* Women in the first century and before were not treated as equal with men.

* They were seen as servants and a means to an end (children).

* Christianity busted that up and placed extreme value on women.

* Peter uses a picture to describe how men are to treat their wives - with honor as a weaker vessel.

* Think about a 50-gallon oil drum used on a farm for feed and water and whatever else.

* It’s left outside and you can beat the dog-mess out of it but it won’t break.

* Now think of a priceless vase passed down to you from your great grandmother.

* You take that vase and put it on top of the fireplace for everyone to see, but you treat it delicately.

* The reason you treat it delicately is because of its value.

* There are other breakable things you don’t treat with such honor as the vase. The vase is far more valuable.

* This is how Peter sought to change the paradigm of how husbands saw their wives.

* God wants husbands to treat their wives like this so much that He tied our prayer life to the carrying out of this command.

* When men treat their wives this way their prayers will be answered.