“Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.’ ”” (Genesis 20:11–13, CSB)
“So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.’ ” Why do some men treat their wives so poorly? Why is it that these same men choose to look at their wives as a piece of property to use and barter with to get what they want out of life?
How we treat our wives says a lot about our character. Many men have no idea the potential God has placed next to them. God has blessed them with great wisdom and insight, intelligence and shrewdness, compassion and discernment, and so much more … all in the package God calls their wife.
When Abraham “threw his wife under the bus,” so to speak, by asking her to show “loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother,’ ”we realize that his estimation of her worth was greatly diminished compared to her actual God-given value.
Now we know that Abraham didn’t have the command we do. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25, CSB) However, treating your wife with contempt by allowing another man to possess her fully as his wife should have turned his conscience upside down!
Abraham’s fear led him to unthinkable decisions. And those decisions led to his allowing her to be violated. Had it not been for the supernatural intervention of God, King Abimelech would have taken her as his wife, thus causing Sarah to commit adultery at Abraham’s command. All this happened because of Abraham’s lack of faith. For where there is fear, there is little faith!
Today we have a choice … one we can make for a lifetime. Will we value our wives more than life itself? Will we love her and give ourselves for her, even at the cost of our lives? She’s your treasure! Once we make that decision, the rest of loving her comes so easily.
Magnificent Marriage Mondays are helpful hints, clues, ideas, and solutions for the child of God who is looking for a spouse, in a relationship with someone, or are already married. Each post seeks to bring help, hope, and honesty to your life and make the rest of your life, the best of your life. They are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his 38 years, 5 months and 2 days experience with his wife, Melodee, who was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. He is currently seeking God’s will for his new life partner. He welcomes your comments below.
