KEY SCRIPTURE: 1Sa 27:3 KJV” And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.”

The Bible describes a vivid picture of all the men with David who went to live in the Philistines. 1st Samuel 27:3 says, “And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives Ahinoam and Abigail.

David, a man loved by God, had two wives. Does this give grounds for Christians to marry more than one wife? Some have argued that the male gender in the animal world has more than one wife. (A good study of the animal kingdom shows that this is not a very accurate assertion. Male wolves stay with one female in their lifetime, as they raise their family. Some bird species also stay together as a couple for life.)

At this stage, David had two wives. Was it the will of God to have two wives? It was not wrong then; is it right for the child of God to have two wives now? A number of the Patriarchs had two wives or more. Does God allow for two wives?  We can understand every doctrine correctly when we consider how and why God started it. In Genesis 2:24, the scripture says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”.

It takes only two people, a man and a woman, to become one flesh. Can a third person be said to be one flesh if there is a third person?  In Matthew 19, the Lord speaking on divorce said, Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another, commit adultery. Does this imply marrying a second wife makes you commit adultery? From what the Lord said, it implies so. Why did God allow it during the period before the new covenant?  The Bible reveals a progressive revelation of how God has been dealing with His people. PROGRESSIVE REVELATION MEANS GOD HAS NOT DEALT WITH HUMANITY THE SAME WAY FOR ALL PERIODS, BUT AT CERTAIN TIMES IN HISTORY HE RELATES WITH MEN IN A WAY HE CHOOSES. At some point in his dealings with men, some siblings married each other and gave birth. Adam’s children married each other to increase the human race. Later on, incest was no longer allowed. (Lev.20:17) Coming to our discussion on polygamy, at this period of the new covenant, the scriptures have consistently taught that each man must marry one wife (1st Tim 3:2, 1st Tim 3:12, 1st Tim 5:9). The Lord Jesus emphasised that two become one flesh. A third person can’t make it one flesh. Meanwhile, God has intended that marriage should always make two people, a man, and a woman, one flesh.

Some have argued that those who marry more than one woman have a longer life expectancy than those who marry only one. This applies to single people who do not live according to the scriptures. Those who live by the scriptures live very long.

 PRAYER

I pray for all children of God to submit themselves humbly to the revelation of God’s truth.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Matthew 19:9. And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

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;”