Day 3: Through Genesis 40:11
Did anyone just have one wife? Even with multiple wives these men still seem to shack up with quite a few ladies of ill repute (many of whom are close relatives???). And what did God say about it? Actually, not very much.
I could say that this is one of those weird, unexplainable phenomenons found in the Old Testament. I could use a popular explanation and say that we just can't explain the God of the Old Testament and thank goodness for the New Testament that makes everything ok.
Well, I'm not going to do that. Mainly because I don't think that the New Testament can fix the problems of the Old Testament. Otherwise, you have to say that there are problems with the Old Testament or with the Old Testament God. God is God. He always has been God and always will be God. God didn't change.
While there aren't specific words from God against the sexual failures of some of these men (the Law had yet to be given), there are obvious and drastic consequences. God warns mankind about sin. When sin happens, consequences happen. Sometimes there are natural consequences; such as the strife caused by having jealous wives (Gen. 29). Sometimes there are divine judgments; such as Sodom and Gomorrah being incinerated with burning sulfur from heaven (Gen. 19). Finally, just because there isn't a recorded condemnation from God doesn't mean there wasn't one. We don't know how much of the Law was given to individuals before Moses brought the official Law to the nation of Israel. We assume we have written down everything God ever said. Everything in the Bible is from God. I highly doubt everything from God is in the Bible. In fact, the life of Jesus (only 33 years worth) was recorded as a highlight reel (John 21:25).
As we take this journey though the Bible in 90 Days, remember that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8)!
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Just because God recorded that it happened doesn't mean that He condoned it! As I read the Old Testament, I am always impressed most with God's grace. These people kept sinning and complaining (mainly about the results of their sin!) so much that only a God of grace could have put up with them. Hmmmm! The Hebrews were kind of like people nowadays, weren't they?
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