The wife must revere her husband: Nancy Leigh DeMoss P/5

                                                      Read Part One HERE

In this post I continue to focus on bible teacher and author Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth. She is a member of the Board of Reference of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and has written a book called "Lies Women Believe."

Below are some statements from that book.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth: "There are extreme situations where an obedient wife may need to remove herself and/or her children from proximity to her husband, if to remain in that setting would be to place themselves in physical danger. However, even in such a case, a woman can - and must - maintain an attitude of reverence for her husband's position; her goal is not to belittle or resist him as her husband but, ultimately, to see God restore him to obedience. If she provokes or worsens the situation through her attitudes, words or behaviour, she will interfere with what God wants to do in her husband's life and will not be free to claim God's protection and intervention on her behalf." (p.149) 

My Comment

Nancy's statement shows that she does not know the heart of God towards the hurting, including hurting women and children.

Scripture does not teach anywhere that a woman is to be obedient to her husband. However, Scripture teaches that husband and wife are to mutually submit to each other (Ephesians 5:21-22), love each other (1 Peter 4:8), serve each other (Galatians 5:13), respect each other (1 Peter 2:17).

Any husband who is mentally or emotionally or spiritually or physically abusive towards his wife and children is not submissive towards his wife, does not love her, does not serve her, does not respect her. He has broken the marriage covenant. And the wife of a husband who behaves abusively towards her and her children needs to remove herself and her children in such circumstances. She may well have to divorce her husband to make legal what has already taken place in her marriage and to protect herself and her children.

As for God restoring a husband to obedience, God can only restore him to obedience if the husband is truly willing for God to do that work in his life by showing true repentance. That work does not require for the wife to remain in the marital home or even to remain married to her husband.

As for the wife not being free to claim God's protection and intervention on her behalf if she provokes or worsens the situation through her attitudes, words or behaviour, thereby interfering with what God wants to do in her husband's life, this is unbiblical counsel and should be ignored by any woman!! She is not responsible for what God wants to do in her husband's life. That is between God and her husband, and very much depends on her husband's willingness to co-operate with God.

P.S. We will look at some other statements from the book Lies Women Believe in my next post.

Read Part Six HERE