bible_says-12e

                                   GOD'S Marriage Laws

A basis for the integration of peoples
1. The first man to enter a virgin is her husband for life or for eternity if they enter the Congregation.
2. Although a woman can have only one true husband (one virginity), a man may enter many virgins and therefore have many wives.
3. A woman whose true husband dies, leaving her childless, may remarry as a concubine to bring up heirs unto her dead husband.   Therefore, a concubine's legitimate children are legal heirs of her late husband.
4. It is whoredom whenever a wife takes another other than her true husband or whenever a concubine takes another other than her legitimate substitute husband.   Such illegal unions are forbidden under GOD'S marriage laws.
5. Children of illegal unions (harlots) have no legitimate father.
6. A divorced woman (one cast aside or who leaves her true husband) may not legally remarry except she remain chaste and her true husband takes her back.
7. A whore, one who takes another other than her true husband or substitute husband, is defiled and unclean unto the true or substitute husband whichever is the case.

REFERENCES
1. A woman's true husband is the first man to enter her as a virgin.   The marriage act: (Isaac) Genesis 24:67; (Jacob) Genesis 29:18-30; (Onan) Genesis 38:8; Virginity requirement and chastity of the betrothed woman: Deuteronomy 22:13-21,28-29; Numbers 31:17-18; Exodus 22:16-17; Isaiah 62:5.

          The betrothed woman is temporarily married and becomes the man's maidservant.   He may make the marriage permanent or give her in marriage to his son or permit her to be redeemed or he must free her in the seventh year: Exodus 21:7-11.
2. Multiple wives and one husband.   The wife's duties are not diminished when her husband takes an additional wife: Exodus 21:10; Examples of multiple wives: (Gideon) Judges 8:30; (David) I Samuel 25:43-44; II Samuel 2:2; 19:5; I Chronicles 3:1-9; (Solomon) I Kings 11:3.

3. The concubine.   The concubine's children: Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Numbers 31:17-18; Genesis 38:8-9; Ruth 4:10; Abraham's, Genesis 16:1-4; 25:1,5-6; Gideon's, Judges 8:31; Onan's, Genesis 38:8-9; Boaz's, Ruth 4:10; David's Abigail, I Samuel 25:3,39-42; Absolom defiles David's, II Samuel 15:16; 16:21-22; 20:3; David and Bathsheba, II Samuel 11:2 to 12:24; Solomon's, I Kings 11:3.
4. A wife may not take another.   Death for the adultress and adulterer, Deuteronomy 22:22; Trial of Jealousy, Numbers 5:12-31; The defiled betrothed, Deuteronomy 22:23-27.

5. Children of harlots: Deuteronomy 23:2; Hebrews 12:8; Zechariah 9:6; Nehemiah 13:23; "Leave thy fatherless children..." Jeremiah 49:10-11; Ezra 10:2-3,10-11.

          The example of Abraham casting out Hagar and Ishmael, her son, reflected the treatment of the harlot and her children.   That is, if Hagar were a legitimate wife or concubine of Abraham, Abraham would have had firm obligations to care for both Hagar and Ishmael.   But this was not the case (Genesis 21:9-15).   Also, Ishmael would have been Abraham's firstborn instead of Isaac (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).   However, again, this was not the case.   Both Hagar and her son Ishmael were sent away with only a bottle of water and some bread (Genesis 21:14; Jeremiah 49:11; Ezra 10:2-3,10-11).   Whereas, Isaac was declared by GOD to be the legitimate heir, the firstborn to Abraham (Genesis 21:12; 17:15-16,19); yet, Isaac was 14 years younger than Ishmael (Genesis 21:5; 16:16).   So, Ishmael had to be the son of a harlot and Hagar the wife of another.   Nevertheless, Ishmael was Abraham's seed given to a harlot; therefore, Abraham had no responsibilities to either Hagar or Ishmael.

          People concerned might read: Isaiah 56:1-8; Jeremiah 18:5-10; II Chronicles 7:14; Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Hosea 14:1-3 ... "for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy."

6. The divorced woman.   She may not legally remarry but under man's laws may choose to disobey GOD and "remarry" as a whore ... Matthew 5:32; Mark 10:12; Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

          Also, "Whosoever shall put away his wife (meaning Israel, the GODLY Kingdom), and marry another (the Image, the UNGODLY Kingdom), committeth adultery against her (Israel and the LORD)" (Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18; Matthew 5:27-32).

7. The defiled woman is symbolized by the Canaanites or harlot: (Judah) Genesis 38:2; (Esau) Genesis 26:34-35; 36:2; the Canaanites symbolize the harlot, Ezekiel 23:1-4,43-44; 16:2-3,29-32,38,44-46; Abraham's admonition, Genesis 24:3,37; Isaac's admonition, Genesis 28:1,6.

8. The husband is to rule over his wife or wives and the righteous wife is to submit to and serve her husband (Genesis 3:16; I Timothy 2:11-12; I Corinthians 11:3,9).   This mirrors the gathering of the righteous Congregation unto the Messiah.   Therein, the Messiah is as a husband unto His righteous Congregation and the Congregation are as submissive wives unto their husband.   Whereas, the unfaithful and disobedient will be rejected (Revelation 22:15).

9. Caution:   The Eighth Commandment (Exodus 20:15) says, "Thou shalt not steal." And a maiden is her father's property until such time that he gives her in marriage.   So, to take someone's daughter without the parent's O.K. is getting off to a bad start by violating the Eighth Commandment (Exodus 22:16-17; Deuteronomy 22:28-29; 21:10-14).

          "One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.

          "One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you."
                                                                                Numbers 15:15-16
                                                                                    Isaiah 1:16-17