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Your Turn / Re: New CPH Large Catechism
« on: January 31, 2023, 10:18:20 AM »
I'm listening to a podcast on marriage by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick and Fr. Stephen DeYoung right now. It's called "Lord of the Spirits," and the podcast I think is called "One Flesh."
Anyway, they had a discussion that I think is relevant to the issues you all are discussing now. They pointed out how people like to say polygamy is sanctioned in the Scriptures, and Father Stephen said basically "just because the Bible describes something does not mean it prescribes it." And he noted the Patriarchs in Genesis, and how of the three, the picture of a good marriage we get is Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac, as I know from my own studies, is the picture of faithfulness among the hierarchs. Whereas Abraham doubted God's promise to deliver him a child through Hagar, Isaac prayed to deliver Rebekah from her barrenness. Whereas Abraham fled to Egypt to escape famine, Isaac did not go to Egypt because the Lord forbade it. Etc. Anyway, Isaac only ever had one wife -- Rebekah. I don't think this is accidental. Neither do Fathers Andrew and Stephen. Jacob then follows Abraham's lack of faith and disobedience, with predictable results, and it is not until Joseph emerges as a true type of Christ that we see the fruit of Isaac's faithfulness (ironically through the faithlessness of his father and brothers).
In this way, it seems to me, the Old Testament does not promote polygamy, but in fact describes its negative effects on God's people.
Anyway, they had a discussion that I think is relevant to the issues you all are discussing now. They pointed out how people like to say polygamy is sanctioned in the Scriptures, and Father Stephen said basically "just because the Bible describes something does not mean it prescribes it." And he noted the Patriarchs in Genesis, and how of the three, the picture of a good marriage we get is Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac, as I know from my own studies, is the picture of faithfulness among the hierarchs. Whereas Abraham doubted God's promise to deliver him a child through Hagar, Isaac prayed to deliver Rebekah from her barrenness. Whereas Abraham fled to Egypt to escape famine, Isaac did not go to Egypt because the Lord forbade it. Etc. Anyway, Isaac only ever had one wife -- Rebekah. I don't think this is accidental. Neither do Fathers Andrew and Stephen. Jacob then follows Abraham's lack of faith and disobedience, with predictable results, and it is not until Joseph emerges as a true type of Christ that we see the fruit of Isaac's faithfulness (ironically through the faithlessness of his father and brothers).
In this way, it seems to me, the Old Testament does not promote polygamy, but in fact describes its negative effects on God's people.