Polygamy in the Bible (Part 2)
- kingdomcitizensinc
- Aug 11
- 5 min read
the polygamous plight series
Welcome to the kingdom citizens blog!
Our faithfulness to Christ causes us to flourish, benefiting the relationships we have with mankind as well. Likewise, our unfaithfulness to Christ naturally reaps unfavorable outcomes with God and mankind.
King David’s love of women led to polygamous behaviors that created generational pockets of corruption. For example, lets call attention to the rape of his daughter Tamar by her half-brother Amnon (born to David and Ahinoam, from Jezreel) in 2 Samuel 13. The prophetic word in 2 Samuel 12:10, “the sword shall never depart from your [David’s] house” was a direct result of David’s polygamous act towards Uriah the Hittite; a rebellious act against God.
“10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.”
This act of rebellion would lead King David into a season of distress that would follow him to his grave. Let's examine this instance of David's lack of respect for God and mankind, derived from his polygamous appetite.
David's Distress
God said David despised Him by engaging in this act of violence and lust. This Hebrew word for “despised” (bazah) is typically used to describe a vile person. A person who is despised is one without honor, who has scorned or treated others with contempt (lack of respect). David, unintentionally, made a mockery of God by acting with indignation (annoyance associated with the feeling of being unfairly treated); and all this, as if he didn’t already have 7 wives and an unknown number of concubines at his disposal.
In fact, in 2 Samuel 12:1-13, the prophet Nathan calls David out for this act of betrayal against his own subjects; despising God’s command in the process:
Nathan’s Parable and David’s Repentance
“1 So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him:
There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very large flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.
5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”
7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why then have you despised the Lord’s command by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword. 10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.’
11 “This is what the Lord says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight. 12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.’”
13 David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Then Nathan replied to David, “And the Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die.
A Lesson in Repentance & Consequence
Even after David’s dishonorable deeds, God forgave him because of his contrite heart of repentance. But even in forgiveness, God’s justice was enforced. Nathan’s parable reveals to us how depraved we become when we put our sinful desires before God’s command. When we replace His commandments with our own polygamous appetites, we say to the Lord that He isn’t good enough and that we desire sustenance elsewhere.
Plainly stated in verse 8, the Lord tells king David that He would’ve given him more if what he had wasn’t enough. Instead of relying on the Lord, king David took it upon himself to add to himself what he wanted, as opposed to surrendering his desires over to God. When we look to fulfill our desires outside of the boundaries of God’s will, we fail; potentially affecting the generations behind us like David did.
David’s immediate family began to deteriorate until Solomon became king, and even that came with its own challenges and consequences. The child conceived as a result of his infidelity with Bathsheba died. His children raped and killed each other. His wives plotted behind his back to establish their particular son on the throne. Chaos remained until Solomon avenged his father of his enemies and brought peace to the land of Israel for a period of time.
The polygamous behaviors you practice don’t just affect you but create lingering consequences for those in your immediate vicinity, especially your spouse and offspring. Be mindful of the promises of God, not attempting to fulfill your own corrupt desires. All the plotting and planning and scheming comes to nothing. Like king David, even if you do acquire the forbidden thing you seek, your private pleasures will eventually become public peril.
Make sure to stay tuned in for this next blog post so you don't miss out on your word of instruction and encouragement...The next blog will review the Lord's original intention concerning marriage, grounds for divorce, and the kind of adultery we may not immediately recognize. Thank you and God bless!
Scripture of Emphasis:
2 Samuel 16:11-12 (NIV)
"11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
Thank You and God Bless!
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