Bible Text: Genesis 29:31-30:24 | Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Genesis, Sister Act

1.  What the Bible teaches about polygamy:

-God’s design for marriage is found in Genesis 2:24-marriage is to be a monogamous, heterosexual, lifelong union (this ideal is repeated by Jesus in Matthew 19:6 and is reinforced in Malachi 2:14,15; and 1 Corinthians 7:2)

-God permitted polygamy, but never approved of it. 

-polygamy is a sin of ignorance since there is no direct command against it in the Scripture.

-Polygamy was always a source of trouble and difficulty as Genesis 29 & 30 clearly demonstrate.

2.  Though Leah is rejected by her husband, God cares for her by enabling her to conceive.  God cares for the forgotten and rejected.

3.  We must look to God to fulfill our needs of security, significance, and acceptance.  We must not look to others to meet those needs.  When we look to God we can act toward others in grace, loving them unconditionally.  When we look toward others to fill those needs we wind up manipulating, battling, scheming or demanding from others.