Why did God change His mind about polygamy?

Question

In the Old Testament times, many people practiced polygamy, including some of the most prominent, wise, and faithful men of God (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, etc).

God didn't frown on polygamy in those days. So why is it so abominable to Christians today?

I'm not saying I'm for polygamy. I can hardly handle one wife, let alone multiple wives... :-) Just wondering what christians think.

Answer 1

Funny, because when this God-given law was finally restored in modern times, the 'Christian' opposition was so strong that He had to remove it so that His work could continue on the Earth.

Answer 2

Polygamy was best applied only in the case of war, if a man were killed, then the widow according to Jewish law had a claim to be married to the brother. It's also the reason we have the story of Ruth and Boaz, by the way, even though her husband wasn't killed in a war. Polygamy (or polygyny, as another answerer noted) was a way of providing for the emotional and physical needs of a widow, who would have been devastated after a loss like that. In addition, children were so important to the Jews that it was also considered a way to help build up the people of God. David was trying to bend the rules of that widowhood law by getting Uriah sent to the front so he would die and then David would feel justified in having Bathsheba for himself. I don't think much of polygamy myself, but loneliness and poverty would probably convince many women that it was better to be a second wife or a third wife. In the Resurrection, though, I feel very strongly that there is someone for everyone, and those who died in wars without being married will have those blessings.
P.S. the second thing I'd like to add is that people abused that widowhood rule and just got married to a lot of wives and concubines for other reasons, which displeased God.

Answer 3

Actually, I think polygamy is a pretty sound idea. I have a very close friend who is a single mum, and is round my house most days babysitting and just chatting, helping with the housework, etc. She is really struggling to bring up her son, who has a learning disability, and as a family we are very close to her. I occasionally wish Heavenly Father would allow polygamy again so that she could just move in with us. That way we'd always have babysitters, the housework would get done... although to be honest I wouldn't want her sleeping with my husband! That's really where it all falls apart...

I suppose Heavenly Father ordains whatever is the correct social structure for the day. In past times, men were permitted to have more that one wife at the same time. These days, they seem to prefer to have them one after the other...

Answer 4

The Bible doesn't say that God thought polygamy was a good lifestyle - actually to the contrary.

The Bible in those cases simply recorded what the people did. It was culturally acceptable at that time.

The Bible model has always been one husband and one wife. After the law was given, David and Solomon were breaking God's laws when they had more than one wife.

All of them suffered bad consequences from mutliple wives ---God's ways are always best.

Answer 5

He never approved of it, but he allowed it to happen. The original family was Adam and he was given one wife, Eve. God's purpose did not change. Humans began taking more than one mate and it was an accepted practice for a short time when there were less people populating the earth. However, even in the "new testament", in the book of Timothy, it shows that an exemplary person would be a "husband of one wife", so the standard did not change.

Answer 6

Have you even READ the bible? Go back through the old testament and all the way into the new and you tell me just HOW MANY CHANGES there were to commandments the Lord gave, that were given, rescinded, modified, cancelled etc. Its one of the reasons many people struggled with Christ "A new commandment I give unto you" "Ye have heard it said by them of old time....but I say unto you...." and that's just two! What do you think the new testament is but ongoing instruction because the former instruction wasn't sufficient or needed to be changed? If you read the bible you would know this - go read it! You'll find it fascinating!

Answer 7

There are some verses in the Book of Mormon that may help with answering this question. Some of the people at the time had more than one wife, but were considered unrighteous. God commanded them to only have one wife unless he commanded differently for the purpose of quickly increasing the population.

Answer 8

From the very begining God meant for man and woman to become one.
Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Exodus 20:17
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

No Polygamy in Job
Job 1
Prologue
1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

If a man's brother dies his wife is to given his brother.

Answer 9

I guess men are not so rare, except in parts of Aides-ravaged Africa, that it is still necessary for polygamy.

In fact, women are the rare ones in some places, like Alaska and China. Where are all the FLDS missionaries where they need them.

The way men work overtime to pay off mortgages, one wife is lucky to get "serviced", let alone a whole harem of willing bed buddies.

Next women may demand multiple husbands in some places. That makes more sense. One guy finishes fast and goes to sleep, and she says "next"!

The only bad thing is you have no wife left when your only 1 dies.

Ditto for only children, you are just one accident away from none!

But seriously, one is enough for me. I like monogamy, and polygamy would ruin that peace and satisfaction that we share.

Answer 10

Okay, first let me qualify what I am about to say as my opinion. I am not claiming it to 100% true, I would have to research and study the matter more to be sure if it is scripturally sound.

When God created Adam and Eve, you'll notice he didn't create Adam and Eve, and Susan, and Elizabeth , and Jenny, and Sally. The first marriage was between two people.

I also never see God command men to take more than one wife. (Though I haven't memorized the Levitical laws).

So my opinion is that God was NEVER actually for it. Rather, in His grace, He tolerated it. Just as Jesus said that God allowed divorce because of the hardness of men's hearts. I believe He tolerated polygamy, not approved it.

I could be wrong though, and if I am, feel free to point it out.

Answer 11

I think that Polygamy is something that God institutes according to what is needed at the time. Sometimes, it may just be a test of obedience, other times it may fill a need. I don't have all the answers to the reasons for polygamy, but that is my opinion.

It's not so much that He changes His mind, it is more that needs change. Maybe this is simplistic, but it is like a parent who makes their child wear their coat in the winter, but not in the summer. Does the parent change their mind about the importance of the coat? No, but in the summer the coat is not needed, in fact in extreme heat wearing a coat could be unhealthy, but in the winter, not wearing the coat can be unhealthy. So the parent who has more knowledge than the child, makes adjustments according the the needs of the child or children. The child may not always understand all the reasons, but if they mind their parent, they will be protected. Does that make sense? Sometimes, it is just about what is needed at that time- with our simple minds and lack of the knowledge and information that God has, we don't always understand the reasons for the things he asks of us.