In their economy and mentality there was no work for women, no support, no jobs available and had God forbade multiple wives there could have been a wave of prostitution and undo disrespect for unfortunate women who lost their husbands.

Again I say that the laws allowing multiple marriages reflect what is in our hearts and not what is in Gods!

Hi MM,

We are all sinners and all stand guilty before God. God, in His wisdom and mercy, didn't try to correct all of our misunderstandings at once. He is patient and good and is a friend to sinners. Some things He corrected right away like stealing and killing, but others had roots deeply embedded in society such as multiple wives.

In their economy and mentality there was no work for women, no support, no jobs available and had God forbade multiple wives there could have been a wave of prostitution and undo disrespect for unfortunate women who lost their husbands. Thus God didn't make an issue about woman's rights until the last couple hundred years. And look how long it's taken to get to where we are. We still resist! Most of the world still thinks of women as inferior. As John Lennon put it, "Women are the niggers of the world" and it is sad that a rock star recognized what many religious fanatics can't see to this day.

We, as Christians, need to be on the front line for woman’s dignity! Jesus gave His life for our freedom.

To answer your question; I think polygamy is vial and is a sin on par with bigotry and racism, but God made provision for it because of the hardness of our hearts just like divorce! Again I say that the laws allowing multiple marriages reflect what is in our hearts and not what is in Gods!

By MM: Thank you, Scott, for candidly answering my question. Your thoughts lead me to another question: Did God permit sinning in the law of Moses because of culture and hardness of hearts?

In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed, that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; and if God should remit the punishment of sin, He would not be a God of truth and justice. When men broke the law of God, and defied His will, Satan exulted. It was proved, he declared, that the law could not be obeyed; man could not be forgiven. Because he, after his rebellion, had been banished from heaven, Satan claimed that the human race must be forever shut out from God's favor. God could not be just, he urged, and yet show mercy to the sinner. {DA 761.4}

GW 216
Every sin is an offense against God, and is to be confessed to Him through Christ. {GW 216.3}

DA 111
Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit. {DA 111.4}

DA 300
By every sin Jesus is wounded afresh; and as we look upon Him whom we have pierced, we mourn for the sins that have brought anguish upon Him. {DA 300.3}

FLB 101
The guilt of every sin pressed its weight upon the divine soul of the world's Redeemer. {FLB 101.3}

GC 666
As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. {GC 666.2}

NL 28
Every sin must be renounced as the hateful thing that crucified the Lord of life and glory, and the believer must have a progressive experience by continually doing the works of Christ. {NL 28.1}

PP 203
Those who are unwilling to forsake every sin and to seek earnestly for God's blessing, will not obtain it. {PP 203.2}

1SM 218
Not one of those ten precepts can be broken without disloyalty to the God of heaven. The least deviation from its requirements, by neglect or willful transgression, is sin, and every sin exposes the sinner to the wrath of God. {1SM 218.2}

TG 350
Every sin, every unrighteous action, every transgression of the law of God, tells with a thousandfold more force upon the actor than the sufferer. Every time one of the glorious faculties with which God has enriched man is abused or misused, that faculty loses forever a portion of its vigor and will never be as it was before the abuse it suffered. Every abuse inflicted upon our moral nature in this life is felt not only for time but for eternity. Though God may forgive the sinner, yet eternity will not make up that voluntary loss sustained in this life. {TDG 350.1}

Satan will be judged by his own idea of justice.

This is quite profound. It's true of everyone.

Scott, I'm sorry you think I feel God is mean and ugly. Truly, I did not feel this way about Him. I agree with you that He is merciful and loving, not willing that any should be lost. He leaves no stone unturned to win and woo sinners back to His warm and loving embrace.

But my question concerns the law of Moses. Did God permit sinning in the law of Moses because of culture and hardness of hearts? In other words, did He compromise in the law of Moses to accommodate sin-hardened Hebrews? Did He include some of their sinful practices in the law of Moses because they were not ready learn and live the whole truth? Was He intending to fix things later on, to set things right as soon as they were able to grasp and appreciate the truth? Was He willing to wink at certain sins for a season? Did He temporarily permit sinning in the law of Moses?