Is Asherah God's wife?

Sometime last week, I received a link from a friend linking me to this article on whether God has a wife: click here. Now, this is of course, old news- It has been tried before. And I'm sure, even before that. But of course, it is a good way to boost ratings for a new show. Surely someone has to compete with the History's Channel specials on Aliens and the Bible! And what better way to do it than to claim that the eternal, self-sufficient God, of the Old and New Testament, has a wife. But if you want stories about God having a wife and what not, look no further than here. So, did the Old Testament writers attempt to remove "God's wife" Asherah from the Bible. Negative. Actually, the Bible has lots to say about Asherah. It attempts to hide nothing because there is nothing to hide. 

This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire.- Deuteronomy 7:5

Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles- Exodus 34:13

You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place.- Deuteronomy 12:3

The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Judges 3:7

Now on the same night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it- Judges 6:25

and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down." -Judges 6:26

For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger.- 1 Kings 14:15

He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron.- 1 Kings 15:13

Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.- 1 Kings 16:33

Nevertheless they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. 2 Kings 13:6

Furthermore, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. Then he demolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah- 2 Kings 23:15 

But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God.- 2nd Chronicles 19:3

We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm- Jeremiah 44:17 

These are just some verses out of plenty more found in scripture on Asherah. 

Further, this archeological evidence found in Syria (of Asherah) provides a strong case for the historical accuracy of the Bible. 

Did God have Asherah as His wife? Negative.

Did the Israelites believe He did? It is possible that some did, especially when looking at Jeremiah 44:17. 

Was this encouraged by God or the prophets? Nay. It is condemned and blasphemous. 

In Christ, Awretchsaved