Marriage: Old Testament and NOW

[krynn9000]

Ok I have a good question. It has always made me wonder (bothered me really) why men had multiple wives in the old testament. Can anyone really explain to me why polygamy was considered acceptable by God in the OT? At what point exactly did we as Christians transition to strict monogamy?

Why do you think this change was made? Does polygamy imply that men and women of the OT were not regarded equally?

[Kurieuo]

Where does God support polygamy? Don't be fooled by those who promote such a position—they have biasses perhaps only known to them for why their hearts are hardened against seeing God's loving ideal for us within His monogamous design.

Now I only find examples of polygyny in Scripture. I further read much heartache and jealousy was caused due to these polygynous relationships (e.g., Abraham's wife got jealous, David kills the husband whose wife he slept with). I also do not find anywhere in Scripture which forthrightly reveals God accepted polygyny, rather what I see is God tolerating it. Christ also says:

4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." (Matthew 19)

Kurieuo

[krynn9000]

Wow I see what you are saying. In the OT we simply have many Isrealites practicing polygamy, but nowhere did God have a provision for this.

Personally I never said that I favored it, I am against the practice of course. I was trying to figure out why it seems common in the OT.

So my statement that polygamy doesn't place men and women on equal footing would be true then wouldn't it?

[IRQ Conflict]

krynn, God is a jealous God. He no more wants polygamy than idolatry.

Men and women are to be equals, that is right. Although Men are charged with the responsibility of being the 'head of the house' as Christ is the head of the church. Over time too many men have abused that authority. They will be judged accordingly, rest assured.

His natural laws reflect His spiritual laws and are a shadow of things to come.

Mal 2:15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.

Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (note singular)

[ryo dokomi]

then i have a question for you. this subject also confused me. David was a man after God's own heart. and i do know that he sined (i.e. Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband) but he still had 3 wives.

one was the daughter of Saul, Michal.
another was obviously Bathsheba.
and there was also the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, Abigail.
Ahinoam.
Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.
Eglah.
Haggith.

2 Sam. 3:2-5

((if im wrong, tell me))

[IRQ Conflict]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

[BGoodForGoodSake]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

You are full of assumptions aren't you?
Matthew 25:1-13

[bizzt]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

You are full of assumptions aren't you?
Matthew 25:1-13

BGood the BrideGroom is a Newly Married Man so the Virgins are probably Friends of the BrideGroom...

As noted here from Barnes

Which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom - The “lamps” used on such occasions were rather “torches” or “flambeaux.” They were made by winding rags around pieces of iron or earthenware, sometimes hollowed so as to contain oil, and fastened to handles of wood. These torches were dipped in oil, and gave a large light. Marriage “ceremonies” in the East were conducted with great pomp and solemnity. The ceremony of marriage was performed commonly in the open air, on the banks of a stream. Both the bridegroom and bride were attended by friends. They were escorted in a palanquin. carried by four or more persons. After the ceremony of marriage succeeded a feast of seven days if the bride was a virgin, or three days if she was a widow. This feast was celebrated in her father's house. At the end of that time the bridegroom conducted the bride with great pomp and splendor to his own home.
This was done in the evening, or at night, Jer_7:34; Jer_25:10; Jer_33:11. Many friends and relations attended them; and besides those who went with them from the house of the bride, there was another company that came out from the house of the bridegroom to meet them and welcome them. These were probably female friends and relatives of the bridegroom, who went out to welcome him and his new companion to their home. These are the virgins mentioned in this parable. Not knowing precisely the time when the procession would come, they probably went out early, and waited until they should see indications of its approach. In the celebration of marriage in the East at the present day, many of the special customs of ancient times are observed. “At a Hindu marriage,” says a modern missionary, “the procession of which I saw some years ago, the bridegroom came from a distance, and the bride lived at Serampore, to which place the bridegroom was to come by water. After waiting two or three hours, at length, near midnight, it was announced, in the very words of Scripture, 'Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.' All the persons employed now lighted their lamps, and ran with them in their hands to fill up their stations in the procession. Some of them had lost their lights and were unprepared, but it was then too late to seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward to the house of the bride, at which place the company entered a large and splendidly illuminated area before the house, covered with an awning, where a great multitude of friends, dressed in their best apparel, were seated upon mats. The bridegroom was carried in the arms of a friend, and placed in a superb seat in the midst of the company, where he sat a short time, and then went into the house, the door of which was immediately shut and guarded by sepoys. I and others expostulated with the doorkeepers, but in vain. Never was I so struck with our Lord's beautiful parable as at this moment - 'And the door was shut.'”
The journal of one of the American missionaries in Greece contains an account of an Armenian wedding which she attended; and, after describing the dresses and previous ceremonies, she says that at 12 o'clock at night precisely the cry was made by some of the attendants, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh;” and immediately five or six men set off to meet him.
Bridegroom - A newly-married man.

[BGoodForGoodSake]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

You are full of assumptions aren't you?
Matthew 25:1-13

BGood the BrideGroom is a Newly Married Man so the Virgins are probably Friends of the BrideGroom...

As noted here from Barnes

I stand corrected,
Thank you bizzt.

=)

Nevertheless I don't think there are any verses in the scripture which specifically condemn polygamy.

[bizzt]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

You are full of assumptions aren't you?
Matthew 25:1-13

BGood the BrideGroom is a Newly Married Man so the Virgins are probably Friends of the BrideGroom...

As noted here from Barnes

I stand corrected,
Thank you bizzt.

=)

Nevertheless I don't think there are any verses in the scripture which specifically condemn polygamy.

No problem

We can however say it is Implied for Man to have one wife

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

1Ti 3:12 Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1Ti 3:2 The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.

[ryo dokomi]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

i in no way agree with poligomy, just want to clear that up. i am just confused about why God doesnt do anything about it. especially with David, i mean he had more wifes than i could count, and he even had concubines. i just dont get why God didnt tell him that was bad...in fact, the only time God was displeased with him was when he had Uriah killed in battle for Bathsheba.

[bizzt]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

i in no way agree with poligomy, just want to clear that up. i am just confused about why God doesnt do anything about it. especially with David, i mean he had more wifes than i could count, and he even had concubines. i just dont get why God didnt tell him that was bad...in fact, the only time God was displeased with him was when he had Uriah killed in battle for Bathsheba.

I think this Describes it well.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4074.asp

[BGoodForGoodSake]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

i in no way agree with poligomy, just want to clear that up. i am just confused about why God doesnt do anything about it. especially with David, i mean he had more wifes than i could count, and he even had concubines. i just dont get why God didnt tell him that was bad...in fact, the only time God was displeased with him was when he had Uriah killed in battle for Bathsheba.

I think this Describes it well.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4074.asp

Don't you think some of this might be a stretch?
For instance Jacob being tricked into marrying Leah didn't stop him from taking two more wives.

[bizzt]

I haven't looked it up ryo, but any amount of wifes above one is against God and therfore wrong.

i in no way agree with poligomy, just want to clear that up. i am just confused about why God doesnt do anything about it. especially with David, i mean he had more wifes than i could count, and he even had concubines. i just dont get why God didnt tell him that was bad...in fact, the only time God was displeased with him was when he had Uriah killed in battle for Bathsheba.

I think this Describes it well.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4074.asp

Don't you think some of this might be a stretch?
For instance Jacob being tricked into marrying Leah didn't stop him from taking two more wives.

Jacob took 3 more after Leah
The Point being here BGood was it intended by God to be that way? Polygamy goes against the exact thing that God Said.

Gen 2:23 And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Every Instance I see in Scripture where there is more then 1 wife leads to Disaster and Despair.


I will leave it at this for there is really nothing more to say

Mat 19:6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Mat 19:7 They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away?
Mat 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so.
Mat 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery.