Hello friends! Part of my life-ministry is making teaching videos for YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/richtidwell). I am currently scripting a video production on Biblical Marriage and Sexuality in order to discuss what is approved, what is not, and why.
I have a rough outline for the discussion written below for your review and I'd love to receive feedback on the overall big picture presented. I am painting with broad strokes so please understand this is a rough draft and is not intended to be a comprehensive outline at this point. I am also sensitive to the fact that some are unable to have children; this does not reduce a persons value, in fact one of my favorite families I've ever known has been lead by the Lord to adopt 10 children together after being unable to conceive. Overall, I am simply addressing the intended purpose of marriage and procreation in order to help folks better understand why certain acts are deemed sin in the Scriptures.
Please feel free to share passages in Scripture that you believe will be beneficial to this teaching along with quotes from various theologians whom supported or practiced polygyny. Also does anyone have a compiled list of every polygynous character in the Bible? Thank you all so much!
On Biblical Marriage and Sexuality:
In the beginning, God commanded mankind to procreate in a perfect world before the fall.
Genesis 1:27-28 NIV
"[27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Procreation is accomplished within marriage through sex between a male and female (Ruth 4:13). The marriage is designed to be the covenant that binds the two in unity to faithfully raise the children they create (Gen 2:24). Under the Old Covenant, marriage emulates God's marriage to Israel and Judah (Jer 31:31-33). Within the New Covenant, marriage emulates Christ's marriage to the Church (Eph 5:22-33) and each of it's faithful members (Matt 25:1-13, Rom 12:5).
Though pleasure is a wonderful gift within sex (Song 5:1), the primary purpose for the existence of sex is procreation (Mal 2:15). Therefore, for the benefit of mankind, lest we cease to exist, various forms of sex are forbidden (Lev 18:6-23, Lev 20:10-20).
“Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.” - Malachi 2:15
When we do not know God’s will for our sexual lives, we often make sex the false end (pleasure only) rather than the means to the true end (offspring). We idolize sex to the extent we start seeking it rather than the product of it; we start sacrificing children (abortion - Isaiah 57:5), sleeping with same sex (Rom 1:24-27), animals (Lev 20:15-16), minors (Matt 18:6), etc... anything goes when the purpose of sex becomes temporary pleasure rather than the incredible miracle of creating life.
Even within heterosexual monogamous and polygynous marriages, there are rules instituted for the sake of the mother and/or offspring. There are often given to prevent poverty and/or fatherlessness [i.e. marry every virgin you sleep with (Exo 22:16), equally provide for every wife and child (Exo 21:20), no divorce (Mark 10:4-12, 1 Cor 7:10-11), no sex with another man’s wife (because he needs pure offspring - Deut 22:22-26), no child sacrifice (Lev 20:2), no polyandry (because it bottlenecks procreation - Rom 7:2-3), etc...].
Certain sexual acts are named as sin for our benefit, the benefit of our offspring, and the benefit of mankind by preventing extinction. God’s commandments inform us of our purpose (Eph 2:10), and when we walk in obedience we experience the true life and joy he created us for (Deut 5:33, Prov 3:1-2, John 10:10, Psalm 91:14-16, Rom 15:13). It has nothing to do with being oppressive but rather our loving Creator revealing to us what He made us to do and setting us free from deception. Our response to His commands then is faith (trust); trust with sex, marriage, money, provision, and all matters. We are to trust in God and His design laid out in His Word above all other voices and authorities (Prov 3:5-6, Mark 11:22, 2 Peter 1:3-4).
Furthermore, in Heaven where procreation is no longer commanded, marriage and sex ceases (Matthew 22:24-30). Earthly pleasures are replaced by the exceedingly greater pleasure of an eternal perfect union with God (the Source of all love and comforts - Luke 20:34-36, 2 Cor 1:3).
This is why there are repeated commands to refrain from certain sexual acts: we are here for a very short time (James 4:14), marriage & procreation are earthly (Luke 20:34), and God wants us to bear godly offspring for Him while here (Gen 8:17, Mal 2:15); we are to make neighbors for Him and ourselves to love here and eternally. He prohibits acts that cease or bottleneck that from happening (homosexuality, bestiality, polyandry, adultery with married women, child sacrifice, etc...) while permitting acts that accomplish His will (heterosexual marriage; monogamous and polygynous).
In closing, this is why monogamous and polygynous marriage is never prohibited in Scripture; God loves people (John 3:16, 1 John 4:19), and His institution of marriage fills His house with people for Him to love eternally (Luke 14:23, Jeremiah 31:3). We must be vigilant in exposing any teaching that slows or stops God's will from being done in the Earth. Amen.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry..." - 1 Timothy 4:1-3
End of Draft - thank you for reading and for your feedback!
I have a rough outline for the discussion written below for your review and I'd love to receive feedback on the overall big picture presented. I am painting with broad strokes so please understand this is a rough draft and is not intended to be a comprehensive outline at this point. I am also sensitive to the fact that some are unable to have children; this does not reduce a persons value, in fact one of my favorite families I've ever known has been lead by the Lord to adopt 10 children together after being unable to conceive. Overall, I am simply addressing the intended purpose of marriage and procreation in order to help folks better understand why certain acts are deemed sin in the Scriptures.
Please feel free to share passages in Scripture that you believe will be beneficial to this teaching along with quotes from various theologians whom supported or practiced polygyny. Also does anyone have a compiled list of every polygynous character in the Bible? Thank you all so much!
On Biblical Marriage and Sexuality:
In the beginning, God commanded mankind to procreate in a perfect world before the fall.
Genesis 1:27-28 NIV
"[27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Procreation is accomplished within marriage through sex between a male and female (Ruth 4:13). The marriage is designed to be the covenant that binds the two in unity to faithfully raise the children they create (Gen 2:24). Under the Old Covenant, marriage emulates God's marriage to Israel and Judah (Jer 31:31-33). Within the New Covenant, marriage emulates Christ's marriage to the Church (Eph 5:22-33) and each of it's faithful members (Matt 25:1-13, Rom 12:5).
Though pleasure is a wonderful gift within sex (Song 5:1), the primary purpose for the existence of sex is procreation (Mal 2:15). Therefore, for the benefit of mankind, lest we cease to exist, various forms of sex are forbidden (Lev 18:6-23, Lev 20:10-20).
“Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.” - Malachi 2:15
When we do not know God’s will for our sexual lives, we often make sex the false end (pleasure only) rather than the means to the true end (offspring). We idolize sex to the extent we start seeking it rather than the product of it; we start sacrificing children (abortion - Isaiah 57:5), sleeping with same sex (Rom 1:24-27), animals (Lev 20:15-16), minors (Matt 18:6), etc... anything goes when the purpose of sex becomes temporary pleasure rather than the incredible miracle of creating life.
Even within heterosexual monogamous and polygynous marriages, there are rules instituted for the sake of the mother and/or offspring. There are often given to prevent poverty and/or fatherlessness [i.e. marry every virgin you sleep with (Exo 22:16), equally provide for every wife and child (Exo 21:20), no divorce (Mark 10:4-12, 1 Cor 7:10-11), no sex with another man’s wife (because he needs pure offspring - Deut 22:22-26), no child sacrifice (Lev 20:2), no polyandry (because it bottlenecks procreation - Rom 7:2-3), etc...].
Certain sexual acts are named as sin for our benefit, the benefit of our offspring, and the benefit of mankind by preventing extinction. God’s commandments inform us of our purpose (Eph 2:10), and when we walk in obedience we experience the true life and joy he created us for (Deut 5:33, Prov 3:1-2, John 10:10, Psalm 91:14-16, Rom 15:13). It has nothing to do with being oppressive but rather our loving Creator revealing to us what He made us to do and setting us free from deception. Our response to His commands then is faith (trust); trust with sex, marriage, money, provision, and all matters. We are to trust in God and His design laid out in His Word above all other voices and authorities (Prov 3:5-6, Mark 11:22, 2 Peter 1:3-4).
Furthermore, in Heaven where procreation is no longer commanded, marriage and sex ceases (Matthew 22:24-30). Earthly pleasures are replaced by the exceedingly greater pleasure of an eternal perfect union with God (the Source of all love and comforts - Luke 20:34-36, 2 Cor 1:3).
This is why there are repeated commands to refrain from certain sexual acts: we are here for a very short time (James 4:14), marriage & procreation are earthly (Luke 20:34), and God wants us to bear godly offspring for Him while here (Gen 8:17, Mal 2:15); we are to make neighbors for Him and ourselves to love here and eternally. He prohibits acts that cease or bottleneck that from happening (homosexuality, bestiality, polyandry, adultery with married women, child sacrifice, etc...) while permitting acts that accomplish His will (heterosexual marriage; monogamous and polygynous).
In closing, this is why monogamous and polygynous marriage is never prohibited in Scripture; God loves people (John 3:16, 1 John 4:19), and His institution of marriage fills His house with people for Him to love eternally (Luke 14:23, Jeremiah 31:3). We must be vigilant in exposing any teaching that slows or stops God's will from being done in the Earth. Amen.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry..." - 1 Timothy 4:1-3
End of Draft - thank you for reading and for your feedback!
