Expert: Mike Muya - 5/26/2009

Question
Dear Mike Muya,

I have an issue about our father prophet Abraham.  I believe that the prophets are chosen by our Beloved creator for their outstanding character.  I just cannot believe that Prophet Abraham would have an affair with a "handmaiden," as the old testament claims, I had not understood that in Genesis, God had corrected the old testament by telling us that Hagar was actually his wife.  I find that a much more explicable situation.

Why is it, then, that the majority of Christians do not practice polygamy if God ordained the matter?

sincerely,

Elena Evans

Answer
hi Elena
*Answer:

Of course, it was not God that ordained this.  To Abraham and Sarai, they could see no possibility of a woman past menopause having a pregnancy, and they were right about that.  They had not yet learned that Matthew 19:26. . . with God all things are possible.

Let's read the record:


1 ¶
Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3
And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

You see in the record that it was Sarai's plan which was accepted by Abraham--not God's plan.  So, there is no correction of the Bible, but just the correction of anybody's idea that this was God's plan.

The result of Sarai and Abraham's plan was a break-up in the family due to discord and then a continued war between Arabs and Israeli's to this very day and the development of the Islamic heresy which promotes polygamy.  Without this mistake, no such discord would be in existence.

The horrible situation in Jacob's family because of polygamy is another example of not following God's way and the reaping of the results.

What can we learn from these examples?  It was common practice among the pagans to have multiple wives, but God calls for us not to follow accepted customs or any way that is not His way.  Exodus 23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. . .  Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

In the conflict with evil, Eve and Adam had a test as to whether they would believe and trust God.  They failed this test which made the plan of salvation through Christ necessary.  A test will come to each of us also as to whether we will trust and obey Christ or follow the crowd as seen in Rev. 13.

3 I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery––but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast.--NLT



But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority--not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain "Thus saith the Lord" in its support.

And, as the text says, here they are seen just before Jesus comes:

Revelation 14:12 . . . .here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.



Two more matters about this subject need to be considered: 1.  Are prophets perfect?  2.  What does the Bible say about polygamy?



On prophets being perfect, you remember that Moses was not allowed to lead the people into Canaan because of his mistake, (sin).  And, that mistake was that in a fit of anger, he misrepresented God's character and His salvation plan.

Is polygamy God's plan?


Under the 7th commandment of the 10 commandments in Exodus 20, is also covered the matter of polygamy--multiple wives.  Hence, in the New Testament all in leadership positions were to only have one wife.  Failure to do this disqualified one to be a teacher, bishop, deacon or prophet.  Note the following texts:



Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male
and female created he them.



Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male
and female. . .

5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?



1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;



1 Timothy 3:

8 ¶ Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre. . .

10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. . . .  12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.



1 Corinthians 7:2 . . . let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


   If you or your acquaintances would like, you can do a systematic study of the Bible in the privacy of your own home by checking at the following website, in fact you can register and read right now and fill in some blanks to show that you understand the subject at: http://studies.bibleinfo.com/