WEDNESDAY September 11, 2019
The Problems with Polygamy
Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and so both of them were his wives. But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
1 Samuel 25:41-44
In response to David’s proposal, Abigail, in humility, willingly left Carmel to be David’s wife. Despite David’s honorable proposal of marriage to Abigail, we see another weakness in his life––he added to himself wives.
David’s first wife Michal was given to another man––Palti. It is believed, before his marriage to Abigail, Ahinoama Jezreelitebecame his wife. She was the mother of David’s first son––Amnon. When the Amalekites attacked Ziklag, David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive (1 Samuel 30:5). However, after inquiring of the Lord, David and His men rescued all who were taken by the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:8-19).
In the Old Testament, men were living in disobedience to God’s plan for marriage. God created Adam and Eve, one man and one woman (Genesis 2). David, along with other men in the Bible, chose to have more than one wife––polygamy. However, David’s son, King Solomon, had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1Kings 11:1-3). Can you imagine trying to please all these women? Imagine the jealousy among all these women. In the New Testament, do you remember what Jesus taught those who questioned Him on the subject of marriage and divorce?
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
~Matthew 19:4-6~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!