more than one wife?

[dannibear]

I posted this topic in the women forum,
but I realized this might be more appropriate
a topic for the Bible Study Hall forum. Im just gonna
copy and paste what I said in the other thread:

I was reading part of Genesis today, and I am confused
about the whole, 'having more than one wife thing'.
It talked about how Jacob marries both Leah and Rachel, and they
both sleep with him, and have kids through him.
But in this day and age, doing that would be absurd and looked
down upon...
and how about the two daughters that slept with their father
because no other men were around?
That's incest!!! But God didn't get angry with them either??
Why is that?

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[Shutterbug]

Good evening Danni;

1 Timothy 3:1-7

I recall two basic lines of thought: remarriage due to divorce; and, polgamy. There are scriptural examples of both. My feeling is that if the relationship of Adam and Eve can be used as a model, then we are obligated to trust God that he got it right by giving us one spouse, or perhaps no spouse. Our pride may cause us to find work around solutions and we can convince ourselves that it is justifiable because some of the saints did it. Well, none of it was done with God's blessings.

Cheers,
John

 

[ushalk]

i think the point that we need to see is one jacob was wronged by his uncle. two lots daughters thought there was no other man in the world that they could populate the earth. looking at gods understanding and grace in this is more important than what we see with our flesh eyes.

 

[Mark of Faith]

There are two issues here: (1) The marrying of multiple wives, and (2) the illegitimate relationships.

To tackle (1) first. In Old Testament times it was quite common practice for Jewish men to take more than one wife. There is no bar to this in the Law, nor the Prophets (as far as I am aware). The multiple marriages of Jacob, David etc. were quite legal and above board. Solomon got into hot-water with his many wives, but this is because they were foreign (non-believers), not because of their number.
The practice of monogamy seems to come from the references in Timothy and Titus, where an elder or a deacon "should be the husband of one wife." Nowhere in Scripture, as far as I am aware, does this extend to laity.
It is possible that the generally accepted norm of monogamy came about because of Rome's rather prohibitive attitude towards sex, which still includes the forbiddance of marriage for "priests". Of course, these days the monogamy practice is enshrined in law in many nations, and we would do well to obey the authorities in this matter.

(2) Illegitimate relationships. There are many instances where God's people disobeyed God by indulging in wicked practices. I have already mentioned Solomon's mistake of marrying non-Jews. And your example of Lot's daughters is another. It is perhaps worth noting that the offspring from that incest became the most wicked nations in Canaan and were perpetual enemies of Israel. Lot had no idea he was sleeping with his daughters, it was trickery and deceit.

God bless,
Mark.

 

[stephen]

More than one wife?

Indeed not...A pagan idea...embracing alien peoples without Jesus, and without hope.

The New T. exhorts that a man 'cleave to his wife' the word 'cleave' means to stick like glue.

All other ideas are of man...of the flesh...

 

[dannibear]

ah, thank you for your answers, they helped
cleared things a lot ^-^

 

[RJ]

Don't use the Old Testament for your guide on how to live your life now. You live under the New Testament and marriage is one man and one woman, no incest, no same sex marriages under God.

 

[dannibear]

I already know that, and that's what confused me.
I knew just one husband was allowed, and I wondered,
How come these people were allowed to have more than one.

 

[Disciplette]

Long-suffering...

There are a couple of issues here. You are saying that God did not get mad at them. Well, for Pete's sake! He is long-suffering! He was that way with you. He is that way with them. A lot of things are recorded in the Word, but that does not mean that God is happy with what people did. It records what people did. God tells you what He thinks. God tells you what is correct in His eyes. He allows you to make mistakes or walk with Him.

David had many wives. That is not God's way, or blessing. Why is God so long-suffering? That is the real question.

 

[Boanerges]

Back in those days (Old Testament) the population was relatively small. Large families meant many hands to help and that brought provision and security.
There are of course no examples of any Christians adhering to this practice and the guidelines for the biblical office of Bishop (1 Timothy 3:2) is being the husband of one wife.

 

[Shutterbug]

Another issue is that of the Ministry - can a divorced man become ordained? Or, should he settle with a lower place on the totem pole?

The extremists would say Never, and anyone suggesting otherwise would be accused of polyamy in the form of "one wife at a time". On their part, the extremists may defend living common-law as not being formally married and therefore still eligible for the Ministry.

At what point can we draw a reasonable line without straying?

If I recall correctly, both of Lot's daughters became mothers of nations, but neither were blessed spiritually.

Cheers,
John