Polygamy in the Bible - Page 7

Rico · #61 08-05-2008, 10:58 PM

Why any man would want to put up with more than one woman, especially an American one, is beyond me.

Aquila · #62 08-05-2008, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

God established laws to regulate a man-made practice, but He did not institute polygamy anymore than He instituted slavery. There are lots of laws that regulate the practice of slavery, and how a "master" should treat his slaves, but that doesn't mean slavery is right. And it's most certainly not a reflection of biblical ideals and principles, both OT and NT.

God's Law is pretty clear. He nowhere illustrates that polygamy or slavery is specifically wrong in and of itself. Abraham is never called an adulterer specifically on account of polygamy. Neither is Jacob, Isaac, Moses, David, Solomon, or various kings of Israel. In fact God's Law commands it in regards to Levirate Marriage. These men are praised throughout the Scriptures.

If something were absolutely sinful God wouldn't permit it at all, let alone command it for any circumstance.

Now, this doesn't mean that polygamy works. Nor does it mean that polygamy is a NT practice. Clearly by the time of the NT monogamy was held in high regard and Paul appears to uphold monogamous principles.

Aquila · #63 08-05-2008, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico

Why any man would want to put up with more than one woman, especially an American one, is beyond me.

Very good point. Another reason why polygamy wouldn't work in today's society is the liberated mindset of women. In the OT women were essentially property, they could be sold, traded, married into harems, or even sold into concubinage. Women had very little say. That's why polygamy is mostly found in closed and controlled groups.

ILG · #64 08-06-2008, 07:37 AM

In the beginning, God gave Adam one wife, Eve. He didn't add Jane or Sally and tell Adam to have fun since populating the earth would be easier with more wives.

Thank God for that. After that, men took the reigns and decided that they knew better than God on the subject and thought things would be better with more than one wife. (More wives equals more sex.) The Bible bears out that there is much jealousy with polygamy. I think the Bible does not condemn it or women who are in polygamous situations, yet hated, would be thrown out on their ear. I think we can view this as a protection of women and not a condoning of polygamy. Since God made Adam one wife and said that only men of one wife can be leaders, that tells you that men who have more than one wife are not leadership material and not in the perfect will of God. End of story.

LUKE2447 · #65 08-06-2008, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico

Why any man would want to put up with more than one woman, especially an American one, is beyond me.

YEP! This type of culture with it's type of laws would be bad, VERY bad!

LUKE2447 · #66 08-06-2008, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILG

In the beginning, God gave Adam one wife, Eve. He didn't add Jane or Sally and tell Adam to have fun since populating the earth would be easier with more wives.

Thank God for that. After that, men took the reigns and decided that they knew better than God on the subject and thought things would be better with more than one wife. (More wives equals more sex.) The Bible bears out that there is much jealousy with polygamy. I think the Bible does not condemn it or women who are in polygamous situations, yet hated, would be thrown out on their ear. I think we can view this as a protection of women and not a condoning of polygamy. Since God made Adam one wife and said that only men of one wife can be leaders, that tells you that men who have more than one wife are not leadership material and not in the perfect will of God. End of story.

Sorry but marriage either fails or lives by the PEOPLE in the marriage not the style.

I guess David was not a great leader or Moses or Abraham or or or..... Your logic fails!

Baron1710 · #67 08-06-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

Sorry but marriage either fails or lives by the PEOPLE in the marriage not the style.

I guess David was not a great leader or Moses or Abraham or or or..... Your logic fails!

Abraham probably remarried after Sarah died, and Hagar wasn't his wife yet we know how that relationship worked out.

To attribute to Moses 2 wives is to read into Scripture and assume that the wife that Aaron and Miriam complained about was not Zipporah.

So that leaves you with David.

However your point was well taken that leadership is not the issue.

LUKE2447 · #68 08-06-2008, 08:13 AM

Baron I would disagree but it doesn't matter anyway.

Baron1710 · #69 08-06-2008, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

Baron I would disagree but it doesn't matter anyway.

Disagree with what?

Aquila · #70 08-06-2008, 08:16 AM

Actually in time God did add additional women to the population. And yes, men took the reigns and decided to have more than one wife. But here’s the deal…God never forbade them from taking more than one wife. I think that it’s hard to understand the ancient worldview in our modern sexualized society. We by default think that polygamy is about more sex. But in reality that was a very small part of it. Again, women were viewed as property. Having more than one wife was a sort of status symbol (today we judge people by their homes or automobiles). Having many children was considered a blessing and ensured the family dynasty. Many children provided many additional workers and hands to tend crops and lands. Children were also a form of “social security”, the children cared for their aging parents. So the more children the more prosperous one’s old age would be and the less of a burden aging parents would be on their children. It also provided care and for the needs of women. A single woman couldn’t just go out and get a career and support herself. A single woman was most likely going to end up being sold into slavery or prostitution (and sadly for women there wasn’t much of a difference). I imagine that one could argue that polygamy developed out of social necessity. Today the only real “benefit” (I speak as a man of flesh and blood) that it would provide is multiple partners with which to fulfill one’s desires. I predict that if there were a massive war in which the entire world system was devastated and an agrarian clan like society developed in the ruins of our modern world we’d see a resurgence of polygamy based on necessity and survival.

God doesn’t condemn polygamy. In the Scriptures marriage wasn’t a “static institution” in ancient times. Marriage was viewed more like a contractual agreement between nations, families, and couples. The husband was to provide for necessities and protection and the woman was to provide him with conjugal rights and children. The stipulations of that contract were primarily determined by the individuals involved. For example Sarah gives her servant Hagar to Abraham. That was agreed upon by them both, therefore it wasn’t “adultery” in that it didn’t violate the marriage contract, nor did it attempt to take from another man what was his. That’s why Abraham wasn’t condemned as an adulterer. David had wives and concubines; however David is only condemned for adultery when he secretly takes Uriah’s wife; again taking property that wasn’t his. God’s concern appears to be with maintaining the marriage contract (covenant), not necessarily the forms it might take. Even concubinage was primarily viewed as a contract with limited entitlements, rights, and obligations. The stipulations of the marriage contract were determined primarily by the husband (sometimes with the participation of first wife). We have to understand how marriage was viewed, what it provided, and how it was observed in ancient times to fully understand the development and practice of polygamy in the Bible.