I’m always amazed when I read the Old Testament at the stories in which the Holy Spirit inspired to be recorded throughout history. I’m also amazed at how God uses really messed up families as His “chosen” people. We don’t really get to see whether God is upset with multiple marriages and extra-marital sex especially from these early stories in Genesis.
Just think about the 12 tribes of Israel. These 12 tribes of Israel become the reference to this God of the Old Testament and His faithful covenant with them for all time. The names of these tribes are scribed on the gates in heaven (Revelation 21:12).
So the story goes like this. Jacob (who stole by trickery the birthright of his older brother Esau and was now blessed by his father Isaac, Abraham’s son) wanted to marry Rachel. Her father gave Leah, Rachel’s older sister, to Jacob at the wedding (which he didn’t come to find out until after he had sex with her). He finally gets to marry Rachel a week later. Jacob loves Rachel more, but is still married to Leah. God gives Leah the ability to bear children because she is unloved by Jacob. Leah ends up giving him 6 of the 12 sons of Israel, one of which was after Rachel sold Jacob’s sex to Leah for some aphrodisiac! Rachel eventually gives him 2 of the 12 sons only after this servant-sex war. Both Leah and Rachel make Jacob have sex with their female servants to give Jacob more sons! Rachel’s servant, Bilhah, had 2 of the 12 sons and Zilpah, Leah’s servant, had 2 of the 12 sons of Israel.
Obviously this family is not perfect and a lot of changes happened to the lineage of blessings and privelages by the time we get to Jesus. Even Jesus said “Matthew 19:28 “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” So why does God not seem to come down and let them know that sex and marriage is to be with one man-one woman that modern Christianity so strongly believes and holds onto as God’s way since the beginning of time? Were they ignoring the truths of God that they knew? Did God accept it then because of culture? Is culture ever justify living differently than from God’s perfect moral/marital/sexual plan? Or do they have an excuse because the Law was not yet given?
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