Deuteronomy 17: Prohibiting Polygamy

"He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won't go astray.  He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself."

Deuteronomy 17:17

In this passage, the Lord is referring to the appointment of kings, and the rules that should be instated for him when he is chosen.  The quote above is just a snippet.  It goes on to say that the king himself should write a copy of these rules, keep it with him, and read it every day for the rest of his life.  That's a pretty strong way of telling us how important the passage is.

We all know that the kings didn't follow this statute.  We've read and/or heard about all the wives, concubines, and rich treasures that various kings of Israel obtained, even Solomon and David, who were supposed to be the good role-model kings.  We're taught at a young age that these two in particular were favored by God, and we even talk about how David was a man after God's own heart.

I have yet to read any passage which requires an ordinary non-king of Israel to keep only one wife, but I see no reason why this passage for kings shouldn't apply to all mankind.  It describes the specific problem that comes from having many wives - "so that his heart won't go astray."  I'd say that even the thought of having a second wife is an example of a stray heart.  We married men owe it to our wives to devote ourselves to them entirely, and unmarried men owe it to their future wives to do the same.

Question of the Day:

How could these kings so blatantly violate God's command and still earn His loyalty?  Simple - the same way you and I do.  God has always been forgiving in nature because He knows the temptation we face, and He knows every man's heart completely.

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, keep my eyes and heart pure.  Do not ever let me entertain the notion of knowing another woman besides the wife You have given me.  I am thankful for the bounty of blessing she is in my life, none of which I deserve.  Help me to live up to Your expectations as the head of my household, just as a king would as the head of his nation.  Amen.