Is it wrong for the husband to cook instead of the wife?
Question:
Is it wrong for the husband to cook instead of the wife? It appears that it is the role of the wife, but at the same time, we see that men clearly cooked in the Old Testament, such as Esau was told to cook by his father.
I know you might think, "It's in the old covenant", but even in the old covenant when Solomon describes the virtuous woman, she cooks doesn't she? So both can do it?
Is there a problem with the husband cooking instead of the wife?
Answer:
When you find examples of both men and women doing something, then the conclusion must be that it doesn't matter who does it.
- Jesus cooked bread and fish: "Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." ... Jesus said to them, 'Come and eat breakfast'" (John 21:9-10, 12).
- Jacob cooked red bean stew: "Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary" (Genesis 25:29).
- Martha cooked dinner for the Lord and his disciples: "But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me'" (Luke 10:40).
- Lot cooked: "But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate" (Genesis 19:3).
- Sarah and a young man cooked: "So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes." And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it" (Genesis 18:6-7).
- Gideon cooked: "So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them" (Judges 6:19).
- Peter's mother-in-law prepared food: "Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them" (Matthew 8:14-15).
Generally, meal preparation falls in the realm of the wife because she is the manager of the household (I Timothy 5:14; Titus 2:5), but it does not follow that men cannot help with the preparations or when men are on their own that they cannot fend for themselves.
