Multiple Wives

[MK202002]

Tell me, is it a worse sin to have multiple wives at the same time, or multiple wives, just at diffrent times?

1 Corinthians 7:10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife

So, one spouse or none, huh? Not on to the next one? Yes, multiple wives has and will always be wrong. Look at all the negitive consequenses it had in the bible. Sisters hated each other, (Rachel and Leah), it was the down fall of Solomon (the huge harem).

God would never ask us to handle more than one set of in-laws. That's just cruel.

You are, I assume, not referring to widows and widowers here, right?

No, I'm not refering to them.

[yomotalking]

I don't think that God ever okayed multiple wives.

[Smalcald]

Tell me, is it a worse sin to have multiple wives at the same time, or multiple wives, just at diffrent times?

1 Corinthians 7:10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife

So, one spouse or none, huh? Not on to the next one? Yes, multiple wives has and will always be wrong. Look at all the negitive consequenses it had in the bible. Sisters hated each other, (Rachel and Leah), it was the down fall of Solomon (the huge harem).

God would never ask us to handle more than one set of in-laws. That's just cruel.

You are, I assume, not referring to widows and widowers here, right?

No, I'm not refering to them.

Sin is sin, spiritually there is no such thing as "worse sin", so it would be the same.

But the fact is today, when we see multiple wives it is usually a bunch of these gross men with fourteen year old girls they are called Mormon fundamentalists, and it is really just child abuse. So in a civil not spiritual sense, multiple wives are worse. I hope they shut down those guys who are practicing that and put them where they belong, in prison.

[Lionroot]

If you notice, the first person to have more than one wife was from the line of Cain. Ive often wondered if that too was an indication that it isnt what God intended.

The first mention tent dwelling herdsmen, musicians, and also the use if brass and iron are all first mentioned in the same line of Cain. Does that besmirch these activities? Should we avoid such activities because they were first practiced by the desendants of Cain?

And to follow that line of reasoning with monogamy...

...the first person to have only one wife brought sin and death into the world, and the next one was a murderer, who killed his own brother in cold blood.

I think it is pretty clear that this just is not sound reasoning.

God Bless,

Robert

And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one [was] Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and [of such as have] cattle. And his brother's name [was] Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain [was] Naamah.

[Lionroot]

If he has three wives, than he's already commiting adultery.

So how is it that David was not accused of Adultery until he messed with Uriah's wife?

The scripture says:

David did [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any [thing] that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

So how can this be, seeing as you say such a man is "already commiting adultery"?

After all God knew he had other wives, after all He gave them to David.

I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

It seems unlikely the LORD would have created an adulterous situation for David.

Something to think about.

God Bless,

Robert

[Lionroot]

The Bible does also say that God "winked" at sin in times past.

Paul was addressing pagans. God never winked at the sins of the Israelites.

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

Act 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Act 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

[Lionroot]

Not that I'm a polygamist, but if there was something wrong with having multiple wives in and of itself, why didnt God instead take this opportunity to say, "thou shalt not have multiple wives"?

Instead, he gives a commandment to ensure that the first born son gets the inheritance regardless of who the mother is.

I am not either. As I wrote before God didnt wink at the Hebrews he told them clearly what He expected. Its nice to know there are others who let the scripture speak for itself.

God Bless,

Robert

[Guest shiloh357]

There is of course, the flipside, namely what is it like to be one of many wives. I mean it seems to work out for the man IF you live in a culture where women are chattel and have less value than your prize Stallion.

Women in "multiple wife" situations were always in competition. Some will be favored over others. Some will be showered with gifts and extra "quality time," and others basically ignored. This competition would be readily seen among the children of the wives who would want their child to be retain a more favored status. There was constant in-fighting among the women. Even Hagar who was not a wife of Abram began making fun of Sarah for being barren. Hannah the mother Samuel was also ridiculed by her "fellow wife" for her barrenness.

There was a pecking order. Fertile women who produced sons were held in higher esteem than those who produced daughters, and if you were barren or sickly, forget it. Multiple wife situations usually meant that less attractive, less fertile women were treated like trash.

Can you imagine what the women went through trying to jockey favor for their children?

Funny how it is usually men who are like, "Gee I don't see anything wrong with lots of wives."

[Lionroot]

There is of course, the flipside, namely what is it like to be one of many wives. I mean it seems to work out for the man IF you live in a culture where women are chattel and have less value than your prize Stallion.

Is that how the men of God viewed women?

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price [is] far above rubies.

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

[Floatingaxe]

Ever read the Talmud? Women were considered less than animals.