Old Testament Marriages...

[billyjames]

I have read the Bible most of my life, but have never really studied it too much per se. After reading the divorce thread, I started wondering about all those leaders and kings like David and Solomon etc in the Old Testament who had multiple wives. What changed in a couple of thousand years into the New Testament where the leaders of the Christian Home Churches insisted that their leaders be married to only one wife? Did Jesus actually say marriage was now different, or, was this just something that the men in those churches made up as new rules? And, another question within the question that puzzles me is does this make David, Solomon and the many others in the Old testament sinners because of having multiple wives? Thanks you in advance for any wisdom you can impart to these perhaps basic (but for me pretty confusing) questions.

 

[Flash]

I have read the Bible most of my life, but have never really studied it too much per se. After reading the divorce thread, I started wondering about all those leaders and kings like David and Solomon etc in the Old Testament who had multiple wives. What changed in a couple of thousand years into the New Testament where the leaders of the Christian Home Churches insisted that their leaders be married to only one wife? Did Jesus actually say marriage was now different, or, was this just something that the men in those churches made up as new rules? And, another question within the question that puzzles me is does this make David, Solomon and the many others in the Old testament sinners because of having multiple wives? Thanks you in advance for any wisdom you can impart to these perhaps basic (but for me pretty confusing) questions.

All have sinned, that includes David, Solomon and the rest.

I don't recall GOD ever saying in the OT that he approved of multiple wives. Remember he made Eve, not Eve and Susie and Betty and Veronica and Mary Ann and Ginger and...........

 

[MSU bowhunter]

All have sinned, that includes David, Solomon and the rest.

I don't recall GOD ever saying in the OT that he approved of mulitple wives. Remember he made Eve, not Eve and Susie and Betty and Veronica and Mary Ann and Ginger and...........

Great point!

 

[Briar]

I've thought of this before and would love to be enlightened !!!!

 

[billyjames]

All have sinned, that includes David, Solomon and the rest.

I don't recall GOD ever saying in the OT that he approved of multiple wives. Remember he made Eve, not Eve and Susie and Betty and Veronica and Mary Ann and Ginger and...........

That's funny But the serious side does make a lot of sense - I've never heard it put quite that way before. But, when you think about it, God did create just one wife for Adam. I think Jesus said something about husband and wife also becoming ONE flesh, which, I suppose would indicate Jesus' idea of only one husband and wife. I'm glad I found this place... Who would have thought God would use a hunting and fishing forum to help someone on their spiritual journey Now, how do I deal with people like David, Solomon and many, many others who were openly sinning yet who are in our archives as pillars of the faith???

 

[PWalls]

Now, how do I deal with people like David, Solomon and many, many others who were openly sinning yet who are in our archives as pillars of the faith???

You hit the nail on the head already.

They were sinners, yes. However, they also had Faith. They had a heart for God that enabled Him to use them for His purpose. Did they sin and backslide, yes. But they were still available to Him.

If anything, it should strengthen our faith to know that God can use sinners to get His will accomplished.

 

[billyjames]

Did they know they were sinning when they had multiple wives?

 

[Dudley Do-Wrong]

I think to understand the passages from 1 Kings, one should go back and look at David himself. See the below passages from 2 Samual (Ch 12). Did he sin, you bet he did and God punished him severely for it. But, David recognized his sin and repented and in the last verse, God forgave him.

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
And 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. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

 

[billyjames]

So, if they knew they were sinning, yet, they also knew God was doing some good things through the good they were doing, have we also somehow adopted their philosophy of the end superseding the means? I mean, are we adopting the mindset that as long as we do more good than bad everything is accepted? I only ask this because I was taught how great these people were when I was a kid in Sunday School. I don't recall any teacher ever telling me David was an adulterer and murderer...

 

[Dudley Do-Wrong]

I mean, are we adopting the mindset that as long as we do more good than bad everything is accepted?

No, The verses I quoted from 2 Sam ended saying that David recognized his sin and God forgave him.


In the book of Deuteronomy (Ch 17) God provided laws governing how the kingdom of Israel would be ran. Verse 15 talks about an earthly king and verse 17 says:
Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

So, God did not condone concubines or multiple wives and in fact, it was a sin.

 

[PWalls]

All David did was recognize his sin and repent? What about a sacrifice? I see nowhere that David was required to make a sacrifice for his sin to be forgiven...

Hugs!
Kerri

Scripture also didn't say that David went to the bathroom every day. Just because it didn't say that he did not offer a sacrifice doesn't mean that he didn't. As a king of the Jews, it is not unreasonable to think that David also followed standard Jewish custom and offered up his own spotless lamb when every one else did. Shoot, he was probably first in line.

 

[PWalls]

I only ask this because I was taught how great these people were when I was a kid in Sunday School. I don't recall any teacher ever telling me David was an adulterer and murderer...

It is a shame that you weren't taught that. A valuable lesson of man's ultimate sinful nature is there for the teaching in all of the old testament saints. As well as God's unfailing love in forgiving these sinners and His ability to use them to do His will and their repentence.

 

[Dudley Do-Wrong]

And since David clearly sinned, how is it that God says over and over that David followed His commandments?

Well, I don't believe Scriptures provide an answer directly related to David's sin in relation to the verses in 1st Kings. So, I have to draw some conclusions based on what has been said and what is taught throughout the Bible. First, undeniably, David did sin; so how can it be that God said that David kept His commandments? I believe it is because David recognized his own sin and turned away from it (repented), he humbled himself and sought God's own heart. I don't believe, in any way, that God implied that David was sinless, that would not be in harmony with the remainder of Scripture. David became a "new man", became that man God wanted him to be.

If our salvation is based on following God's commandments, then we would all be condemned; one sin is all it would take. I believe God was talking about David's heart, David's desire. David, after the turmoil in his life (because of his sin), desired to please God.

 

[SBG]

All David did was recognize his sin and repent? What about a sacrifice? I see nowhere that David was required to make a sacrifice for his sin to be forgiven...

And since David clearly sinned, how is it that God says over and over that David followed His commandments?


Hugs!
Kerri

Unfortunately, many, not all, of the Christian theologists have wrongly interpreted or mis-applied the scripture in regards to the Old Testament sacrifice.

Faith is, has been, and always will be the only means of salvation. The sacrifice system was installed for corporate forgiveness of sin...although there were sacrifices that were made by individuals, strictly for that individual. That is why David simply repented of his sin. This forgiveness of sin had nothing to do with salvation, but was meant as way for the people to have their daily relationship with God restored. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross did make the old system of none effect. It was no longer necessary to make sacrifice as a means to restore a right relationship with God; Jesus had forever reconciled the sinner to God.

Although Jesus' death is symbolic of the old sacrificial system, and the old system was not a system for obtaining salvation, the more accurate event represented by Christ's death is that of the passover lamb. The Hebrews killed the lamb and applied its blood in an act of FAITH that would protect(salvation) their first born child. Jesus replaced the passover lamb.

A thorough reading of the 10th chapter of Hebrews explains this.

 

[Dudley Do-Wrong]

Good post SBG

 

[dixie]

Read Pauls letters to the churches. that should clear a lot up.

 

[Mechanicaldawg]

I only ask this because I was taught how great these people were when I was a kid in Sunday School. I don't recall any teacher ever telling me David was an adulterer and murderer...

Billy,

Perhaps a Sunday School teacher, teaching children, would not be able to point to David's murderous/adulterous ways because to do so would enlighten those children to worldly ways that they are, thankfully, not yet aware of at such a tender age.

However, if a teacher of late teens and adults does not use the hideous imperfections in David's life to point to the fact that ALL people are sinners and yet can be saved, that teacher is wasting one of the treasures of God's Word to His People!