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God gave Man a Woman, or Women? How many wives did Adam have? In Gen.2:24 it says One. God took from his side to make one woman, he did not take two wives out from his side. Jesus in Mt.19 refers to this about marriage. In Gen. 2:18 “And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helpmate for him .” This is singular. V. 22 relates the creation of Eve, again showing that there was to be just one woman for each man. Jesus taught Mark 10:6-8 " But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'' 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 .” God always spoke of man's “wife,” as singular, not wives. Notice it also states one father one mother (Gen. 2:18, 22-23; Matt. 19:5-6; Eph. 5:31; I Cor. 7:2; Deut.17:17; I Tim.3:2, 12). God-established one woman for one man, this was to be the order for the human race throughout time (Gen. 4:1). Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living .” This was the first family of mankind. Adam was faithful to one wife his whole life. It wasn’t until man sinned, became fallen (Gen. 4:23) that polygamy occurred. This came from Lamech, a descendent of Cain. He is the first to practice polygamy, being the first to break God’s law of one man and one wife? The first time a polygamous relationship is found in the Bible is in a thriving rebellious society of sin; when a murderer named “Lamech [a descendant of Cain] took for himself two wives” (Gen.4:19, 23) Adah and Zillah. Polygamy was never a command of God, it was allowed as divorce was allowed (Mt.19:8). If there was ever a justification for polygamy it would be applied when Adam and Eve fell, or when Noah and his sons were commanded to populate the earth. Yet we see the set pattern of one woman and one man in marriage from the beginning. It is two persons in marriage just as it states. The same pattern is lived by Noah at the time of the Ark being built (Gen. 7:7). Noah took his one wife into the ark. All his son’s took their one wife; God called Noah’s family righteous and pure. If polygamy were ordained of God, it would have made sense that Noah and his sons would have taken additional wives with them to repopulate the earth faster? That’s human wisdom, but it is not God’s wisdom. The Bible clearly and decidedly states that God does not condone or allow the practice of polygamy over and over again. Are there exceptions, yes as when a brother dies having no children the living brother is to take his wife to produce children. (see Deut. 25:7; “sister-in-law,” Ruth 1:15) The law (Lev. 18:6–8) had a prohibition against marriage between a man and “any blood relative.” This would include marriage with a (1) mother, (2) stepmother, (3) sister or halfsister, (4) granddaughter, (5) daughter of a stepmother, (6) aunt, (7) wife or uncle on the father’s side, (8) daughter-in-law, (9) brother’s wife (unless he died childless) (Ungers bible dictionary) The patriarchs themselves took more than one wife. Abraham instigated by Sarah, took her maid as his secondary wife. Jacob was tricked by the duplicity of Laban and took Leah first to get Rachel, whom he had been betrothed to. Afterward, through the rivalry of the sisters, he took both their handmaids. From these examples many assume polygamy was not wrong in the mosaic law of the Jews. They are wrong, it was tolerated but never had God’s approval. Marriage is used in the OT to illustrate the relationship between God and the Jewish nation. Israel is portrayed as the wife of Jehovah (Hos. 2:2, 16, 23), because of unbelief and apostasy disowned and yet to be restored in the future (2:14–23) The New Testament reiterates what the Old has stated. Pastor -1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife Deacon - 1 Tim 3:12 Let deacons be the husbands of one Elder -Titus 1:6 the husband of one wife. It is already assumed that believers are to have only one wife, following the Genesis guideline as this being their state before they become an elder, or have a position in the church. The Mosaic law discouraged polygamy. The Pharisees hoping of approval questioned Jesus right after he spoke of marriage as the two shall becoming one flesh, “ Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate and divorce her?” Jesus replied, “Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way …. whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery. ” (Matt. 19:3–9). Gen.2 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” God did not change his mind from the beginning. The spirit of the age that is contrary to God has influence those without moral guidelines (amoral) changed their minds about the tradition of marriage. This is seen by polygamy, both heterosexual and homosexual. What happens when it one woman marrying 2-4 guys or 1 guy with 6-10 woman like Mormonism did in its beginning. Polygamy was made a felony in the state of Utah 85 years ago reacting to the Mormon doctrine. Recently, Utah lawmakers unanimously approved a bill that would decriminalize polygamy among consenting adults. This decriminalization would open the door to many other concepts. On the 17th season of house hunters they featured in one of their episodes its first throuple. A throuple is three people in a polyamorous romantic relationship. Polygamy has two women married to a single man or vice versa. Polyamory is now being brought out to be accepted in mainstream culture. You will be seeing more of this on TV and in movies. What was once looked upon as unacceptable will be accepted as norm because of making up our own standards. A woman married her pet in the UK. A number of years ago (in the 80’s), here in Hawaii a channeler married her spirit (aurora) by the local temple Rabbi.
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