| "But He only said it once..." |
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I was on my way home from work right now and was listening to a local call-in show where people ask Bible questions. This one lady asked an insightful question about David's multiple wives, along the lines of "I know multiple wives wasn't ok by God back then just like it's not now, so how come it didn't seem like such a big deal?"
As usually happens when listening to the show, my mind begins to scan through the databanks to pull up whatever Scriptural information I know pertaining to the question (I like to compare my thoughts with the answers the hosts give). My mind went to God's command to the future kings -- "do not multiply wives" -- and the hosts went to the same verse, as well as back to the Garden when God spoke to the first husband and wife about "and the two" -- not three, or four, or seven -- "shall become one flesh".
When most people think about it, they look at those two verse references -- one direct to the issue, one indirect to all mankind -- and they ask "If it was important why didn't God say more about it?" I've had many -- and I mean WAY many -- people ask me that. And on the surface, it sounds like a reasonable enough question. After all, we've all listened to many a Sunday sermon where the pastor/teacher makes the point "see how God said the same thing here multiple times? That's because He really wanted to emphasize the point"; to some degree, that point is valid, and sometimes, it's not. We don't have the visual of the scene most of the time, and as such are likely missing a large portion of what the audience is doing, whether it's a noisy or quiet area, whether new people are arriving as the speaker is speaking, etc., and as a result I think sometimes we assume too much when making those statements.
Back to the point: so if God really thought that "one-husband, one wife" was so important, how come He didn't say more about it? My response is probably not what you're expecting.
"How come He has to say it more than once for us to take Him seriously about it?"
I mean after all, if the God of all Creation suddenly appeared to you face to face, and spoke one sentence to you before disappearing, you'd have that one sentece impressed upon your heart and mind for the rest of your life, more likely than not. So what, since we read it in the Bible instead of hearing it face to face, it doesn't mean as much? Was God less serious about the things He only says once? Were those things less important?
How did we ever get so trained into thinking that God has to say something a bunch of time for it to really be important? Think about it...the "Great Commission"? Only mentioned once (recorded in three accounts, but only one event). And how seriously do most Christians take "making disciples of all the nations"? Not very.
What about turning the other cheek? Only mentioned once. How seriously do most Christians take it? Not very. "Oh, but that's just our culture, you know". Gimme a break...God didn't say "These things you are to do regardless of circumstance, but these things over here, well these things you can do if your culture is cool with it."
Seriously, cut the crap...excuses, excuses.
You wanna know how twisted some of our thinking has become, how warped our priorities are? Some people reading this are still thinking about how I said "cut the crap" rather than about taking God at His Word. Hmm....yeah.
So anyways, it's just something that hit me -- with much conviction, I might add, because I'm just as guilty sometimes. We need to pay attention to what He says, whether He says it once or a dozen times. If it wasn't important, He wouldn't have said it at all. It ALL needs to be taken seriously; not "morbidly piously" seriously, where you never smile and are always depressed because of how much a failure you are at these things...just seriously in the knowledge that God actually means what He says.
I know these are the days of the "dysfunctional family" and all, but in God's Family, He doesn't let His kids get by with trying to hoodwink Him into "letting them slide" in this or that...He loves you and me enough to discipline us, to teach us the spiritual "that oven is hot!" and "don't run out in the street!" lessons that we need to spiritually thrive.
In His service, and yours,
jason† |
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