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Were the people in the old testament allowed to have multiple wives?

Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by xdisciplex, Sep 19, 2006.

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  1. xdisciplex

    xdisciplex New Member

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    And did God accept this? Why did he accept this? :confused:
     
    #1 xdisciplex, Sep 19, 2006
  2. El_Guero

    El_Guero New Member

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    Depends upon whether or not they had a Pastor to disciple them or not . . .

    Which town . . .

    You have asked for a godly pastor, but we cannot hunt a godly pastor if you don't participate . . . .
     
    #2 El_Guero, Sep 19, 2006
  3. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    Just because events happened in the bible does not mean that God was pleased with them nor ordained them.

    The bible is clear about marital fidelity and how marriage is to represent Christ and the church. The book of Genesis even states that man (singular) shall leave his family and cleave to his wife (singular) and they (the two of them) shall be one flesh.

    Yes, they were plenty of polygamous relationships in the bible and there are even today.

    Jacob had two wives. He loved Rachel because she was beautiful and he hated Leah because she was physically unattractive to him and he was "tricked" by her father into marriage with her......the bible says so. Jacob was a deceiver himself and he met his match with Laban and it made him mad and the bible says he hated Leah for it.

    He also had children by women that he wasn't even married to.

    Did God just shut his eyes and ignore it? No.

    Did God not saying anything to Jacob about it mean that God approved of it all....the deceit, having multiple sexual partners, the hatred of fellow human beings? No.

    Mankind has a free will to engage in whatever behavior he chooses. We aren't puppets on strings. We make mistakes and we choose our lifestyles and we must live with all consequences.

    Sometimes God blesses his people in spite of their lifestyles. Can I explain why that happens?

    No.

    But God's will prevails, whether mankind and womankind lines up with his will or not.

    God did not bless Jacob and his family because of their lifestyles, but in spite of it.

    Does this mean that we can live any old way we want to and expect that God will just bless us anyway?

    NO. That's a very sinful act of testing God. Pushing the boundaries and hoping that He won't do anything about it.

    Instead, we should live a pleasing life inside the boundaries and hope that His name is glorified in our lives.

    Jacob eventually did turn to God in submission. And he honored the wife that he dishonored for all those many years by burying her, when she died, with his parents Isaac/Rebekah and his grandparents Abraham/Sarah. She was the only "wife" thusly honored.

    That's the best answer I can give you.
     
    #3 Scarlett O., Sep 19, 2006
  4. Hope of Glory

    Hope of Glory New Member

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    Although condemnation of polygyny is not present in the Bible, condemnation of polyandry is.
     
    #4 Hope of Glory, Sep 20, 2006
  5. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    I think the condemnation of polygamy in the Bible is implicit in the following:
    1. The fact that all the men with multiple wives got into trouble and had many sorrows due to this.
    2. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Eve and Joan and Jill and Lucy all at one time, or many women for Adam.
    3. Jesus spoke of a man leaving his family for a wife (not wives) and always only spoke of marriage in terms of one man and one woman.
    4. We see no Christian men with more than one wife in the NT; the OT should always be seen in the light of the NT. In other words, the NT is the last word on the doctrine and practices of a Christian.

    Scarlett O. - good post! :thumbs:
     
    #5 Marcia, Sep 20, 2006
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