Pay Attention to the Bible, please

We had a rough January. A cold at the first, Covid’s Omicron at the last. Being shut-ins, we read a lot. One line stuck with me: "I had lost something I never knew I had."

I read it a bit after I read a post on Facebook from a young mother whose husband was treating her the same way a husband treated my granddaughter - a combination of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse that had turned physically dangerous. A wife should never receive such from her husband.

Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. (Malachi 2:14 KJV)

Men who deal treacherously with their wives are not following Christ. especially those whose commitment to their wives were made after years of being church members, purporting themselves to be Christians, and who publicly proclaimed they followed God's commandments. If you’ve read here before, you know one of my most quoted verses:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

Ephesians 5 mentions the wife’s submission first, then explains what type of husband to whom she should submit. Paul describes a loving husband who protects and loves his wife.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:25-29 KJV)

The two men I’ve mentioned most likely lied to themselves just as they did to others, for both mistreat their own bodies with an excess of alcohol that robs them of the ability to function with care for others. Never doubt - that can be a lethal combination. How can they love those they are consistently damaging?

What is a wife to do? Matthew, Mark, and Luke  - in the graphic above – wrote of what Jesus said when he sent His disciples out to preach that “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” they were told what to do if they were received in a house that was worthy – and what to do if they were not received:

And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. (Matthew 10:13-14 KJV)

I firmly believe that if a husband deals treacherously with his wife, and threatens the welfare of his children a wife should depart out of that house. She should pray for her husband, that his eyes should be open to the damage and that he would turn from his treachery because he loves God as well as his wife and children.

Some men will. Others won’t. That's when the line I read became firm in my mind - and I wrote this blog. Someday, at one time or another, these husband's will realize: "I had lost something I never knew I had." 

If they don't change, consider what Paul says of such:

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (Titus 1:15-16 KJV)

Wives – there is protection for you. You do not have to live with fear of when he will lose his temper and hit you. You do not have to live with his threats. If you have no where to turn, contact me anonymously by posting a Comment and I will reach out to you with examples of success. You are worth my time and prayers.