Husband’s Duty to His Wife
The Bible tells man what should be his behavior toward his wife, and a Christian must live and do just what the Bible says, without any modifications. The reader has already agreed with me that to have a Christian experience is to live a Christian life.
The husband is to regard the wife as the weaker vessel, and thus give her honor, support, and protection. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7) The husband must look upon his wife with respect, and because of her feminine sensitiveness have an especial care for her in spiritual things, and be her support in temporal things. Women have trials peculiar to their own sex, and a husband can scarce be called a husband, much less a Christian, that neglects to console and comfort them and throw as much joy and sunlight into their lives as possible. When Hannah wept because she had no son, her husband sought to comfort her with these words: “Why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?” (1 Sam. 1:8) May God help husbands to so dwell with their wives that when the wife is in discouragement and sorrow they can cheer them by recounting their love, devotion, and goodness to them—Why is thy heart grieved? am I not good and kind to thee?
Husbands must love their wives as themselves. “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 5:28-29) The care Jesus exercises in nourishing and cherishing the church is illustrative of the care the husband should manifest in nourishing and cherishing his wife. “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” (Colossians 3:19) All hasty, sharp, cross, unkind, cutting, bitter words are forever put away by the Christian husband, who loves his wife. Cross, hasty words are not the fruit of a Christian spirit; and if you have not ceased from them, God has better things for you.