• Biblical Families is not a dating website. It is a forum to discuss issues relating to marriage and the Bible, and to offer guidance and support, not to find a wife. Click here for more information.

Nothing good ever came from polygamy... .

frederick said:
Multiple times throughout the Bible God identifies Himself as the "God of Israel" or the "Lord God of Israel" and Israel is the nation descended from Jacob and his four wives. Passages such as Psalm 72:18 make this distinction most specific: Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things!

Because the world has been so thoroughly duped and blinded as to who God is, they miss the blessedness of God speaking of Himself as the God of a polygamous family.
Click to expand...
I love your whole post, but this indeed is an amazing subsection! Speaking ill of polygyny is to speak ill of, if not outright curse the God of Israel! I was going to write a post for my blog on Ruth 4:11, but this is even better! May I quote you? I'll use both!
 
frederick said:
The more I think about that question, the more it troubles me. It's the wrong question because polygamy isn't differentiated from monogamy as though they were opposing standards for marital relationships. God doesn't speak any differently about the outcome from the union of a man with one wife over another of his wives. Multiple times throughout the Bible God identifies Himself as the "God of Israel" or the "Lord God of Israel" and Israel is the nation descended from Jacob and his four wives. Passages such as Psalm 72:18 make this distinction most specific: Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things!

Because the world has been so thoroughly duped and blinded as to who God is, they miss the blessedness of God speaking of Himself as the God of a polygamous family.

So in answer to you church leader's challenge @Sand Bee, I'd say God speaks of Himself in a most positive manner when He refers to Himself as the God of Israel; a nation descended from Jacob's family. And woe to anyone who speaks against the God of Israel. Shalom
Click to expand...
That is a very good point. The Bible doesn't really seem to distinguish between monogamy and polygamy. The Bible just deals with marriage. God declares marriage good and He blesses it. Polygamy and monogamy are both simply marriage.
 
I've generally pointed to the sons (and subsequent tribes of Israel) that didn't come from Leah (Jacob's first wife).

Would you prefer that Joseph was never born? He was clearly a positive product of polygyny.

I also tend to point to the life of Samuel. Hannah was pretty clearly the second wife of Elkanah.

I like Sand Bee's response better than mine.
 
Bartato said:
The Bible doesn't really seem to distinguish between monogamy and polygamy. The Bible just deals with marriage.
Click to expand...
Once people see this, it makes the commandment against adultery much simpler. They don't have to do theological gymnastics to account for God's rebuke of David for taking Bathsheba but not for having taken Abigail and Ahinoam in quick succession (cf. 1 Sam. 25:42-43).
 
I normally give a soap box speech…..Is not Gods approval built into the whole book/ metaphor? Generally create the males with at least an intrinsic ability to care for (and thus love) multiple women and some do, some are forced there, some want it, some celebrate it, some abuse it. Create the women with an intrinsic desire for one man, to care for him, some accomplish this and they are honored, some don’t and they are often protected. Command the men to rule and lead in obedience. Clearly demonstrate the nature of marriage is good and give good examples of all acceptable types in scripture.

Now that brings us to the present situation. It’s clear from history which sex has ruled most households. Do you think it would EVER happen that a polygynous society would forbid monogamous marriage? It wouldn’t happen. A man wanting to wholeheartedly go all in with one woman would be VERY acceptable. This is why we see both types in scripture, because as a culture they were far more mature than us. As someone who had trouble originally seeing it was good, I now find myself asking how I missed it before?

Morally-required or glorified monogamy actually strips the romance from the man that does go all in with one, especially if we (men) are made intrinsically in the image and those men are liars. I suppose a man that gives that, not required by the law, and honestly, understanding his own nature and Gods whole law….he would be giving the something special that romance seekers really want….

You see, they are required to teach Gods law, to protect their ‘love’ for their wife and our love for ours. If they don’t teach it, and don’t support those that do, they are undermining both monogyny and polygyny. Anyway, yeah. Did you know that most business partnerships fail?

Adam and Eve were told to ‘GET!’ but The Spirit and the Bride say ‘COME!’. It opens and closes with a couple…..a couple of profound concepts that can only be misunderstood in a blatant non-biblical culture like ours. The paths will be made straight again.
 
SonoLumen said:
I normally give a soap box speech…..
Click to expand...
So do I and appreciate your input here. I find the comment above generally comes toward the end of the discussion as they find they've got no truly biblical foundation to uphold their monogamy-only position. Before I part with them, if I can, I want to leave them with a short sharp challenge exposing their error; something they won't forget too easily.
 
frederick said:
So do I and appreciate your input here. I find the comment above generally comes toward the end of the discussion as they find they've got no truly biblical foundation to uphold their monogamy-only position. Before I part with them, if I can, I want to leave them with a short sharp challenge exposing their error; something they won't forget too easily.
Click to expand...
I've been mulling over doing something similar in a place other than church. Perhaps it's because sometimes other organizations can start behaving as if they're churches: exclusive clubs that feel comfortable micromanaging one's thoughts by regulating how they're to be expressed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top