Was God OK with All of the Polygamy in the Old Testament?

Was God okay with all the polygamy in the Old Testament best is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity will hi, I'm Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Would love to hear from you and our phone lines are open right now you can call us for the next 25 minutes or so, here's the number it's 1-833-843-2673 so easy to spell it on your phone.

It's 833, the court, 833.core. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites you can interact with a drill right now live in the studio on our YouTube channel and you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com will first up today.

Here's a voicemail we received from one of our callers earlier this week.

Hey Jasmine, appreciate that that question is short and sweet but also very very important and I think that there are a lot of Christians who have this question, especially if if they're struggling with a particular standard pattern of scene where Elisa got I'm I'm sorry for this I repent and then find themselves struggling with the same sin.

The next day. The next week and and then they begin to question well did I really repent. Did I truly repent then and there and saw a very practical question here that many people have.

First, the repentance is as just a concept I think in the Bible is very simple. It means in the New Testament a change of mind often associated with with turning away from sin or self and turning toward God. In other words, it's not just you know feeling remorse over something bad that we've done and wallowing in guilt and shame meal beating ourselves up for for our failures. That's that's not what repentance is.

It's turning away from our sins and turning toward the Lord, receiving his grace as a positive element.

You know what were thinking about faith in Jesus Christ and I would say only a part of it is is just confession. Oftentimes, repentance and confession of sin go hand-in-hand when were confronted by our sins in life.

A lot of times are our tendency is to minimize those sins. Maybe we'll sort of confessing a will will will confess a part of it, or will say it wasn't that bad. I know I messed up.

It really wasn't that bad. We have this this tendency to minimize stood to pretend like were better than we really are and so minimizing sin is not repentance, and neither is blame shifting. That's another thing oftentimes in working confronted by sin and maybe by the Holy Spirit, or even just somebody comes to us a friend a spouse and they they bring something to our attention a sinful pattern behavior and we begin to say things only. I know that's bad but I only did this because of you know something you did or unit was in response to you, so we tend to minimize we tend to blame shift repentance looks like truly owning our sensing look, this is it. To be honest him to be on. To be honest about what I've done. I'm agreeing with God that sin is sin and that I can't save myself from it that others nothing II can do to earn God's love. God's favor him confessing my sin as it is not minimizing it more blame shifting confessing my sin and I'm turning to Jesus to receive his grace. I'm not just sitting and wallowing in in in you know my my shame. That's not what God wants.

God wants us to direct our eyes to his son into receive the forgiveness that he offers to all those who look to him and so thought I would say it's agreeing with God about what your sin isn't confessing that sin and then turning towards Jesus and receiving the grace that he has for you and what you will find in life and in brothers and sisters. I'm sure you'll agree with me on this is that you can truly repent of his sin and still find yourself struggling with.

That's in the very next, it doesn't mean that you didn't didn't actually repent repentance through his daily thing as were as were looking to the Lord. Turning away from our sin, confessing it the real issue is when instead of confessing our sins and and turning from them. We hide him we conceal we minimize and and and it's there in the darkness that sin continues to grow and so I would say I would say be honest about your sin, confess it and receive the grace that Jesus has for you when you do some great advisors thinking. Yesterday a drill. I lost my temper with my teenage daughter and after I blew up with her. I apologize, but then throughout the day. I kept feeling the sense of of guilt kind of wall make wallowing in that shame, even though I'd repented to God and told her of that I was sorry for my actions. I just couldn't seem to let go of it. What you do that yeah by mutants. There are at times those those consequences and will we feel like manic. I can't believe I did that and and we have to continually go back to the mercy of God for us in his son Jesus, because it's really easy to do a focus on our failures focus on our shortcomings to the wallowing that it as I've said, but instead, you know, focusing on the forgiveness that God gives to us magnifying the cross of Jesus Christ so that we can say yes that that that sin was wrong was bad hurt other people that I can own that. But there is a God in heaven who is who is gracious to me, and his cross is big enough to deal with my sin. Whatever it is, no matter how bad it is and so that the focus becomes not on us in our shortcomings. The focus gets directed to Jesus and the immensity of his grace and that should result in worship, but of course it it it is difficult Bill you know and and I know is well and so we need the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us through that and and so yeah thanks for can feel you don't have to confess on the radio, but people can call but there is clear his grace, brother, and so we praise God for that. And Jesus gets all the glory. A man by the way, if you have a question for a drill.

We would love to hear from you will be taking your calls for the next 20 minutes or so. Here's the phone number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 hop on your phone right now.

We received two voicemails on a similar topic one from JC and one from Jasper when David married, you know several people in the Bible was God ever angry at him for that. That Jesus is overall a person, but I wondered it letter with those people for those things.

I was just wondering why all. Everyone had so many large only have 700 animal sons that will is a great question. How does that work. I know yeah you look at the Old Testament and and clearly you know among the patriarchs and in various figures kings in the Old Testament there was this practice of polygamy and a lot of people will say will is that something that God was was about in the Old Testament if it changed his mind in the New Testament was that okay was that condoned a couple of things. One, as were reading the Bible, we need to be able to distinguish between that which is descriptive and that which is prescriptive.

In other words, sometimes the Bible is just describing things that that happened. It's not it's not setting this up as as a model for us to follow. Certainly polygamy is not the model for us to follow, as is the description of the people of God in the Old Testament. Some of the things that they were doing and really it was not what God intended from the very beginning so it wasn't prescriptive for for us. It's not meant to be prescriptive for us as we also have to distinguish again between what God intended, and what God allowed it. Various points in redemptive history. It's clear from the very beginning of creation that God made them male and female. One man one woman to be married to be brought together to become one flesh in this union ultimately were told by the apostle Paul reflects the union between Jesus Christ and his one bride, the church, and so so like me doesn't doesn't fit into the equation at all and yet at various times in redemptive history guided God allowed his people to do things not because it was the goal. The intention, if you will, from from the very beginning, not because of their own hardness of heart. In fact that's what Jesus says with regard to the certificate of divorce when when he's asked about he says look from the very beginning wasn't meant to be this way. God is God is not the E4 divorce if you will, is now God intended man and woman to come together in the did to separate God is join them together but because of your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to have this this certificate of divorce and the other thing that we have to remember is when you look at the examples of polygamy in the Old Testament it it it's always associated with with pain and suffering and bad things happening in fact bring up David's son, for example, Solomon in first Kings chapter 11. His many wives were a part of his downfall eligible to read some of this section here because I think it helps us to understand what the Bible has to say about is in first Kings chapter 11 verse one is as King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh Moabite Ammonite Edomite Sidonia and Hittite women from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel. You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods, Solomon clung to these in love by the way, let me just say here whatever it is that you cling to in love that God has said, don't cling to that that that will be your downfall.

If you don't repent. If you don't turn from it is we are talking about it just just in the previous question.

Solomon clung to them in love.

The text says he had a 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines and his wives turned away his heart for when Solomon was old. His wives turned away his heart after other gods in his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father, and even that statement there about David and we have to provide some qualification because we know David send in very grievous ways. Taking the life of another man and Bathsheba it and so know God was not pleased with that at all affect God judged him severely for that. It is important that we see that so so distinguishing between what's described in the Bible it are the people God did, and in the prescriptions for us in Scripture I think is really important helps us to unravel this this is not if you will thank you for those questions you core Christianity with pastor Gabriel Sanchez, one of the things you just mentioned was that marriage how God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman, one man and one woman. And yet in our society right now there's some different views of marriages. We actually have a wonderful resource on the topic of homosexuality.

It's free and would like to offer you that today yeah the the resource.

A bill is talking about what you can get over it. Core, Christianity.com is called 10 things you need to know about the Bible and homosexuality again that as builders mentioned, this is a thorny issue is is one of the things that that a lot of people are talking about today, it's important that we have a biblical perspective here that were allowing the word of God to shape what we believe more than just broader society and culture.

We want to we want to hear what the Lord has to say about this.

So get a hold of this resource over it. Core, Christianity.com/offers again. It's called 10 things you need to know about the Bible and homosexuality and you can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources are numbers 833 the core that's 833-843-2673 let's go to Jeff was calling in from Lincoln, Nebraska Jeff, what's your question for Israel. Yes, I was wondering how do we deal with the eighth commandment in our respective faith communities as well in our community and community at large. Do you mean so were talking about Jeff bearing false witness, and in what you do when somebody is is lying in the church are that and/or people you might look gossiping how that even goes without. How do we handle this within our respective churches. Thanks, thanks for the question.

A man and what an issue right in in our churches. It's one of those sins that MEM typically when we think about the sins that are disciplined within the church and we might think of you know, since it people would see is in a really grievance heinous out their sins, but but I'm sure you know that gossip the way we use our speech has the ability to really destroy people and to destroy churches. This is this is a think in part what James is getting at when he talks about taming the tongue right and that the tongue can set things on fire and it set on fire by the fires of hell themselves. It is really I think an important issue and of course gossip and lying is so out of accord with the call that God is given to us is as new creations in Jesus Christ. I was just thinking of Colossians chapter 3 verse nine do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. Another was we have to see this is as a great implication of the new identity that we have in Jesus Christ, so that we were seeing this in the church lying or gossip or confronting it with the gospel were telling.

Truly, you have a new identity. You are called to speak the truth in love for the edification of your brothers and sisters not to speak things that are not true or to speak in ways that are are corrupting and and not building up people within the body of Christ, but tearing them down and so I think I think first.

This is something that we just have to say it needs to be confronted and if it is something that's happening in the life of the church. It's something that the leaders in the church. In particular, the elders of that if they're seeing this need to confront need to address. From that place of pay brothers and sisters were were new creations in Christ. This is not how are called to speak. We are called to speak the truth in love for the edification of the other for the edification of the body of Christ. But it's also something I think Jeff within the church that we each as members have to be careful with because how easy is is that you know your your your spending time with people in the church, or a friend over coffee or something like that and they begin to bring up something juicy that we just consorted go along with it right in and listen and and chime in and edit really don't have any business sort of talking about it or spreading that information is where we also have to be careful and I think and can gently exhort one another and saying hey let's let's speak about one another in ways that are edifying and uplifting and so we want we want we want to help each other in this, I think, and we want to be able to identify when it's happening in our own lives so that we can repent of it or or when it's happening to somebody else is doing this so that we can come alongside of them as a brother or sister and say friend. We are new creations. God calls us to speak the truth in love to build each other up and that's not what's happening here in this conversation and and I think it was hard as that is is something that we really ought to do so I would say within the body of Christ a note as members of the church, something that we need to address with each other in caring for one another and exhorting one another, but it certainly also something that when it when it's getting out of hand that the leadership in the church has to address and all people at times to to to repentance and say this is destructive to the body of Christ and and it's not okay were not can allow this. And so we need to address this issue. Jeff mate. May God bless you and your church and all of our churches that we would be places where where were encouraging encouraging and building each other up with our words instead of tearing one another down.

Thank you for your question Jeff, thanks so much and thanks for listening to core Christianity let's go to Danny in Morton, Illinois Danny, what's your question for pastor. Israel was God's holy word on acts chapter 8 of that chapter. There, it's talking a lot about laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit and other places. Not can you explain a little bit this verse. Specifically, Danny.

Are you looking at the next separate quote last night as were. I remember acts chapter 8 where the laying on of hands is what actually they did to you know for them to receive the Holy Spirit okay and… Remember what verso's yeah who is his first when I'm thinking of laying on hands and in the book of acts.

My mind goes first to acts chapter 6 where you have what many people think is the, the establishment of the diaconate in the church and they chose a group of men laid hands on them and prayed for them and commissioned them, set them apart ordained them. We might say to this special office to serve the Lord in in the service of tables there and in acts chapter 6 but you do have.

Also another places the laying on of hands me know this is something in particular Danny that was it was really prominent in the Old Testament, specifically with with the ordination of the kings of the priests even of the prophets you have this sort of endowment this this calling this office that's being given and so I think that's that's one of the tricks of the background imagery to this this concept of the laying on of hands but but maybe thinking of it as the endowment of this gift, this giving of authority if you will, and in particular with with regard to the Holy Spirit that the blessing of the giving of the Holy Spirit that this was something that the apostles themselves were doing now. What's really interesting is in acts chapter 8 you have that whole scene with Simon the magician and he sees the disciples doing these kinds of things and he wants this kind of power this kind of authority. Mr. Reid, beginning in verse 14 it says when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them. They sent to them Peter and John who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit for as yet he had not fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. In other words, the apostles laid their hands on the people there in Samaria to receive the Holy Spirit now. When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered them money, saying, give me this power also so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.

But Peter said to him, it may your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with the money you have neither partner nor law in this matter. For your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of your so what you have here is the apostles as those commissioned by Jesus sent out by Jesus with this apostolic authority taking the gospel to the nations Jerusalem Judeo Samaria.

The uttermost parts of the earth and is a sign of that.

There laying on their hand.

There laying their hands on these individuals and there's is very visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit and in part one of the reasons why that was happening is to communicate to the Jews there at that early stage of that you know the advancement of the gospel that the Holy Spirit in the grace of God was not just for for them but also for the Gentile world that's precisely why that the people in Jerusalem. You know when they hear about this that that the people Samaria receiving the Holy Spirit receiving the word of God. There are some shock there. Wow God is is granting repentance until life even even to them. And so and so that's what's what's been communicated here. I think in the book of acts is that the apostles going out with this apostolic authority carrying the message as Jesus commanded them to do the uttermost uttermost parts of the earth. Now practically Danny. Maybe the question is what are we supposed to lay hands on people so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

I do think that we we we still practice the laying on of hands when it comes to ordination. You know Gordon or dating someone as a pastor or elders or even into the diaconate unit. Again, there's this there's a setting apart for a particular office there and were praying for the grace of the Holy Spirit took to fill an individual and sustain them to to fulfill that office to carry it out, but you and I aren't new apostles.

This is one of the big confusions out there today as they were trying to sort of people individual Christians trying to replicate the apostolic ministry is as though they were eyewitnesses of Christ's resurrection commissioned in the exact same way that the apostles were know we we have to distinguish there you had these unique individuals in the history of redemption were carrying forth the message of the gospel as Jesus commanded them to and and that message is being attested to by by these miracles.

The signs and wonders these manifestations of the Holy Spirit there at the early that early stage in in the apostolic church so that III see that text in particular and appreciate your question Danny, thank you for your encouragement as well know, Israel. There are some churches that really focus on people in the church currently being apostles yes and that that there are called to that somehow the Holy Spirit is given them that that authority that right what your perspective on the cassette that does happen in some denominations yeah I mean usually I mean just to be honest with you, Bill.

If I see somebody who's identifying themselves as an apostle, the sort of red flags go up in my mind the. The alarm siren to know I'm because the apostles in the New Testament, specifically were thinking of the 12 them. These are people who were eyewitnesses of Jesus's resurrection sent out by him with this apostolic authority with with the word of God and so anyone who is just assuming that to themselves.

I would say mean that that's a very dangerous thing. We don't call ourselves to be teachers of the word or apostles. Certainly not the church does, that the church calls people to be pastors and then commissions them, they are deigned to the ministry of the word. That's what it should look like. As I think we need to be cautious when we hear people saying I'm an apostle.

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