Page 27 - The Marriage Covenant

Foundation Stone Three - Lawful Polygamy

am certain that the title of this chapter will cause many an eyebrow to be raised, but it is
Inecessary to understand what the Scriptures teach concerning a man having more than
one wife in order to understand the topic of divorce, remarriage, and adultery. I feel as
strongly the influence of the culture I am a part of as any man. There is ever a tendency to
look upon issues with a very nearsighted focus. We expect that our experience is the same
as all men in all cultures at all times, but we are far from the truth when we assume such
things.
This teaching is focused upon a BIBLICAL concept of the marriage covenant. I am not
seeking to declare that which is socially acceptable, nor the orthodox teaching of the hour.
My desire is to know the mind of Yahweh, and to accurately disclose it. I am very much in
debt to those who have been praying for me that I might have insight and understanding
in these matters, for even as recently as yesterday afternoon, I had no thought about writing
this particular chapter. However, after the Father divinely ordered my steps and
conversation last night, I find that this is most certainly a part of this teaching that cannot
be skipped over. To do so will lead to many erroneous conclusions.
In sharing some of these things with my daughter Kristin last night, she commented,
“Dad, that is wacky!” What I will share is truly out of synch with the mindset of the culture
we live in. Neither are these things taught in the church. I do not doubt, therefore, that
some will experience a similar reaction to that of my daughter. I only ask that you test all
that is shared here against Scriptures, taking the word of God as the measure of truth,
rather than our common experiences.
Throughout the Old Testament we find that polygamy was practiced on a frequent
basis. Polygamy can refer to either a man or a woman having more than one spouse,
however, only a man was allowed to have more than one spouse in Scriptures. The woman
who had more than one spouse was considered an adulteress, and under the Law of Moses
the penalty for adultery was death by stoning. The first mention of a man with more than
one wife is found as early as the fourth chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 4:19-20
And Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name
of the other, Zillah.

There is nothing in this verse indicating whether this act of polygyny (a man having
more than one wife) was approved, or disapproved by God. It is simply mentioned as a
statement of fact.
One of the next mentions of a man having more than one wife is in the life of
Abraham. When Sarah was barren, and advancing in age, she suggested to her husband
Abraham that he take her handmaiden, Hagar the Egyptian, and go in to her to raise up
offspring. Hagar, in this way became the wife of Abraham. Some may argue that Abraham
having sexual relations with Hagar, did not make her his wife, yet the Scriptures reveal that
women who entered into relationships with a man in this way were indeed considered to
be the wife of the man.
Two generations after Abraham, we read of Jacob marrying two sisters, Leah and
Rachel. Each of these sisters had a handmaid which they likewise presented to Jacob to