, and to requite their parents, for that is good and acceptable
before God." You know, even in the church, there would be a
tendency for people to shirk their responsibilities, and let
the church take care of the widows, and not use my personal responsibility,
and he touches on that. Let them first learn to requite
their parents, for that's good and acceptable before God. Verse
5, now, she that's a widow indeed, What's a widow indeed? Desolate. She has no means at all of providing
for herself. Desolate. Utterly dependent upon
the charity of others. Now she that's a widow indeed
and desolate, but she's got to be a believer. Somebody who trusteth
in God and continueth In supplications and prayers night and day, she
must be somebody who actually trusts the living God, who finds
her hope in God. And she continues in prayers
night and day. Verse 6, now here we read of
that bad widow. But she that liveth in pleasure
is dead while she liveth. It's that one who lives for self-gratification. Her aim in life is to be happy.
I want to be happy. Oh, I want to be happy. Watch
out when somebody wants to be happy. Watch out. It's hard telling
what's going to happen next. But He says concerning this person,
she's dead while she lives, she's dead in trespasses and sins,
and she's not a true believer. Verse 7, And these things give
in charge, that they may be blameless, but if any, provide not for his
own. especially for they have his own house, someone who has
the ability to support his mom, who's a widow, and he doesn't
do it? Even though he's orthodox, he's denied the faith and is
worse. Now get that. is worse than an
infidel. That person who, their doctrine's
fine, they're very orthodox, but they refuse their responsibility,
that act is a denial of the faith. And that person is acting worse. That's what the Holy Spirit says,
that person is acting worse than an infidel or an unbeliever.
Verse 9, Let not a widow be taken in to the number, put on the
payroll, under three score years old. If she's under 60, she is
not eligible. And she can only have been the
wife of one husband. That's what it says, having been
the wife of one man. Now, does that mean she could
have never been married and had her husband die and had two husbands
or three husbands? No. It means she can only have
one husband at a time. Now, interestingly, every commentary
I read said that she could not be someone who'd been divorced.
If she had been divorced, she was not allowed to be put on
the payroll. I don't believe that. I don't believe that for
a second. Divorce is a horrible thing.
God says he hates it, but do I believe that the scripture
states that if somebody's been divorced, don't help them? I
don't believe that for a second. What that's talking about is
she has one husband at a time. Maybe she's had seven husbands
and they've all died, but she has one husband at a time. She
doesn't live in polygamy is what that's a reference to. Verse
10. This woman must also be well-reported of for good works. That means
other people see her. This is not what she says about
herself. Other people make this statement regarding her. This
is the one you want to support, well-reported of for good works.
If she's brought up children, If she's lodged strangers for
Christ's sake. If she's washed the saints' feet. Oh, she has such a high estimation
of the saints. And no task is too menial if
she's washed the saints' feet. If she's relieved the afflicted. If she's diligently followed
every good work. Now that's the widow you want
to support. That one that's described right there. Verse 11, The younger widows refuse. For when they become to wax wanton
against Christ, they will marry. Now what does that mean to wax
wanton against Christ? That means that you no longer
see him as manna from heaven. He's now like bread. Just like
the children of Israel, our souls loathe this light bread. At one time it was manna from
heaven, now it's light bread. That one has begun to wax wanton
against Christ. And what do they do? It says
they will marry. Now, that doesn't mean it's wrong
to get married. What that's talking about is
it's wrong to marry an unbeliever. They now feel like they can marry
anybody because they've waxed wanton against Christ and they
don't have any problem at all with marrying outside the faith.
Verse 12, and what does Paul say about these people? Having
damnation. Now that's condemnation. He's
not talking about just having a hard time. These people are
condemned. They're not believers having
damnation because they have cast off their first faith. Boy, what a fearful thing to
cast off your first faith. To not believe what you formerly
did. To cast it off. And with all,
verse 13, They learn to be idle, inactive, unfruitful, barren,
ineffective, and worthless. They learn to be idle, wandering
about from house to house. Their tongues certainly are not
idle because they become tattlers, gossips. Critics is the word. Praetors, it's actually translated
by John, prating against people, making false accusations, trying
to bring people down. And tattlers and busybodies. Busy with everybody else's business
and not busy with their own. Speaking things which they ought
not. Words that are contrary to the
gospel. Don't support these widows. They're bad widows. They're not
to be put on the church roll. I will therefore that the younger
women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion
to the adversary to speak reproachfully, for some are already turned aside
after Satan." These bad widows, they've turned aside after Satan.
Now, if any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them
relieve them. Let not the church be charged
that it may relieve them that are widows indeed. That's a lot of information about
widows, isn't it? And I've always wondered why God the Holy Spirit
would be pleased to put so much information about who the church
would support by way of widows and who they were not to support. Well, I'm looking at this not
only as just what it says, but I'm looking at this as a gospel
type. The believer is the widow indeed. The unbeliever is the
bad widow. A widow indeed. Verse 3, honor
widows that are widows indeed. A real widow. That's what the
word indeed means. A real widow. one who actually
has these needs. You know something, if we see
something that's not up to square, we say, really? We say that a
lot, really? Really? But you don't have to
say that about this widow. She is a widow indeed, and the
first thing that's said about a widow indeed is that she is
desolate. Verse 5, now she that's a widow
indeed, second time that word is used, indeed, and desolate. Desolate. There is no way that
they can support themselves in any way. They know they're totally dependent
upon God. That desolate person knows that
they can't provide for themselves. They're utterly dependent on
the Lord to provide everything for them. Now, would that be
you? Is that your experience? You know that you can't provide
one thing that God could accept. Not one. And you're totally dependent
upon what the Lord provides for you. Oh, how believers love that
Scripture. God shall provide Himself a lamb
for a burnt offering. I love that verse of Scripture.
God's the one. I can't provide a thing, but
He does the providing. He provides the Lamb. I couldn't
provide it. He provides for Himself the Lamb,
and He provides Himself as the Lamb. Now, I'm a desolate widow.
I'm completely dependent upon the charity of the Lord God. Now, this widow, verse 5, she
that's a widow indeed and desolate, but just because she's desolate,
that doesn't take away from this, she trusts in God. She's got nowhere else to look.
She trusts in God. She hopes in God. Now, while I'm desolate, that
does not mean I do not have hope. I have the hope of God my Savior. I have the hope of Him justifying
me. I have the hope of Him having
mercy on me. All my hope is in God. It's not anywhere in me. It's
in God. Turn with me a moment to Ephesians
chapter 2. Here's what all this means. This widow that trusteth
in God. Verse 1. And you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in times past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and the mind. And we were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. I love this. But, God. There's the difference. But God,
she trusteth in God. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love, wherewith He loved us even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. She trusts in God. And look what it says next about
her in verse 5. She continueth in supplications
and prayers, night and day. She continueth in supplications."
Now, what does supplication mean? We read this word in the Scripture
very often. You know what it means? It means
a need, a wanting, something you need. She continues needy. She continues needing His mercy. She continues needing His grace. She continues needing His favor. She needs Him to turn her. Oh,
it's a continual wanting and a need. You know, she continues
it and she doesn't quit. She doesn't graduate past that.
She doesn't get better in that sense. She continues needing. She's not like the church at
Laodicea who are rich wealthy and increased with goods and
had need of nothing? No, she continually needs His
grace, His mercy. She's always a sinner needing
His mercy. She continues in this state of
wanting. And what a blessed state that
is to be, to continue being needy. David, the man after God's own
heart ten times said, I am poor, And I'm needy. And that's the
way I come to the Lord. Poor and needy. She continued. If you continue in my word, then
are you my disciples indeed. Only if you continue. She continued
in needs, in wants, and she continued in prayer. You know, you pray
about that which you know you have no power to perform. And
you really believe the Lord has the power to do it. Everybody's
in His hands, you and everybody else. And you pray to Him knowing
that He's the only one who can do anything for you or anybody
else. She continues. She doesn't quit. She doesn't say, this is the
way I used to be. This is the way she is right now. This is
the way she continues to be to the day of her death. She continues
needing, wanting, and she continues going to the only place where
those needs could be met, the Lord God Himself. Let not a widow be taken into
the number under three score years old, having been the wife
of one man. She has become a one-man woman. She looks to Christ only. Christ is her husband. She's
become dead to the law by the body of Christ, and she looks
to the Lord Jesus Christ only. She's a one-man woman. She doesn't look outside of the
covenant for any comfort, for any hope, for any salvation.
She looks wholly to that glorious marriage covenant that David
spoke of when he said, although my house be not so with God,
yet hath He made with me an everlasting covenant. ordered in all things,
and sure. And this is all my salvation,
and all my desire, though he makes it not to grow. She looks only to her husband."
Look in verse 10. She's well reported of for good
works. She doesn't need to tell you
about her spirituality and goodness. Others will report it. You know,
if I got to tell you about myself, something's wrong. Something's
wrong. Now, I can look at you and I... There's a person that knows the
Lord. There's a person who walks with the Lord. Other people would
make the... If I got to be the one telling
you, something's wrong. No, she's well reported of for
good works. What has she done? She's brought
up children. If she's lodged strangers for
Christ's sake, she's been hospitable. If she hath washed the saints'
feet, Oh, how she loves the saints, the saints of God, the sanctified
ones. Every believer is a saint of
God. And you know, we realize, as believers, our feet get dirty
in this life, don't they? You got your feet dirty today,
didn't you? As you walk through this world, you got your feet
dirty today. But oh, we wash our feet in the
Gospel. We wash one another's feet in
the Gospel. That's what this woman did. She
washed the saints' feet. No task too low or menial for
her. Oh, how she loved the saints.
What's it say next? If she hath relieved the afflicted,
that person in trouble, she was a friend to. And she was, if
she had diligently followed every good work. Now this lady, is
zealous of good works. And every believer is zealous
of good works. You want them. You may not feel
like you have. I mean, I dare say that with most of you, hopefully
all of you, say you ain't good works. Say, well, I don't know
any. Well, I see them. I see them.
And I know this. I'm zealous of them. I want to
honor the Lord in my life. I'm zealous. I want good works. This is for His glory. Let your
light so shine before men that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Not glorify you.
That's not what you want. You want the glory of God. This widow is a beautiful picture
of a believer. I mean, there's types throughout
the scripture. I'm looking at this one this
way, too. She's a picture of a believer. And this is the person
the church wants, isn't it? We want this person. I want to
be this person. Now, what about the bad widow?
Look in verse 6. But she that liveth in pleasure
is dead. while she liveth. Live for self-gratification. Her great end is to be happy. Now isn't that pretty much the
desire of about everybody you know as far as the world goes? I want to be happy. I want to
be happy. And anytime you actually hear
that come out on somebody, I'm thinking, watch out, what's going
to happen next? Because when people want to be happy, they're
going to do whatever it takes to make them happy. They're going
to run over people, they're going to do whatever they need to be
happy. This one that lives in pleasure, in self-gratification,
Paul says she's dead while she lives. She's dead in trespasses
and sins. Now look in verse 11. regarding
this bad widow. But the younger widows refuse,
don't put them on the roll, for when they had begun to wax wanton
against Christ, they will marry. Now, is this saying that someone
that is a widow should never get married? And if they get
married, of course not. Of course not. This is talking
about someone who no longer sees the beauty and glory and value
of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The clearest illustration
of that is the children of Israel when they said, we're hungry
and thirsty, we don't have anything to eat. Where as the man had
fallen that day, and water had come out of the rock, but they
said, we don't have anything to eat, and our souls loathe this
light bread. We don't find anything in it.
It's insubstantial. It doesn't do anything for us.
They began to wax wanton against Christ. I love that hymn that
we just heard. More of Jesus would I know. More of His grace to others show,
more of His saving fullness see, more of His coming principle."
Oh, may that be our theme at all times. More of Jesus. But when she began to wax wanton
against Christ, they'll marry. Once again, the marrying is not
the problem, it's who they marry. Someone who has no love for the
Gospel. And look what Paul says, they have damnation because they've
cast off Their first faith. Now what was your first faith? When you first looked to Christ,
when you first looked to Him, you knew that you didn't have
one thing to recommend yourself to Him. You knew that you were
sinful, you knew that you were evil in and of yourself, you
knew that you couldn't do anything to save yourself. And when you
looked to Him, you knew He was the only righteousness you had,
didn't you? You were sure of it. And oh,
how you held on to Him as your only righteousness. As you received
Christ Jesus the Lord. How did you receive Him? You
received Him as an empty-handed sinner, needing His mercy. Do you ever get past that? Do
you ever graduate past that? Well, this lady did. She cast
off her first faith. Oh, may the Lord deliver us from
that. That scares me to death, this
thing of casting off your first faith. She did. having damnation because she
cast off her first faith. And look in verse 13, and with
all, they learn to be idle. Going backwards, idle, unfruitful,
inactive, they're not productive, they go about from house to house.
with their words. He says they learn to be tattlers.
Now in John, this same word is translated, prating against.
Remember there in 3 John when he talked about Demetrius prating,
who was the guy, I can't remember what his name was, one of those
guys in 3 John, and he says he prates against us, false accusations,
tattletales, trying to bring people down. That's what this
person does when they lose their first faith. They become a tattletale,
a gossip, a slanderer of people's characters. A gossip. And busybodies. Always more concerned about how
others are living and seeking to bring people under the law.
Busybodies. Speaking things which they ought
not. Speaking things which are contrary
to the gospel. Speaking things which are contrary
to faith. Speaking things which are contrary
to grace. Now that's the bad widow. Don't
be a good widow, don't you? They're good widows by the grace
of God. And they're bad widows. Now these
things are literal. This was literal instruction
regarding which widows should be supported. And he gives real
clear rules. And you see why this is necessary.
You certainly do. But this is, you know, everything
in the Gospel. I mean, everything is given to
teach us something about the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to be one of these good widows, don't you? I want to
be a good widow. And I know this. I will be a bad widow if He doesn't
keep me from it. Lord, don't let me be a bad widow
described in this passage of Scripture. Let me be a good widow,
a follower, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.