God's Protection of Women - Article 4: Does God Condone Spousal Abuse?

Does God condone spousal abuse? To fully answer this question, you have to consider t

he character of God. Do you think God wants you to be safe and protected? Is God kind? Do you think you’re an exception to God’s love, kindness and protection? Do you think He loves you less than other people? So, does he condone spousal abuse? I say no.

Hear this: You do not deserve to be abused, no matter what lies you have been told or what lies you choose to believe. If you’re in the midst of an abusive marriage, chances are your head is swimming in lies, you’re confused, and you can’t answer any of these questions truthfully, so let me help.

Does God allow spousal abuse? As you know, God gives us freewill. If you choose to remain in an abusive marriage, then I suppose God allows it. Does God want you to be abused? No way. God has provided a way out for you, according to His Word.

In Exodus 21, God commanded a husband to treat his wife with respect by providing for all her needs. This is most certainly a law of God for the safety and protection of women and it does not allow for spousal abuse. If a husband did not provide for his wife’s needs, he was commanded by God to divorce her. God does not allow spousal abuse; in fact, this passage reveals God’s hatred for it. (There’s another good example of another law pertaining to the protection of wives in Deuteronomy 21, in case you want to read more.)

Remember God’s character. What type of God is the God of the Bible? God is love, according to 1 John 4:7 and 8. Here are the two verses in the New International Version (NIV): “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Perhaps you do not now feel God’s love as you are crushed under the weight of an abusive husband, but once you are free and your mind has cleared, you will feel His love for you again. In fact, I pray that you will feel His supernatural agape love for you even now, in the midst of your trial.

Is God kind? Yes. God’s kindness is stated and praised throughout the Bible. (See Psalm 36:7 and 117:2, for starters.) Again, you may not be able to feel or experience God’s kindness for you in the midst of suffering, but I pray that you will soon ask God for guidance in how you can be set free and, if you are in an abusive relationship, I hope that you will sense His kindness despite your current despair.

Do you think you’re an exception to God’s love? Once again, you may feel unloved and unlovable, but there are many verses in the Bible stating the truth of God’s love for all of His creation, including you. 1 John 4:16 (Complete Jewish Bible) states: "Also we have come to know and trust the love that God has for us."

Read that verse again aloud to yourself and to God, allowing the meaning to soak into your spirit. The verse does not state, “I feel God’s love” or “We have come to feel God’s love for us.” Trust in God’s love for you, whether you feel it or not.

Do you think God loves you less than others, like your husband, for example? There are many places in the Bible that speak of God’s love for both men and women. I shall remind you of only one here. If you are tempted to think that God loves women less than men, consider Genesis 1:27, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God created both men and women in His image; not just men. He created men and women as equals. Don’t let an abusive person in your life to tell you lies concerning how much God values you.

These questions and answers according to God’s Word are only scratching the surface of how much God loves you and wants to protect you from abuse. Dig deeper into the Bible and uncover more truths. God wants to show you so much more.