The Polygamy Sin!

Many opponents of polygamy claim that it is sinful. If this is true, we certainly must speak out against evil. However, if this is a false claim, then we must speak out against lies! Either way, if you are "bible believer" you have been commanded to have your voice heard.

Yeshayahu 58:1 “Cry aloud, do not spare. Lift up your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression, and the house of Yaʽaqoḇ their sins."

Where exactly does Scripture condemn polygamy?

Hmmm?

Well???

I'm waiting...

Nowhere?

Correct! There is NOT ONE single verse of scripture that says "Thou shalt not marry more than one woman at a time."

This should throw up some red flags to the thinking! If scripture NEVER ONCE condemns polygamy, what gives you the right to do so?

Let's keep a running tab of offenses as we continue our study. So far, those who claim that polygamy is sinful are guilty of:

1) Lying
Revalation 21:8b “... and all who tell lies, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

2) Adding to the word of YHWH
Devarim 4:2 “Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it, so as to guard the commands of יהוה your Elohim which I am commanding you." Footnote: See also 12:32, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18-19.

Keep those in mind as we continue.

Others have claimed that YHWH "tolerated" the sin of polygamy in "Old Testament" times.

Since when did YHWH EVER tolerate sin?
Eating forbidden fruit - Nope
Murder of Hevel - Nope
Evil hearts in Noach's time -Nope
Tower of Babel - Nope
Sodom and Gomorrah - Hell Nope!
Sin of Achan - Nope
Enslavement of Israel by Pharoah - Nope
Murmuring against Moshe - Nope
Not keeping the Sabbatical year - Nah, ahh
Idolatry - BIG 'OL NOPE
King Sha'ul not obeying the voice of the prophet - Negative
King Dawid committing Adultery and murder - Nope
Other kings of Israel not obeying Torah - Nope
Cḥananyah and his wife lying to Kepha - Nope
Moneychangers at the temple using false weights - Nope
The wicked dead at judgment - Sorry...

As you well know, I could make this list go on, and on , and on, and on...
We know that YHWH never tolerated sin of any kind! And we know He NEVER changes. Therefore, If he tolerated polygamy - it is NOT a sin! Indeed, if He did tolerate sin what would be the point of dying on the cross? His sacrifice and His blood are an immortal testimony to the fact that He DOES NOT TOLERATE SIN!!!

Let's now look at three of the many people who's name you are besmirching by suggesting that polygamy is somehow sinful.

1) Moshe - Moshe was the ONLY man ever to speak to YHWH face to face! (Shemot 33:11)
He spent 40 days and nights on Mt. Sinai with YHWH-Twice!!! (Shemot 24:18; Shemot 34:28-29 and Devarim 10:10) He is "The Lawgiver." The one who physically wrote the Torah. He is the one who received the tablets of stone on which was written the command "Thou shalt not commit adultery." The one who lead Israel across the Yam Suph. The one who was shown the pattern of the Mishkan in the heavens. The one who's face was illuminated with the glory of YHWH! The one who counseled YHWH's people in GREAT matters. The one for whom YHWH took revenge on Korach. The one that our Master said if they refuse to hear him - they will not hear anyone coming back from the dead. The one referred to as a "friend of YHWH!" This man, who knew the will of YHWH better than any other mortal man before or after him was a polygamist! If polygamy was sinful, THIS is the man who would know that. However, we see that he himself practiced polygamy.

Shemot 2:21 "And Mosheh agreed to dwell with the man, and he gave Tsipporah his daughter to Mosheh." (see also Shemot 18:1-6)

B'midbar 12:1 "Now Miryam and Aharon spoke against Mosheh because of the Kushite woman whom he had taken, for he had taken a Kushite woman."

Now, if Moshe was a sinner because of his polygamous lifestyle, we would expect to see YHWH's condemnation and punishment, but we do not. We would expect to see Yahushua and/or His talmidim distancing themselves from Moshe, but we do not. We would expect to see his name blotted out from the heavens in eternity, but we do not. In fact, we see the opposite:

Rev 15:3 "And they sing the song of Mosheh the servant of Elohim, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvellous are Your works, יהוה Ěl Shaddai! Righteous and true are Your ways, O Sovereign of the kadosh ones!" Those that overcome the beast will stand on a sea of glass and fire and "sing the song of Moshe" who is STILL called the "servant of Elohim!"

How DARE YOU speak evil of Moshe by calling polygamy a sin! Repent before it's too late!

Let's go one step further-

When you are reading the Torah and you see such things as the creation account of Ahdahm and Chavah, the account of Lamech, "If a man has two wives", "one flesh", "if he take another wife", "Do not multiply wives", and "do not commit adultery" keep in mind that Moshe, the kadosh POLYGAMIST servant of Elohim who's songs will be sung by the overcomers in eternity wrote those things!!!

2) Avraham - Avraham was called out of an idol worshiping family to become the first Hebrew. Most of our children sing the song "Father Abraham had many sons" which recounts YHWH's promise to Avraham to make him into a great nation that would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the shores. His faith and obediance was tested by YHWH telling him to sacrifice is son, Yitzchak. Yitzchak himself was a miracle child given to Avraham when he was 100 and his wife, Sarah was 90. He was called the "faithful friend of Elohim" and is still known as the father of the faithful. Yet some would have us believe that he is a sinner because he took three wives - Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah.

The renewed scriptures bestows upon him such titles as "Our Father", and "friend of Elohim." It says that his faith was imputed for righteousness and he is one of the examples of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 (along with Sarah).

Another polygamist was Avraham's grandson, Ya'akov (Jacob).

3) Ya'akov - Ya'akov is the grandson of Avraham who had his name changed to Yisra'el (Prince of Elohim) as a blessing after wrestling all night with a messenger. He is the one who worked twenty years for his father-in-law in exchange for his FOUR wives Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah along with flocks and money. Out of this polygamous houshold the twelve tribes of Israel were birthed, YHWH's chosen people. Both Avraham and Ya'akov are claimed by YHWH as His very own on numerous occasions when He declares "I am the El of Avraham, the El of Yitzchak and the El of Ya'akov" They were obviously servants of the most high. Yet, some would claim that the very chosen people of YHWH came from an adulterous, sinful patriarch!

What did our Master, Yahushua promise His faithful followers?

Mattithyahu 8:11 “And I say to you that many shall come from east and west, and sit down with Avraham, and Yitzchak, and Yaʽakov̱ in the reign of the heavens, "

Wait! He promised those who would follow Him would sit with these "sinful" polygamists as their reward???

You heard from the Master's mouth (which contained no guile). Our Master didn't seem to think of these polygamists as sinners, why would you? In fact, I would soberly warn you that unless you admit that polygamy is kosher and Holy - you will not be sitting with these men in the kingdom!

There is one more extremely lame attempt to "prove" that polygamy is sinful. The "proof" that is offered is the account of Lamech, the first named polygamist in the Torah. The argument goes like this: "Lamech is the first named polygamist in Scripture and he was a murderer, therefore polygamy is sinful because it is associated with murder and only an evil murderer would engage in polygamy" Besides the obvious logical flaws there, and the fact that we have seen examples of Kadosh, righteous men who were polygamists, let's look at the passage in context:

B'reisheet 4:18-24 "And to Ḥanoḵ was born Iraḏ. And Iraḏ brought forth Meḥuya’ĕl, and Meḥuya’ĕl brought forth Methusa’ĕl, and Methusa’ĕl brought forth Lemeḵ. And Lemeḵ took for himself two wives, the name of one was Aḏah, and the name of the second was Tsillah. And Aḏah bore Yaḇal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents, with livestock. And his brother’s name was Yuḇal. He was the father of all those who play the lyre and flute. As for Tsillah, she also bore Tuḇal-Qayin, a smith of all kinds of tools in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tuḇal-Qayin was Naʽamah. And Lemeḵ said to his wives, “Aḏah and Tsillah, hear my voice! Wives of Lemeḵ, listen to my words! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me. “For Kayin is avenged sevenfold, and Lemeḵ seventy-sevenfold.”

First things first! (pun intended) If we follow the logic (or apparent lack thereof) of the argument then we must make further conclusions:

a) The first born child mentioned in scripture was a murderer, therefore it is a sin to have children.
b) The passage above contains many "first mentions" in scripture, therefore because of their association with a "murderer": dwelling in tents is sinful, keeping livestock is sinful, playing a lyre or flute is sinful, and smithing tools in iron or bronze is sinful. Do you see how stupid that sounds?

Furthermore, from a reading of this passage, it sounds more like a case of self-defense than murder. Perhaps it is a shadow of the attacks that polygamists would suffer for years to come by the young and immature?

Those making this argument are ignorant of the very definition of sin. What is sin? It is transgression of the commands of YHWH given to us in His Torah. We are not free to define things arbitrarily as "sin." It is up to YHWH's word to do that! His word never once defines polygamy as sin. His word condones polygamy as valid. His word gives us commandments to regulate marriage including that to more than one wife. His word commands polygamy in at least one instance. His word defines sin and allows polygamy. Who are you to change that?

If polygamy is sinful, why did YHWH bless those that engaged in it?

B'reisheet 24:1 "And Avraham was old, advanced in years. And יהוה had blessed Avraham in every way." (including his marriages)
(Before Avraham had Hagar given to him, YHWH told him "“I am Ěl Shaddai – walk before Me and be perfect" Apparently Avraham didn't find it less than perfect to take a second wife, or a third)

B'reisheet 28:1-4 "And Yitzchak called Yaʽakov and blessed him, and commanded him, and said to him, “Do not take a wife from the daughters of Kenaʽan. Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethu’ĕl your mother’s father. And take a wife for yourself from there, from the daughters of Laḇan your mother’s brother. And Ěl Shaddai bless you, and make you bear fruit and increase you, and you shall become an assembly of peoples, and give you the blessing of Avraham, to you and your seed with you, so that you inherit the land of your sojournings, which Elohim gave to Avraham.” "

That blessing was indeed given:

B'reisheet 28:10-17 "And Yaʽakov went out from Be’ĕrsheḇa and went toward Ḥaran. And he came upon a place and stopped over for the night, for the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed and saw a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to the heavens, and saw messengers of Elohim going up and coming down on it. And see, יהוה stood above it and said, “I am יהוה Elohim of Avraham your father and the Elohim of Yitzchak. The land on which you are lying, I give it to you and your seed. And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall break forth to the west and to the east, to the north and the south. And all the clans of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your seed. And see, I am with you and shall guard you wherever you go, and shall bring you back to this land. For I am not going to leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” And Yaʽakov awoke from his sleep and said, “Truly, יהוה is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of the heavens!”"

This promise was made before Ya'akov had ANY wives.

B'reisheet 32:26-29 "And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I am not letting You go until You have blessed me!” So He asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Yaʽakov.” And He said, “Your name is no longer called Yaʽakov, but Yisra’ĕl, because you have striven with Elohim and with men, and have overcome.” And Yaʽakov asked Him, saying, “Please let me know Your Name.” And He said, “Why do you ask about My Name?” And He blessed him there.

This was AFTER Ya'akov had taken FOUR WIVES and had children with each of them. So, again we see YHWH's blessing being poured out on a polygamist! Does YHWH bless sinners?

Isra'el was to be a light to the nations, an example for all the earth to follow. Are you sure that polygamy is sinful when you consider the origins of the nation of Israel through whom our Messiah came?

2Ti 3:16-17 "All Scripture is breathed by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work."

Why would YHWH inspire polygamous men such as Moshe, Dawid, Shlomo, etc to write polygamous things such as laws governing multiple wives, polygamous poetry, etc in His Kadosh, perfect word to make us "equipped for every good work" if polygamy was somehow wrong or sinful? I'll allow the Ruach to answer that question for you.

Tehillim 33:4 "For the Word of יהוה is straight, And all His works are in truth"

Yochannan 17:17 “Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth"

2Timmothy 2:15 "Do your utmost to present yourself approved to Elohim, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth."

Ya'akov 3:2 "For we all stumble in many matters. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the entire body. "

Remember our list? Let's check it. Someone who claims that polygamy is a sin is guilty of:

1) Lying
2) Adding to the word
3) Attacking the anointed of YHWH
4) Mishandling the word of Elohim
5) False preaching
6) Spreading false doctrines

IS THERE A SIN ASSOCIATED WITH POLYGAMY????

YES!!!! There certainly is:

Yeshayahu 5:20 "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! "


The polygamy sin is calling polygamy sin!!!






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