THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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A Sunday School teacher once gave a test to the 3rd grade students. The results were:
Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark,
The fifth commandment is "humor thy father and mother,"
Christians can have only one wife...this is called monotony.
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Gen 16:1-3
1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
KJV
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What God SAYS and what you DO is largely a matter of interpretation!
God promised Abram a son by his own "bowels" (Genesis 15:4). The manner in which Sarai interpreted that is: that Abram can have a child, but she still cannot. You see, it had already been six years since the promise and nothing had happened. God made the promise when Abram was 80, and now Abram is 86 (see verse 16).
According to the custom of Abram and Sarai's day, a wife who had no children could offer her servant to her husband. The servant would become his second wife, but any children born would be considered as belonging to the first wife. So Sarai offered Hagar as Abram's second wife.
Should we follow the "customs" of the world? God's plan for a family has always been ONE woman with ONE man for one lifetime.
Abram listened to Sarai's assessment of the situation and went along with her. It is RIGHT that a man should listen to his wife. Marriage is a partnership.
But when anyone gives advice contrary to God's Word - Christians should disregard it!
Don't follow the advice of the world (or the customs of it) when that advice contradicts God's Word.
We must live by FAITH, clinging to God and His WORD. And when the world is contrary to God's Word, we should live by His Word anyway!
Love ya,
Bruce