Polygamy

I think this is mistaken. Jesus states "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" in Matthew 19:4,5. He says wife in the singular not the plural.

In Proverbs 5 starting with verse 18 we read "18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfyc thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love."

Again wife in the singular. Yes, polygamy was practiced in the old testament times, but I do not see it as of God. Abraham taking Sarah's maid resulted in the birth of a child that was the precursor of the Arab world. The child of the promise is the progenitor of Israel. Much blood has been shed over that detour from God's will.

Isaac had one wife. Jacob had more, but Jacob had his issues as well as a young man. I wouldn't read into the this that God condones this action so much as he simply let it happen.

It is an interesting study in the grace of God to see the people that He chose for prominent places in His plan for the world. As we are on the subject of multiple wives, look at Bathsheba. Not David's first or second wife. Taken by the King while she was another's wife. David had her husband killed and took her as his wife when he found out that she was pregnant. That child died as a consequence of David's sin. But her next child by David was chosen above his half-brothers to be the next King of Israel. Maybe as something of a consolation to Bathsheba?

Solomon was blessed with wisdom above that given to any man before or since. Despite that he definitely strayed from the Lord over his life. Took many wives and enjoyed much excess. For his sin the kingdom was split during the reign of his son.

The actions of the characters of the old testament are not always a good example for us to follow. Sometimes they are there to show us what NOT to do.

Dave

 

Whooooaaa! Now if God ever curses a man with me, and then that man decides he needs another wife or two, well I'm sorry, but I'd make myself a widow!! (aka, break the sixth commandment! )
The picture of marriage God intends for us is one man and one woman till death do they part. It's a picture of Christ and His bride.

 

The verse you quote is saying that God does not approve of it, but he blessed any way. God does this all the time, like I knew of a woman who well commited adultry alot, she was a harlet. Well, she was doing something wrong there, but she had a son out of wedlock, even though God does not approve of how this child got here, he used this man, who is now a great man of God. I love to hear him tell his testimony. How he was a small boy living on the wrong side of the tracks. And it was in August and a man (from our church) came to his home and invited him to Vacation Bible School. And his mother really didn't care what he did, so he came to VBS, and through that he got saved and is now serving God faithfully. See so God blesses even when the situation isn't according to his word, he can bless, so he did not approve of polygomy but, he did bless through Jacob, and others and made a great nation.

 

Church leaders are to be the husband of one wife.

As much as I think I might like having two or three husbands (it may not be as great as it sounds), God said that a man should leave his mother and father and cleave to his spouse. I think it was singular.

 

God allows us to do a lot of stupid stuff Katie, but it doesn't mean He endorses it or is the author of such evil.

Abortion
Murder
Sex outside marriage
Divorce
Drug use
Drinking and driving
Adultery

 

We thought about it and now our brains hurt.

 

I already want 6 children, plus my future husband that is 7, and to have another???? I know I am a brave person, but even we brave have limitations!

 

The truth is Jacob loved Rachael.
The truth is Rachael and Leah battled for the prime spot of bearing children, and Leah, whom Jacob didn't love like that, was the one who bore the children initially.

The truth is Rachael, who Jacob worked for 7 years twice to obtain, was the one who bore Joseph, who was the heir to the blessing.

So, tell me, is polygamy right?

 

Well, yea! That is, if you're a walrus.

 

As a couple you folks have already indicated in previous postings, God PERMITS His people to do lots of things that may not be something He necessarily APPROVES.

Simply because the Bible records a deed done by one of His children doesn't mean that He smiles with approval on it.

Why does He then permit such things? The reasons could be multiplied, but often times God does it just to demonstrate His grace and His power to turn some of man's disobedient actions around for His glory.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

Did God APPROVE of Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery? I see no scripture that indicates He did, yet had that not happened, the children of Israel may have perished in the drought and subsequent famine that overtook that part of the world.

Did God APPROVE of Moses acting on his own accord when he killed that Egyptian? Again, I see no scripture saying that he did, yet this was the incident that prompted Moses to flee Egypt to live in that area through which later on in his life he would lead the children of Israel.

Look at the listing of the "Heroes of Faith" in Hebrews 11. Every last one of them had times when they disobeyed God. Yet, in spite of that, God in His grace and mercy chose to use them to accomplish something great for His glory.

Finally, let's all look at ourselves. Have we perfectly obeyed every command that His Word instructs us? I'll be the very first one to answer in a resounding "NO WAY!"

Moreover, it is God who desires us to have that fellowship restored when we step out of His will.

I'm SO thankful that the Blood of Christ is STILL both powerful and readily available to cleanse me of ALL my unrighteousness!

Aren't you?