A Worthy Husband

CHAPTER 40

In speaking with a prince of the Nubians from beyond the third cataract of the Nile, Yeshua explains the proper way to join in a polygamous marriage for those seeking such an arrangement and explains the benefits of such a union.

 1 On the third day of the celebration, there was an entry, with great ceremony, of Nubians from the communities beyond the third cataract that had come to take wives from among the communities of the first cataract.

 2 After twenty-five more days of feasting and ceremonies, the young women of the first cataract that had been chosen began to be married to the men of the third cataract to whom they had been given.

 3 There was one young woman of the first cataract named Qalta, and she was of royal lineage; therefore, she was given in marriage to a prince of the communities of the third cataract.

 4 But she was to be his fifth wife and she knew him not, nor the people of the third cataract, and for this cause, she refused to stand with him, and this brought great shame upon the house of her father and mother. And the prince also was insulted and wroth at her refusal. The celebration was turning to anger when Yeshua walked among them.

 5 And Yeshua said unto them, “Peace be unto you, lights of the Sun, why do you have anger one with another? Be grateful and give thanks, for unto you this day is revealed a new understanding that you may have wisdom greater than the pharaohs of Egypt.”

 6 The prince of the third cataract was even angrier because of Yeshua’s presence and said to the matriarch, “Who is this lowly stranger who dares to interfere in matters of importance among the people of Nubia? Get him from my sight before I spill his blood upon the ground.”

 7 But hearing these words, many of the people of the communities of the first cataract rose up and stood beside Yeshua and in front of him to shield him. In quiet unison, they denied the prince permission to shed Yeshua's blood, for they held him in great esteem.

 8 The matriarch interceded and implored the prince, saying, “Peace, oh Prince, for this stranger is named Yeshua. He and his wife and his children have dwelt among us for many seasons, and we have come to know that he is a good and holy man. Let us hear the words he has to say, for though they are sometimes hard to do, they have always touched our hearts as truth.”

 9 Thus, it was that the prince of the third cataract held his temper that he might hear the words of Yeshua and honor the request of his hosts.

 10 And Yeshua said unto him, “Honorable Prince; how is it that you have come to desire this woman to be your wife?”

 11 The prince answered stoically, “It has been arranged as a bond between the community of the first cataract and the community of the third.”

 12 Yeshua asked him plainly, “And does love for her dwell in your heart?”

 13 The prince pushed a puff of breath through his pursed lips in derision and answered, “I cannot love what I know not, nor do I seek love from her, only children and a bond between our peoples.”

 14 Yeshua nodded slightly and posed a question to him, “Tell me, honorable Prince, if a man has two servants, one a member of his tribe whom he has known through many experiences to be loyal and true and who desires to serve his master and the other a slave taken from his family in a far land and forced into the service of the master, and to one of these the man must entrust the life of his family, which would he choose?”

 15 The prince answered, “Perhaps, the man who desired to serve, for he has chosen his course, but perhaps, he is also jealous of his master and would betray him if given the opportunity, or perhaps the slave who is grateful that the master did not kill him but spared his life and took him as a slave, but perhaps he is not grateful and would seek revenge if the opportunity were given. It is a question to which there can be no answer, for we know not the hearts of the men of mythical questions.”

 16 Yeshua commended him, “You have spoken wisely, for the trust would be given not because of the circumstances of the man, but because of the heart that held true fidelity. Even so is it with the girl Qalta. And because of her words, you know her heart at this moment, and it does not favor this arrangement of marriage.

 17 Though you can compel her to marry you and bear children, which is of greater value, a wife bearing children birthed with anger and resentment or a wife bearing children birthed with love and support?

 18 And to which of your sons will you entrust your kingdom, to those raised by a mother who did not desire you or to those raised by a mother who chose to be in your house and to bear your children and raised them to honor you?”

 19 The prince was moved by the words of Yeshua insomuch that they found a place in his heart, but his pride still held sway over his tongue and he said unto him, “Your words are not without wisdom, but I am a prince, and she has dishonored my house and my people and her own house and her parents and the great traditions of the people of Nubia by her words and actions.”

 20 And Yeshua said unto him, “Verily, there is something greater here than your house, or her house, or all the traditions of the great Nubian people, for from whence come your traditions? And you will say, from your ancestors as they were passed down.

 21 But from where did your ancestors acquire them? Did they appear because of circumstances of the time? Were they the whim of a pharaoh? Did they evolve from habits or from a position of power or as a way to make peace among warring neighbors? Or were they given by God for the people of Nubia?”

 22 And none could answer the questions that Yeshua asked, for none knew the true origin of their customs and traditions.

 23 Then Yeshua said unto them, “Hear me, oh children of Nubia. You are a great people, and you shall be a greater people still if you will but hear and follow the teachings and precepts of God.

 24 That which you know not, I now declare unto you, and you will be uplifted in your souls and blessed in your families, if you will listen to my words with an open heart and heed them in your lives.”

 25 And among all the people not a word was said, but all nodded their heads in assent that Yeshua should continue.

 26 Then Yeshua said unto them, “Upon the bonds of family, the kingdom of Heaven is built. And upon the bonds of love, the unity of a family is built. And upon the bonds of respect and common interests, joys, and dreams, enduring love is built.

 27 A house built with love cannot fall, even though a foe may come and throw down every stone, for the house of love is not within the walls of stone, but within the hearts of those who love; and even when parted, the house of love is not broken, and its power is undimmed; therefore, great things are yet to be, and it will find itself again.

 28 But a house without love is forever destroyed from within; and when its walls fall, it is a blessing, for it is an end to the misery.

 29 Verily, I say unto you, while the house without love stands, it is a curse upon all who dwell therein, for where the family should be growing like the good tree with proper amounts of Sun and water and nourishment, instead it is withering like the plant springing up in the desert only to slowly die without water under the endless heat.

 30 Now it has been your custom for the rich among you to take many wives and to have children of them, and this is counted as something worthy of the rich but not of the poor.

 31 And it has been the man who chooses his wives, without regard for love, but only for what value they can bring to his house of which he is the master.

 32 Thus are the wives little more than the beasts of the field that are bought at a price and bred.

 33 In truth, the custom of marrying many women to one man has brought many ills upon your homes, not because of the custom, which is blessed of God if fulfilled according to his word, but because of how the custom has been carried out, which has not been in the ways of God.

 34 Therefore, hear my words, which God has spoken unto me, whereby you might know how to more fully live that which you practice; that it might be a blessing upon you and not a curse.

 35 Verily, I say unto you that in any form of marriage, it is pleasing unto God that there is first love between a man and a woman; that the fruit of their loins will grow up with love; that they may become balanced Children of Light; that the Celestine Light of God may shine forth from them and do good in the world.

 36 In a plural marriage blessed by God, all wives must be equal, and the husband is not the master, but the servant, who heads the family in righteousness as God has decreed, but acquiesces to his wives in all things whatsoever they desire of him, concerning the home or the fulfillment of relationships.

 37 And I say unto you that among the Children of Light, the man may not choose his wife, except his first, who has also chosen him, for it is not the man who will live the most with his wives, for he will be often gone on the business of men, but it is the wives who must live one with another.

 38 For the wives are married to each other as surely as the man is married to each of them. In this, you should understand that a plural marriage is not one man married separately and individually to more than one woman, but one man and multiple women united together in a single marriage, one to all.

 39 Therefore, let no man take another wife, save it be that his first wife and later his other wives have chosen a new wife for him, whom they are of one accord should be joined unto their family, for they do love her and desire her to be among them, and she does love and desire to be among them.

 40 Only then may the man seek to know closely the woman whom his other wives have chosen, and then he should speak deeply with her on numerous occasions to discover if a love for her can also dwell within his heart and she to see if a love for him can also dwell in hers; and if it is so, then they may marry.

 41 And a family of multiple wives so given is meant by God to be a blessing, whereby men and women can expand their lights and increase their capacities for love and goodness and become even more as God is.

 42 Therefore, let no man or woman enter into a marriage of multiple wives save they are humble and worthy souls who are honest and virtuous Children of Light that walk uprightly before God and have proven by their lives that they walk a path of righteousness.

 43 For this cause, the marriage of one goodly man to one or two or three goodly wives is pleasing unto God if lived in righteousness and is often necessary for the glory of the Children of Light, for since the beginning of time, there have been more righteous and virtuous women than men. Therefore, if all virtuous women are to have children from worthy fathers and mates that inspire and encourage them to expand their light, there must needs be families of multiple wives.

 44 And it will ever be so, for it is the nature of men that they are more easily drawn into the ways of evil and are not worthy of the women who would have them, even as it is the blessed nature of women that they are more desirable of the ways of God and must look long and far to find a man worthy of their love and devotion.

 45 And for the righteous Children of Light to have the greatest opportunity to expand their own light, they must be in close daily relationships with others whose lights shine bright, for their lights magnify each other.

 46 Verily, this opportunity is greatly present within the walls of a family with a righteous husband and virtuous wives, where all have chosen each other for the light that they bring, and all practice virtues taught by God that their house may be a house of love and harmony and growth and expansion, beyond which they could otherwise gain.

 47 But among those who are not virtuous and do not obey the teachings of God, this holy union should not be sanctioned, for among the lustful or among those who would practice it unrighteously, polygamy is condemned; verily, among the unworthy, it is a sin and an abomination before God.

 48 Nor should any of fertile age enter into this covenant of marriage unless it gives them greater security and time for the desires of their life, as well as greater love.

 49 And I say unto you that in any marriage, God commands that man and woman not create life until they have the ability to provide for the temporal and spiritual needs of their children, without squalor or charity.

 50 And how shall you know this? Verily, I say unto you: A home of worthy parents gives health and happiness to the children, good food in their bellies each day, teaches them well in the knowledge of men and to walk uprightly before God.

 51 So too does a home of worthy parents provide adequately for their children from their livelihood, and not from charity, beyond support of the loving circle of their greater family when in unusual need.

 52 Verily, to bear and raise children is among the greatest joys of life and the first commandment of God to the children of men. Therefore, may all desire and make efforts to be worthy in every way of this great calling.

 53 Again, I say unto you: Among those worthy Children of Light, who have chosen to be joined to each other in plural marriage, let the husband and all of the wives and all of the children live together in one house with private rooms for each wife or adjacent groups of houses.

 54 Verily, they are one family, not many, and for this cause, their goals and desires and their habits of living must be harmonious, and their love for one another be deep and true. And without this order of living, many blessings of the marriage of melding are lost.

 55 For this cause, let no man have a wife and children that dwell in a community removed away from his other wives and children, for if they cannot be one family with love and common purpose, they are not prepared to enter into the melded marriage that has great rewards, but also requires greater compassion and unity and selflessness.

 56 “For most, it is better that there is only one wife and one husband, that all of their love and care may be focused and undivided on each other and their children, as is their need.

 57 And this is not dishonor, nor is it based upon lack of wealth or righteousness, for a relationship of two is sufficient unto itself, with all the blessings of Heaven given if they obey the teachings of God.

 58 Verily, God does not bless plural marriage with any greater blessings because of the form of marriage than that of one man and one woman. But a union of many can demand less of the time of each person, and in spiritual ways, it may give more opportunities for those that choose it to grow and expand from the challenges it offers.

 59 And I say unto you, let no couple of fertile age seek to expand their marriage to include more wives until they have proven faithful and nurturing in a union of two.

 60 Verily, let it be only when they have mastered love and devotion and respect to each other for at least five years and proven to expand the others light and shown diligence and devotion as parents.

 61 For I say unto you, as great are the efforts needed to be a worthy mate to one other, greater still are the needs for a union of three or more that all may be loved and nurtured and grow into the light that is their birthright.

 62 Therefore, plural marriage is only for those who have great capacities to love, who are comfortable with themselves, who are self-assured and know their own worth, who are not selfish or self-centered, and who thrive more in community than in solitude.

 63 And let no man take more than three wives unless it is under special circumstances and approved by the community leaders. For within this number, it is easy to have love and be one as a family, if that is the goal of all who have by their own desire entered into it.

 64 But with more than three wives and their children, it becomes a greater challenge, for the love and the time that needs to be given are divided among too many.

 65 Therefore, with the second wife as with the first, prove the union of three by five years of growth and harmony before a third wife is considered.

 66 And let no man take as a wife one who is still a girl and cannot yet know her own mind or heart, but only a woman, fully blossomed and acknowledged by all as an adult, free to make her own decisions without coercion.

 67 And let no woman marry a man unless she knows his heart and mind and finds it in harmony with hers and that a love for him flows through her.

 68 And let no man marry the daughter of any of his wives.

 69 And let no man take a wife of fertile age if he is not young enough to expect to live to be a grandfather to the children of their union.

 70 And let no man take a wife who is not at least seven years older than his oldest child.

 71 And let no woman enter into a marriage of multiple wives unless she feels as strongly for the other wives as she does for the man.

 72 And let no marriage with multiple wives be dissolved except for the case of adultery or abuse, and then it is the responsibility of the wife’s parents’ family to care for her; but the children should continue to be cared for and joined to the family they have been a part of and their mother allowed to remain involved in their lives.

 73 And if a man who is married to one woman dies and she has children, and if she desires, let the kinsmen of the deceased who are married, speak with his wife, and let her choose from among them whom she can love and whose wives she can love and whom she will marry, and then is it his responsibility to marry her and care for her and her children, that the children may continue to have a man of their blood to be a father unto them and receive the full inheritance of their family.

 74 But when a man dies who has two or more wives and they have children and financial wherewithal, let them remain married unto themselves as wives and know no man, but let them be kept under the protection of the house of a kinsmen of their husband and be of good service to that house, that their children may continue to have a man of their blood to be a father unto them and from their mothers receive the full inheritance that their birth father would have given them.

 75 And if a man dies who is married to one or more women and any among them have no children, let those without children seek to find love and a new marriage from among whom they will.

 76 And let no man so blessed as to have multiple wives ever be unfaithful to them. And if a man is so foolish, let his wives decide his punishment both public and private, but not before the children, even until he has proved his humility and contriteness and restored the trust that was lost.

 77 And some among you may say that this is too insulting to the man, but I say unto you that it is vital for the continued health of the family.

 78 Verily, the light of the family is greater than the dignity of the man and that which is sown in unfaithfulness reaps a whirlwind, which can only be tamed with a contrite heart and humble service.

 79 Verily, I say unto you: If you follow these sayings, you shall become a mighty people, and the God of the heavens and the Earth shall smile upon you and bless you with great blessings, even more than you can hold.

 80 If virtue and righteousness before God are the foundations, then a family of plural marriage has many rewards.

 81 “For families thus joined will be able to divide the many tasks among the many members, thus will all have more time unto themselves and greater opportunity to expand their light.

 82 And wives who come after the first will know with more certainty the life they are entering, for they will have the opportunity to have seen the worthiness of the man and see the fruits that have already blossomed.

 83 And wives who came before the others will have no concern about the continued love and faithfulness of their husband even beyond their childbearing years. For why would he be tempted outside his home to risk all that he has, when the daughters of light who come after were given unto him by those that preceded?

 84 And the wicked deceits that are so prevalent in the world find no place in the sanctity of a righteous house of multiple wives.

 85 For those sins are only in the world, where a man lusts and cleaves unto a woman who is not his wife and thus destroys his family and all trust.

 86 And it is only in the world where man’s adulterous misuses of the sacred power of creation leaves children without a father to survive as they will.

 87 And only in the world does a man shamefully use a woman as a mistress, giving neither her, nor their children, legal rights or recourse.

 88 But in the righteous home of plural marriage all wives and children are given their full inheritance and blessed with all the protections of the law.

 89 And the wives of one man are always there for each other, and their hearts are not led astray to bring dishonor upon their house; verily, they do not experience the longings of loneliness when their husband is away, for their sisters are ever with them.

 90 “And think not that a marriage of multiple wives is only to have a multitude of children in a home of light. It is also given to a man and women beyond the years of bearing children to unite together for love and greater growth and light.

 91 And within the family of multiple wives, the goodly talents of each may be of benefit to one another, and by their forged efforts, they increase the wealth and security of the family.

 92 But I say unto you that plural marriage is reserved only for the righteous and only for those who feel they can grow and expand more in that covenant than in the covenant of one man and one woman.

 93 And only a stalwart and dependable man should enter into a family with multiple wives, one who will love all his wives and their children with overflowing zeal and outward demonstration and take responsibility for their spiritual and temporal well-being.

 94 For such men are not inclined to sow their seed beyond their wives, and they bring no children into the world that have not a loving father and loving mothers and sisters and brothers to help them expand their light.

 95 Nor can a man who is joined to multiple wives ever falsely seduce another woman, for all know that his covenant to his wives only permits his attentions to those whom his wives have chosen.

 96 And a family of multiple wives increases the worth of every other woman, for when one man has many wives, the value of those who are still unmarried are like precious pearls, for they have become rarer and thereby even more desired by men seeking wives.”

 97 And then it was that Yeshua gave a solution to the problem that vexed the prince of Nubia.

 98 And Yeshua said unto him, “Unto you, because of the purpose of uniting the people of the first cataract with the people of the third through this marriage, if your Council of Elders approves and you vow to be a righteous husband with attentiveness and forbearance, it will be sanctioned by God for you to take a fifth wife, but this only if she loves you and that you love her and only if your other wives also love her and desire her to be numbered among your family.

 99 And a marriage based upon the godly principles I have spoken shall not falter, and it will provide you strong sons and daughters that will honor you and be lights to their family and to all the people of the first and third cataracts and even to the lands beyond. Is this not a goal worthy of your efforts?”

 100 The prince was amazed by the words Yeshua had spoken and all the people as well.

 101 And the prince said unto him, “Never have the words of man ever touched my heart as the words which you have spoken have touched mine.

 102 Were our people to do as you say, it would change our traditions. We already honor women who have power and position, but you would have us give honor to all virtuous women, even unto the right to choose their husband’s wives. This is the strangest of ideas, but my heart tells me it is true and will bring great things to our people. Therefore, I will do as you have said, but I know not how to do it.”

 103 Yeshua embraced the prince, which also was not custom, but the prince returned his embrace. And Yeshua said unto him, “Already by your actions, I know you have risen greatly in the esteem of Qalta. Perhaps, your family can remain for a moon that she and your wives may get to know one another. And if their lights are harmonious, then perhaps they will be desirous for you to seek her out to see whether your lights also shine brighter when together.

 104 And if it is so, then you can know of certainty that your union will be blessed and the light of your family expanded.”

 105 And so it was that the prince and his wives did as Yeshua directed, and upon the new moon, the prince married Qalta before her family and Yeshua and Miriam. And in the name of the Holy Father and Mother and Son, Yeshua blessed the union.

 106 And upon the new day, the prince and his family departed south to the land of the third cataract, and Yeshua and Miriam and their children began the journey back to Memphis.

 107 And great were the tears of many of the Nubians as they departed, but Yeshua promised that to all who were faithful to Elohim, his words and his spirit would always be with them and the blessings of Heaven would pour out upon them.