@Earth_is- recently had a post on the fact that a man does not need his wife's permission in order to take an additional wife.
I generally agree with his statement on Biblical moral law, but think there are exceptions (and one probably includes a majority of us).
The Gibeonites may illustrate such an exception. God seems to require us to keep (at least certain) improper vows.
Most married men made a vow of monogamy at the wedding (vow to forsake all others). We made this vow in ignorance. We did not properly understand the Biblical definition of marriage. We had been misled by our parents, teachers, broader culture, churches, and pastors.
We were wrong to make such a vow.
Nonetheless, we made it.
I believe the wife can (and should) release her husband (and lord) from this improper vow. She may be sinning if she refuses to release him.
Still, unless released, I think that vow should still be honored.
The vow made by Joshua (and Israel) to the Gibeonites was not only improper, it actually violated God's command to cleanse the promised land of all Canaanites. This vow was sinful in that it prohibited Israel from obeying God's direct command.
Apparently that didn't matter once the vow was made. Israel had to honor it.
Later on, king Saul tried to eradicate the Gibeonites (explained in 2nd Samuel 21) and this brought bloodguilt and judgement onto Israel.
It's very strange.
1.God said to wipe out the Canaanites (including Gibeonites).
2. Israel made a covenant with the Gibeonites.
3. Centuries later, Saul tries to wipe out the Ginbeonites.
4. God punished Israel for this, and relents after seven of Saul's sons and grandsons were put to death for the crime.
If God required Israel to keep a covenant vow that directly violated His instructions, we are also probably bound by our marriage vows in a similar way.
Thoughts![Thinking face :thinking: 🤔](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f914.png)
I generally agree with his statement on Biblical moral law, but think there are exceptions (and one probably includes a majority of us).
The Gibeonites may illustrate such an exception. God seems to require us to keep (at least certain) improper vows.
Most married men made a vow of monogamy at the wedding (vow to forsake all others). We made this vow in ignorance. We did not properly understand the Biblical definition of marriage. We had been misled by our parents, teachers, broader culture, churches, and pastors.
We were wrong to make such a vow.
Nonetheless, we made it.
I believe the wife can (and should) release her husband (and lord) from this improper vow. She may be sinning if she refuses to release him.
Still, unless released, I think that vow should still be honored.
The vow made by Joshua (and Israel) to the Gibeonites was not only improper, it actually violated God's command to cleanse the promised land of all Canaanites. This vow was sinful in that it prohibited Israel from obeying God's direct command.
Apparently that didn't matter once the vow was made. Israel had to honor it.
Later on, king Saul tried to eradicate the Gibeonites (explained in 2nd Samuel 21) and this brought bloodguilt and judgement onto Israel.
It's very strange.
1.God said to wipe out the Canaanites (including Gibeonites).
2. Israel made a covenant with the Gibeonites.
3. Centuries later, Saul tries to wipe out the Ginbeonites.
4. God punished Israel for this, and relents after seven of Saul's sons and grandsons were put to death for the crime.
If God required Israel to keep a covenant vow that directly violated His instructions, we are also probably bound by our marriage vows in a similar way.
Thoughts
![Thinking face :thinking: 🤔](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f914.png)