Week 61, Day 2: An unloved wife

Today’s Reading:  Deut 21:1-23

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

Moses instructs Israel regarding how they will handle a situation where the wife is unloved by her husband.  I can see this as a very real possibility when you have a situation where a man has multiple wives.  If anyone has any doubts about the trouble multiple wives can make for a household this kind of instruction emphasizes the trouble that could happen.  Moses speaks of a situation where a man has two wives.  He loves one but not the other.  Similar to the statement in the NT that you cannot serve two masters.  You will love the one and hate the other.  This does not spell harmony in the home in any way.  But the trouble does not end there.  He is giving the instruction to ensure that the husband deal justly with the unloved woman.  If she has the first son then he must honor the fact that he is the firstborn even if he does not love the mother.  Again, think of the conflict that would be present between the children because of the favortism the husband might show.  The action of taking multiple wives was allowed by God but it should be obvious that such a practice could cause huge problems within the home.  But whatever happened, God expected the men of Israel to deal justly with their wives.

Question:  What passage(s) would you point to indicate that marriage was intended to be between one man and one woman?

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