What about polygamy in the OT?

This morning in our daily Bible reading, we read again of a number of polygamists among the kings of Israel and Judah.  It seems so incongruous — God’s leaders in clear violation of God’s Word.  So what is the view of Scripture toward polygamy?  How can men who were involved in polygamy seem to be blessed by God?

On a superficial reading, there does seem to be a conflict in the Scriptural view towards monogamy in marriage and the “success” of those who had more than one wife, or concubines.  For instance, Abraham, who had Hagar as a proxy for his wife (in fact, Hagar was given to Abraham by Sarah), was called faithful in his heart toward God (Neh. 9:8), a friend of God (Is. 41:8), blessed by God (Is. 51:2), not weak in his faith and unwavering in his belief in God (Rom. 4:19-20), and the man of faith (Gal. 3:9).  Also, David not only took Bathsheba in adultery, but also took Abigail and Ahinoam as his wives when he was already married to Michal (1 Sam. 25:42-44), and later evidently also married the young Shunammite, Abishag (1 Kings 1:3; 2:13-25).  And yet he was called a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22).  How are these things possible if God is opposed to polygamy?

Some have suggested that because the law against adultery and polygamy was not given until after the patriarchs had died (Ex. 20:14; Dt. 17:17), they were not subject to those laws.  However, from the time of Adam, monogamy has always been the standard of God.  That was what God told Adam (Gen. 2:22-25), and it was what the Law and Christ (Mt. 19:4-6) so strongly affirmed.

There are several important principles to remember about polygamy:

• God created Adam for Eve and Eve for Adam.  From the beginning of time, the model for marriage has been one man with one woman for life.  Polygamy has never been regarded by God as a viable option.
• The first polygamist mentioned in Scripture was Lamech (Gen. 4:19ff).  He came not from the godly line of Seth, but the disobedient line of Cain, and sought to “out-do” Cain’s wicked disobedience (4:24).
• God clearly forbade adultery for all men (Ex. 20:14) and polygamy for the kings (Dt. 17:17).  The implication of the latter prohibition is that if it was forbidden for those who led the people, it was forbidden also for those who followed.  Both these laws upheld God’s original intent given to Adam and Eve.
• Those who indulged in polygamy were never blessed for their promiscuous lifestyle.  In fact, for most of them, polygamy was a detriment to their spiritual lives.  For instance, it resulted in contentious families for Jacob (Gen. 35:22; 37:18-28) and David (2 Sam. 13:1-29; 15:1ff) and the complete destruction of Solomon’s life (1 Kings 11:1-13).
• Abraham should not be considered a polygamist.  His sin was not taking another wife.  He was never married to Hagar; Sarah was his only legal wife.  The sin of Abraham was unbelief in God’s ability to keep His word and unfaithfulness to his wife in committing an adulterous act.
• While Jacob certainly was a polygamist and adulterer (with Bilhah and Zilpah, the servants of his wives), it was never his intent to be a polygamist.  He fell in love with Rachel, worked to earn the privilege of marrying her, and was tricked by Laban into marrying Leah (Gen. 29:21-30).  His sin was in his weakness to stand for what was right and in continuing in his sin.
• Polygamy distorts the picture of Christ to the church given in Eph. 5:23.  Christ is Head of one Church, not several.  Thus, as Christ serves as the type for one husband, the Church stands as the antitype for the one wife.  There is only monogamy in our spiritual marriage to Christ and there is only monogamy in our physical marriages.
• Finally, it is possible for a man to have practiced polygamy and still be considered faithful and a man after God’s heart in the same way it is possible for any man to be considered righteous in the eyes of God:  God’s grace.  Polygamy and adultery are forbidden by God, yet they too are able to be forgiven by God and covered by the blood of Christ.