One question that I have been pondering over is the question of whether God permits polygamy or not. I find in the Bible that there were men who had more than one wife. As an illustration, Abraham, Jacob and David all had more than one wife. However, as I read attentively, I also see that their houses were frequently filled with issues, envy and suffering. This started to make me realize that although it might have occurred in the past, it was not the perfect plan of God.
I look at the start and I can see the real intention that God had of marriage. The bible says in Gen 2:24, that a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. It does not tell us about wives, it tells us about wife. This shows me that God’s original plan is one man and one woman. Jesus further affirmed this in Matthew 19:5-6 where he taught that two will become one flesh not many.
At one point, I felt like maybe, polygamy was okay due to the things I observed in the Old Testament. However, as I kept on learning I understood that God permitted certain things because of human weakness and not because He actually desired it. Jesus just as in Matthew 19:8 stated that certain things were permitted due to the hardness of the hearts of people.
I also got to know that the church leaders should only have one wife. In 1 Timothy 3:2, it is stated that a bishop should be the husband of one wife. This lesson helped me better understand the fact that God blesses one man and one woman when they are married.
Now, in my heart, I feel that it is not polygamy that is the will of God. His is love, unity, and peace between a single man and a single woman. I think that when I am doing what God wants me to do, I will have a more peaceful and blessed home.
