I hope I never have to deal with such a situation. Of course if this Muslim gentleman lived in the United States I would point out to him the laws of our country. If he lived in a country that allowed polygamy then that would be a different story. I could tell him to remain in the situation that he is in, but I would also have to remind him that God's original purpose in marriage was one man and one woman. Of course if he were saved would he still be a Muslim? :)

Just out of curiosity what difference would it make whether he came in tears or not? :)

I don't think any of us are going to get too up tight over the polygamy issue because, let's face it, most of us aren't going to actually ever have to deal with it. But the topic does test us and make us look in the scriptures more closely. I still stand by my statement that God's original intention was one man for one woman and that He allowed for multiple wives. I'm still searching but I don't see any polygamous relationships for the Jews after the Babylonian captivity and no born again believers in the Bible had multiple wives.

God stated it.

Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Jesus and Paul reaffirmed it.

Matthew 19:4-6 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

1 Corinthians 7:1-2 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

CKG,

CKG:and even then it doesn't say she had had 5 husbands at the same time.

I had to laugh because I thought if she was a 5 time widow no wonder the sixth wouldn't marry her!

We don't exactly line up on our views but it's nothing worth quibbling about.
The typology is a very interesting study.

Nooooo...Is Wiki the only thing that can be quoted here? I missed that rule.

Is Wiki THE source to go to?

?

Well, I myself am completely appalled at the turn this thread had taken and am very seriously considering unsubscribing.

It is very serious and worth getting uptight over.

I was just wondering if it was online so I could read it.

Unless every family in Israel kept a spare single son on hand then it seems God commanded the taking of another wife in the this event, no?

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

I apologize if I have said anything to offend you and I may have to retract an earlier statement I made. With the way things are going with homosexual unions in our country we may have to face the issue of polygamy one day.

This was a unique situation given under the law to the Jew and does not sanction polygamy. I'm having somewhat of a difficulty understanding this preoccupation with running to Old Testament passages in an attempt to sanction something for born again believers in the church age.

We know God's will for marriage.
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Jesus, whose ministry was during the time of the Law reaffirmed it.
Matthew 19:4-6 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Paul, in the church age, the apostle to the gentiles also reaffirmed it.
Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

1 Corinthians 7:1-2 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.