Polygamist Spotlight #1 - YHWH

For this week's article, I have decided to begin a series called "Polygamist Spotlight." Each of these articles will take a look at a polygamist in Scripture. The first polygamist that we will shine our spotlight on is the most significant example and makes all arguments against polygamy null and void. The creator Himself, the Most High El, YAHUWAH is a polygamist!

We are commanded to "Be kadosh, as I am kadosh." No one can argue that YHWH is not kadosh, is not our PERFECT example, is a sinner, is a pervert, etc. However, any anti-polygamist will not realize that when they attack polygamy they are attacking YHWH Himself!

Yeḥezqĕl 23:1-11 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying, “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother. And they whored in Mitsrayim, they whored in their youth. There their breasts were handled, and there their maiden nipples were squeezed. And their names were: Oholah the elder and Oholiḇah her sister. And they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And their names: Shomeron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim is Oholiḇah. And Oholah whored while she was Mine. And she lusted for her lovers, the neighbouring Ashshurians, dressed in purple, officers and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. So she gave her whorings on them, all of them choice sons of Ashshur. And with all for whom she lusted, with all their idols, she defiled herself. And she did not forsake her whorings from Mitsrayim, for in her youth they had lain with her, and they squeezed her maiden nipples, and poured out their whorings on her. Therefore I have given her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Ashshurians, for whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness, they took away her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword. And she became a byword among women, and they executed judgments on her. And her sister Oholiḇah saw this, yet she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her whorings more corrupt than her sister’s whorings..."

Yermeyahu 3: 1-14 Elohim said, “If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, does he return to her again? Would not that land be made greatly unclean? But you have committed whoring with many lovers. And would you return to Me?” declares יהוה. Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see: where have you not lain with men? Besides the ways you have sat for them like an Araḇian in the wilderness. And you made the land unclean with your whorings and your evil. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. You have had a whore’s forehead, you refuse to be ashamed. Shall you not from now on cry to Me, ‘My father, You are the guide of my youth? ‘Does one bear a grudge forever? Does one keep it to the end?’ See, you have spoken and done the evils that you could.” And יהוה said to me in the days of Yoshiyahu the sovereign, “Have you seen what backsliding Yisra’ĕl has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there committed whoring. And after she had done all these, I said ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Yehuḏah saw it. And I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Yisra’ĕl had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Yehuḏah did not fear, but went and committed whoring too. And it came to be, through her frivolous whoring, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and wood. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Yehuḏah has not turned to Me with all her heart, but falsely,” declares יהוה. And יהוה said to me, “Backsliding Yisra’ĕl has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Yehuḏah. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, O backsliding Yisra’ĕl,’ declares יהוה, ‘I shall not look on you in displeasure, for I am kind,’ declares יהוה, ‘and I do not bear a grudge forever. ‘Only, acknowledge your crookedness, because you have transgressed against יהוה your Elohim, and have scattered your ways to strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares יהוה. “Return, O backsliding children,” declares יהוה, “for I shall be a husband to you, and shall take you, one from a city and two from a clan, and shall bring you to Tsiyon..."

Throughout Scripture, YHWH compares His relationship to His people to a marriage. Although the comparison is only metaphorical, we see here that He includes polygamy in that metaphor. Is there any place in Scripture where YHWH makes a metaphorical analogy of Himself as a sinner? NO!!! He never describes himself as a thief, adulterer, murderer, etc. However, He has no problem identifying Himself as a polygamist!

Notice that YHWH describes himself as being married to two women simultaneously and they both bear Him sons and daughters. They were both "HIS" at the same time! Notice also that these metaphors which describe marriage, adultery, whoring, polygamy and divorce are EXPLICITLY used to demonstrate the lawfulness and unlawfulness of the acts that they represent! YHWH's use of describing Himself as a polygamist is His own "seal of approval" on the issue of polygamy!

Tom Shipley writes "When God compares idolatry to whoredom in order to condemn idolatry, it is manifest that whoredom or adultery is presupposed as evil. When God compares His covenant with Israel to a man marrying a woman, it is manifest that marriage is presupposed as good. In a metaphor or parable there must be a correspondence of that which is good and evil both in the representation and in the thing represented. Without such correspondence, the metaphor or parable is reduced to absurdity and meaninglessness. Therefore, when the righteous and holy God depicts Himself as a polygamist married to two women, the logic of the metaphor requires us to presuppose the goodness of polygamy. To paraphrase Adams, “It is plain from this evidence that polygamy was considered a natural option
for God to use in referring to His relationship to Israel. The figure of polygamy would explain
nothing, but only confuse the reader if polygamy were unlawful. The very least we can say is that in these prophets, by His recognition, adoption and (implied) endorsement of polygamy, God placed His approval upon it.” The same logic that Adams applies to divorce in this metaphor must, of necessity, apply to polygamy. Ezekiel 23 and Jeremiah 3 provide powerful, indeed conclusive proof for the thesis that polygamy is a valid option for a man. Echoing Adams, it is “inconceivable” that it could be otherwise. What shall we say then to those who condemn polygamy? Quite simply that in doing so they condemn God Himself. There cannot be any stronger proof required for the validity of polygamy than this. The “monogamy only” position is thus utterly devoid of any merit at all and is shown to be the substitution of the word of man in place of, and in defiance of, the word of God." (From Man & Woman in Biblical Law)

There you have it. Case closed! How can anyone argue the fact that in opposing polygamy, they are in direct opposition to YHWH and His word!

We will continue our look at the polygamists mentioned in Scripture in future editions.