My Interest Piqued

In my studies of this past week’s Torah Reading, I was drawn to Deuteronomy 21:15-17. Many modern English bibles generally entitle this passage something akin to “The Right of the Firstborn.” That being said, this short passage really is about the birthright is to be given to a father’s oldest son. This mitzvah overrides any potential of the father favoring the younger son over the oldest son. Nevertheless, the issue of immediate interest to me in this passage the that this birthright commandment was given within the framework of polygamous marriage relationships. And my interest become piqued over the issue of polygamy and the bible.

So I asked myself: Does YHVH condone or prohibit elect from engaging in polygamy?

Polygamy–A Convoluted Subject

The bible’s treatment of the practice of polygamy is quite convoluted. On the one hand it appears evident that heterosexual monogamy was the only of marriage relationship practiced in the first-century kehila/ekklesia/church. On the other hand, it is evident that many of our Hebrew forefathers openly practiced polygamy without incurring the wrath of the Almighty. Why this obvious dichotomy? Furthermore, nowhere, apart from Paul’s writings, is there any condemnation of polygamy.

What then is Yah’s real position on His people engaging in the practice of polygamy? And how must we as set-apart disciples of Yeshua Messiah view the practice when we come across it?

By the end of this short discussion today, we will have answered these two questions.

The Torah Passage in Question

Again, our focus passage this evening is taken from Deuteronomy 21:15-17. It reads:

“If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have born him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved who is the firstborn. But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his” (ESV).

Modern Perceptions of Polygamy

I would think that it is a universally accepted understanding that polygamy is a rather outmoded/outdated/impractical, and even immoral marriage relationship. Therefore, it is a lifestyle that is only practiced by heathens remote parts of the world and by a handful radical Mormons in this country.  Scripturally, polygamy was practiced by a  handful of our Hebrew forefathers back in the day.

Consequently, both secular and religious segments of society have overwhelmingly disavowed and rejected polygamy. In fact, polygamy today is considered a crime punishable by imprisonment in most western countries. I would say that there exists an ingrained disdain for the practice among the western nations of the world.

Christianity and Judaism reject and disavow the practice. Despite both faiths’ rejection of polygamy, neither side can prove that the practice is prohibited in scripture.

Torah’s Stance on Polygamy Reveals to a Little Bit About the Mind of YHVH

As irrelevant as this subject may appear to you and me—such that it doesn’t have any bearing on our personal walk with Messiah—I believe this subject does reveal how Yah works with His people despite them engaging in certain activities that He may not endorse. Certainly it behooves each of us to understand and know how Yah’s Mind and Purpose work in relation to these types of issues and subjects.

Father Has Our Backs

And in our understanding of how Yah has and continues to work with His people under varying circumstances, we can walk out our Faith with a secure feeling and purpose. For we will come to recognize that Yah has each of our backs, despite what we may have done or been through in our lives.

So as odd as this may sound, convoluted issues such as polygamy has the potential of showing us how the mind of our Heavenly Father works. And regardless how foolish Yah’s people may have acted in their lives, Father has the ability to work with and through His elect’s missteps to fulfill His purpose and Will in the earth. Therefore, if we are going to walk out this Faith in grace and in victory, we definitely need to know how Yah sees such things.

Defining Polygamy

Let’s first define what polygamy.

Our English term “polygamy” is derived from the Greek term ”polygamia.” Polygamy is the practice of marrying multiple spouses.

As an aside, the term “polygyny” refers to a man who is married to multiple women. This, of course, is the most prevalent form of polygamy practiced throughout the world. The term “polyandry” on the other hand, refers to a woman who is married to multiple men. This form of polygamy is extremely rare. It has been confined to the remote peoples of the world such as the nomadic Tibetans of Nepal, parts of China and Northern India according to Wikipedia.

No Biblical Prohibition Against Polygamy

Biblically speaking, nowhere in scripture will one truly find where Yah either condemns nor condones the practice of polygamy. And this is a mystifying thing, especially when one understands the Creator’s original design and intent of the sacred institution of marriage. (See my YouTube teaching on Biblical Celibacy-Marriage-Divorce-Remarriage where I go into great detail describing the Creator’s original intent and purpose for marriage. Trust me: it’s nothing like that which you’ve all be taught in church.)

Father’s Original Intent and Purpose For Marriage

Father’s original design and purpose for marriage was for a single man and a single woman to come together in union—”echad”—for purposes of serving the Eternal and His kingdom as well as to procreate. And of course Yah’s original intent and purpose for the institution of marriage is clearly illustrated in the life story of Adam and Eve. The “Fall” in the Garden of Eden aside, scripture documents their story as being one of a lifelong monogamous.

The Creator’s Original Intent and Purpose For Marriage Must be Kept in Mind When Discussing Polygamy

From a scriptural perspective, polygamy must be looked at having Yah’s original purpose and intent for marriage and the ANE cultural norms and customs both in mind.

YHVH clearly permitted His people to engage in the practice of polygamy. However, under certain situations the practice was was forbidden:

(1) When marrying sisters (Lev. 18:18);

(2) In the case of kings accumulating multiple wives (Deu. 17:17);

(3) When it involved forsaking/mistreating/cheating on the wife of a man’s youth (Mal. 2:14-16);

(4) Such that it violated the original intent and purpose of marriage (Mat. 19:4,5; Mar. 10:2-8).

In the New Covenant, Apostolic writings, Paul held that overseers, elders and deacons of the congregation be monogamous (1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Tit. 1:5,6).

Yah permitted and tolerated His people practicing polygamy (2 Sam. 12:8; Exo. 21:10; 1 Sam. 1:2; 2 Chr. 24:3).

Historically, polygamy was practiced by:

• Lamech (Gen. 4:19);
• Abraham (Gen. 16:1);
• Esau (Gen. 26:34; 28:9);
• Jacob (Gen. 29:30);
• Ashur (1 Chr. 4:5);
• Gideon (Jug. 8:30);
• Elkanah (1 Sam. 1:2);
• David (1 Sam. 25:39-44; 2 Sam. 3:2-5; 5:13; 1 Chr. 14:3);
• Solomon (1 Kin. 11:1-8);
• Rehoboam (2 Chr. 11:18-23); etc.

Polygamy Fraught With Problems

Although Yah seemed to permit His people to practice polygamy, He recognized the practice was fraught with problems:

(1) Husband favoritism (Deu. 21:15-17), such as in the story of Jacob’s wives Rachel and Leah (Gen. 29:30; 30:15);

(2) Rivalry between wives such as in the case of Elkanah’s polygamous marriage to Hannah and Peninnah (1 Sam. 1);

(3) Resulting sibling rivalry as in the story of Rehoboam’s polygamous marriage (2 Chr. 11):

(4) Domestic unhappiness as seen in Abraham’s family (Gen. 16:1; 21:9-16); etc.  

The Earliest Mention of a Polygamous Relationship

It is unclear when the practice of polygamy began. The first hint or mention of a polygamous marriage is found in Genesis 4:19-23. It  reads:

“And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah…Adah bare Jabbal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle…his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, ‘Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt’” (KJV).

Any of Adam’s descendants from Lamech on back could have taken more than one wife. But this is not documented in Scripture. We know from some of the apocryphal books (e.g., Jubilees, Jasher and I Enoch) that men turned away from honoring and worshiping Yah within a few generations of the Cain and Abel incident. It would then seem that the practice of polygamy started to take hold within Lamech’s generation as the population of women had grown commensurate with that of the men.

Polygamy Beyond Lemach

It is quite conceivable that polygamy was widely practiced by succeeding generations leading up to Noah and the Great Flood. Scripture clearly documents that the state of the human heart had begun to turn away from Yah and His Ways. And it would seem pretty safe to conclude that the sacred institution of marriage suffered greatly in those dark days leading up to the Flood.

Despite man’s deplorable state leading up to the flood, scripture is clear that Noah and his three sons led monogamous lives. And since the flood ultimately wiped out all human life save Noah’s immediate family, polygamy could not—would not–have been an option for the four-men who entered the ark with their families to escape the flood.

Now, we know that Noah had a very close relationship with YHVH. In fact, Yah deemed Noah righteous in his generation (Genesis 6:9; 7:1; Hebrews 11:7). Moses recorded that Noah walked in Yah’s Ways such that Yah took exceptional note of him. Yah chose Noah and his family alone to save from the impending destruction.

Obviously, Noah’s walking in Yah’s Ways and living a righteous life included a clear understanding of Yah’s original intent and purpose for marriage. Consequently, it would seem reasonable to conclude that Noah trained his three boys, Ham, Shem and Japheth in Yah’s ways. And it would also seem reasonable to conclude that Noah’s teaching of Yah’s Ways to his sons included the Creator’s original intent and purpose for marriage.

As the sons went their own ways and began raising their own families in the post flood world, their understanding of the sacred institution of marriage should have been passed down to their descendants.

The Desperately Wicked Nature of Man’s Heart

Unfortunately, as scripture records, the heart of man is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). It seeks to pervert every thing that belongs to the Eternal. Consequently, within a few generations of Noah’s grandchildren, the practice of polygamy made its return to humanity.

Polygamy: a Perverted Marriage Construct of Man?

I would submit that it was not Father who introduced to either the pre-flood or the post-flood human race the practice of polygamy. The practice of polygamy was born out of the desperately wicked hearts and imaginations of men (Jeremiah 17:9).

Despite the practice not originating with the Almighty, and given that the practice is fraught with a great deal of strife for the involved family  unit, for whatever reason, Yah did not prohibit His chosen ones practicing it.

Yah’s Chosen Ones Engage in Polygamy

The first post-flood recorded incident of Yah’s chosen ones engaging in the practice of polygamy that we come across in scripture is the polygamous relationship that took place between Abram, Sarai, and Sarai’s handmaid, the Egyptian Hagar (Genesis 16).  And from that polygamous relationship came the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. These descendants to this day are sworn enemies one with the other. And we can clearly see from this and other examples throughout scripture that one of the common downsides to polygamy is internal and external family strife.

The Almighty Establishes Ground-Rules Around Polygamy

Thus we have laid out before us the holy institution of marriage created by YHVH that Yah’s human creation corrupted into something that deviates from the holy institution’s original purpose and intent. Yet, nowhere do we see in Yah’s eternal Word where he discourages it; where he prohibits it; nor where He instructs against it. In fact, Father in His Torah sets up rules by which His set-apart people are to live by as it relates to polygamous marriage relationships (e.g., Deu. 17:17; 21:15-17 25:5; and by extension all of the restrictions regarding sexual relationships between family members).

Scripture Shows that Strife is a Natural Byproduct of Polygamy

Father not only recognized that polygamy challenged the fundamental tenets of His sacred marriage institution, but that it also had the huge potential of introducing strife into Yah’s people’s homes and family structures. Examples of this strife are seen in the stories of the patriarchs as we’ve discussed above.  

The Great Conundrum Involving the Father and Polygamy

So given that which we’ve discussed up to this point, the Elect of Yah on the one hand is left wondering why the Almighty didn’t just ban the practice altogether, from the beginning? That’s on the one hand. But on the other hand, the Elect of Yah is also left wondering: if Yah sanctions polygamy (despite it’s potential for internal and external family strife), why didn’t He simply instruct His people to adopt it as a viable marriage option?

Is Our Torah Passage Indicative of the Creator’s Endorsement of Polygamy as a Viable Marriage Option?

Some within and without our Faith Community contend that our focus passage, along with other related passages, is indicative of Yah’s endorsement of polygamy. But is this indeed the case? 

According to an article I came across on www.chabad.org, the unnamed author states that Yah does not in anyway deem polygamy, when practiced within the rules He established in His Torah, a sin. However, according to this writer, Yah does not encourage polygamy as an acceptable marriage lifestyle either. Why? Simply because it is tempered with much trouble for all parties of the polygamous relationship.

The article goes on to state that the practice of polygamy in ancient Israel was rare. The requirements that were placed on the man who would dare take on the practice of polygamy were significant, such as the husband being required to see to the individual needs of each of his spouses without fail.

Torah Does Not Forbid Polygamy

Torah does not forbid a man from having multiple wives. For example Avraham, Jacob, David and Solomon (just to name a few) were all polygamists. And despite the inherent problems associated with polygamy, Father did not prohibit His people from engaging in the practice.

Just Because The Almighty Didn’t Prohibit Polygamy Doesn’t Mean it’s a Prudent Thing to Engage In

From a New Covenant and Apostolic Writings standpoint, I’m reminded of Paul’s sage advice to the Corinthians and Romans that can be applied to the question of Yah’s people engaging in the practice. Paul wrote:

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not (I.e., don’t build one up)” (1 Cor. 10:23; KJV).

And in Romans 14:19, the apostle wrote:

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”

 

In the Corinthian passage the application is simply: although Father may permit one to take on a polygamous marriage, it doesn’t mean that it’s a wise enterprise to engage in. The key element in this Romans passage being “those things which make for peace in one’s life.” The polygamous lifestyle does not make for a peaceful lifestyle. In fact, more times than naught, it leads to varying degrees of strife. 

The Rabbis Step In and Ban Polygamy

Rabbi Gershom ben Judah (aka the “Light of the Diaspora” and Rabbeinu Gershom; c. 960-1040), a renown Talmudist and Halakhist, banned polygamy as a marriage practice in Judaism well over a millennia ago. That ban was accepted as law by all Ashkenazic Jews. Interestingly, this ban was rejected by Sephardic and Yemenite Jews.

Now, this ban was enacted for a number of reasons, the least being the requirement that husbands were required to provide their wives with individual residences. This of course would place a significant financial hardship on most individuals, which would of course introduce into the polygamous relationship added financial and relational problems.

Exceptions to the Hebraic Polygamous Rule

Despite polygamy not being the norm under Rabbinic Judaism, interestingly enough, there were a couple of instances where polygamy was viewed favorably by the Rabbis:

1. The barren state of the first wife might necessitate a second wife to provide the husband children in which to carry on the family name.

2. For monarchs where polygamy might serve as a means of alliance building for the Jewish state (as was the case with King Solomon).

3. Levirate Marriages as mentioned in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, whereby a brother-in-law marries his childless, widowed sister-in-law for purposes of producing children to carry on the diseased brother’s name. The example of Tamar and Ruth provide some degree of support for this form of polygamous relationship.

Strange Hebrew Roots Sect Encourages Polygamy/Polygyny

Strangely enough, I recently came across a Messianic ministry out of Florida, by the name of “Your Arms of Love to Israel International Ministries,” where the leader of the group, through a voluminous series of teachings, advocates polygamy for Yah’s people.

According to the group’s website, the group’s leader is:

“Is a pioneer in the restoration and mainstream acceptance of Torah marriages, as either heterosexual covenant monogamy or polygyny. Sholiach (Hebrew title for a Hasidic apostle) was used to restore the correct understanding of such misunderstood concepts as sexual permissions and forbidances based solely on Torah terms apart from man’s traditions and religious perversions.”

I took a handful of minutes out of my life (which I’ll never recover mind you) and listened to one of this gentleman’s messages advocating polygamy as a marriage option for Yah’s Elect. And the overriding reason that the so-called Sholiach advocated polygamy in that video for Yah’s people is because monogamy as a traditional marriage option is not taught nor mentioned in scripture. Specifically, the term or concept of monogamy is not mention in scripture according to this gentleman; nor is monogamy the original intent for the institution of marriage. In another video, Sholiach stated that YHVH is a polygamist Himself. 

The Other Side of the Coin Regarding Polygamy

And then you come to the other side of the coin regarding the question of polygamy where organizations such as 119 Ministries teach a doctrine that Yah outright prohibited polygamy. 

119’s primary scriptural proof passage for this doctrine is Leviticus 18:18 which reads:

“Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time” (KJV).

Now the conventional understanding of this verse, both within and without our Faith Community, is that men were prohibited from marrying literal, biological sisters; I.e., siblings. But 119 sees Yah prohibiting not just the marrying of biological siblings, but the marrying of multiple women altogether.

119 asks: Does “sister” here mean any women or actual siblings? Or is Father prohibiting polygamy outright whereby sister is a generic reference to womanhood or a sisterhood?

The organization goes to great lengths to expound upon the Hebrew word used for “sister” in this verse. 119’s conclusion is that the Hebrew term for sister used in this verse is an idiomatic term for sisterhood and not literal sisters/siblings.

I found the following commentary on this verse by Matthew Henry to be quite helpful:

“That article (v. 18) which forbids a man to take a wife to her sister supposes a connivance (I.e., willingness to secretly allow or be involved in wrongdoing, especially an immoral or illegal act. In other words, there is an intent to incite jealousy in the first wife)at polygamy, as some other laws then did (Exod. xxi. 10; Deut. xxi. 15), but forbids a man’s marrying two sisters, as Jacob did, because between those who had before been equal there would be apt to arise greater jealousies and animosities than between wives that were not so nearly related. If the sister of the wife be taken for the concubine, or secondary wife, nothing can be more vexing in her life, for as long as she lives.”

Putting the concern that such a marriage would potentially vex the first wife aside, this verse is located in a section of Torah forbidding sexual relationships with family members who are not a man’s wife. So from a contextual standpoint, 119’s position that this verse is an overall prohibition against polygamy is a bit off and is stretching the interpretation of this verse a bit too far.

Polygamy is Fraught with Problems

I will, however, agree with 119 that Torah and the rest of Scripture seem to highlight the disastrous relational and spiritual consequences polygamy naturally brings to a household.

Polygamy disappeared from Israel after the Babylonian Exile according to commentary on our focus passage in J.H. Hertz Torah and Haftorah; pg. 932. And the reason given by Hertz for polygamy’s demise within the nation of Israel is because the practice naturally leads to strife. 

I believe that Father did not care at all for the practice of polygamy. However, given man’s selfish nature and hardheartedness as Yeshua stated in Matthew 19, like the act of divorce, Yah permitted His elect to engage in the practice. However, knowing the problems that are germane to the polygamous lifestyle, Father wisely placed regulations around the practice in order to maintain peace in that family’s structure.

Western Practices of Polygamy Going Beyond the Biblical Understanding of Polygamy

Apart from rare incidents of polygamous marriages in extreme sects of Mormonism, the practice of multiple people having consenting relationships one with another remains very much alive in 2020 Western society. The term popularly used to describe such relationships today is “polyamory” or “polyamorous relationships.” In fact, there exists a thriving polyamory community in the West. And although these may not be legal marriage unions, the community contends that these are nonetheless committed relationships as any monogamous marriage would be. Consequently, there are many variations and levels of partner participations in these types of relationships.

Polyamory and polygamy (also known as plural marriages) are illegal across the United States. To be more precise in our terminology, “polygamy takes place when only one person is married to more than one partner, whereas polyamory tends to encompass a broader range of people involved with one another” (Joshua Bote; USA Today; 2/14/2020—”What you need to know about polyamory—including throuples—but were too afraid to ask”). And of course, there’s a lot of terminology associated with polyamory that makes the whole issue a rather convoluted one. Despite the somewhat vague differences, however, both polygamy and polyarmory involve multiple relationship partners, all within a so-called committed relationship. 

It should be mentioned that mainstream Mormons (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or LDS) no longer practice polygamy. However, there are rare instances of LDS “splinter sects” that do practice polygamy. Also there are sects of Muslims, Wiccans and certain Liberal Christian groups (people.howstuffworks.com/about-polygamy.htm) that defy the laws against polygamy and engage in plural marriage relationships. Mormons who refused to abandon polygamy were supposedly excommunicated from the LDS Church.

Julia Layton, who posted an article on this subject on https://people.howstuffworks.com, places the number of practicing polygamists in this country somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000. Such groups appear to dwell in small communities in the west. 

Closing Thoughts and Reflections on the Subject of Polygamy

So why should we care about polygamy as an elect of Yah? I think that we all can agree that most of us will never knowingly come across instances of polygamy in our respective day-to-day walks with Messiah. But all things considered, we will from time to time run across this issue of polygamy in our reading and study of scripture. And when we do run across those instances of polygamy in our reading and study, we have to understand what Father is trying to convey to us regarding those instances.

Yah allows His people to do certain things while prohibiting His people from doing other things. The reason why he allows some things but not others may or may not be apparent to us at the time. Torah tells us:

“The secret things belong to YHVH our Elohim, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deu. 29:29).

Father Permits His People to Engage in Certain Things That May Not Be Best For Them

The reason why Abba permits His people to engage in problematic practices such as polygamy and slavery, just to name two, is not always understood by us. But what we can understand from Yah permitting such problematic acts is a grander purpose that is associated with YHVH’s Plan of Redemption, Restoration and Redemption.

Yah’s Purpose and Will 

I believe this understanding certainly applies to the ancient’s practice of polygamy. I have no proof of this, but it would seem by the way Father framed the practice of polygamy throughout His word, that He was not a fan of polygamy. However, because of man’s Yah-given free will, Father allows man to do what he wants within the confines of His creative order, purpose and will. Unfortunately, when left to his own devices, man will often reap the negative consequences of their actions, such as marital strife that is common to polygamous relationships.

But Yah has this uncanny way of making lemonade out of lemons and we see this played out over and over throughout His Word; especially in regards to the issue of polygamy.

Polygamy Versus the Original Institution of Marriage

YHVH created the institution of marriage to be a union between a single man and a single woman. It was intended for a single man and a single woman to come together as one entity (i.e., “echad”). This coming together as a echad unit was for purposes of serving and working for Yah and His Kingdom and for procreation.

Unfortunately, man being the mischievous soul that he is, seems to always find new and innovative ways to pervert the Creator’s original intent and purpose for things. Some things Yah will permit/allow such as polygamy and slavery, while other things such as homosexuality and adultery He does not tolerate because they cross the established line of His creative order, will and purpose,

The Sovereignty and Ways of Yah

Yah is sovereign indeed. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). Yet He is willing to share his ways and thoughts with His elect. It then falls to His elect to learn what He will and will not tolerate from His people and do that which He commands.

And by chance if we’ve done something in our lives that runs contrary to Yah’s Ways, Father is more than willing to forgive us of all unrighteousness and transgressions if we but repent and sin no more.

Yah Can Make Things Right

Regardless what we’ve done in our lives, Yah can make it right if we are simply willing to turn to Him and die to self. He will take whatever bad things have emerged out of what we’ve done in our lives, and work them out in accordance with His Will and Purpose. Despite all the problems that emerged out of all the polygamous relationships portrayed in Scripture, Father was more than able to bring His beloved Son into this world and through His Son’s ministry bring about salvation, restoration and redemption to His people.

Polygamy is not a sin when practiced within the confines of Yah’s Eternal Torah. Like so many things in life, polygamy is not the ideal lifestyle for either the man or woman of Yah. As we’ve discussed, it is fraught with problems. Nevertheless, despite what some Messianic Ministries may be teaching to the contrary, polygamy is illegal in this country. And that’s a good thing I would say.

The Messianic’s View on Polygamy

How should we then process and view the ancient practice of polygamy? Simply that it was a marriage relationship practice that was not Father’s original plan for marriage; that it was born out of man’s tendency to mess with Yah’s creative order. Nevertheless, Yah’s eternal Will and Plan for His elect prevailed despite the many disastrous things that occurred as a result of His people having engaged in polygamy over the centuries. Beyond this, the practice has no place whatsoever in an elect’s life. If anything, the record that Scripture provides us regarding polygamy should serve as an encouragement for us to cherish and respect the monogamous marriages we currently have with the spouses Abba blessed us with. And we should do so to the glory and honor of YHVH, our Elohim.

So let us take stock in our current monogamous marriages and strive to live out the ideals and standards for marriage that Father established for His human creation from the beginning? With YHVH as our “echad” focus, let us love, cherish and minister to our spouses accordingly, being ever so willing to die to self in the service of Yah and the spouse of our youth.

Shalom and Blessings to You Fellow Saints in Training.