It was after Jacob had married four wives, the highest number by a non-royal man in the Holy Book, that God changed his name to Israel (Genesis 32:22 – 32)
Sina Adedipe
I have now come to the marriage of Jacob, the fifth of the non-royal polygamists in the Book of Genesis who was married to four wives. A special one of God, whom circumstances beyond his control made him marry the first two – Leah and Rachel. While another extraordinary circumstances made him marry the last two.
READ ALSO: Pastors’ misconception of Gen. 2:24 and Matt. 19: 4 – 6
Jacob initially set out to marry Rachel, but Laban told him that her elder sister, Leah, was still a spinster. And by their tradition the younger daughter does not marry before the older one. Consequently, if Jacob was insistent on marrying Rachel he must work for him for 14 years to marry her and Leah. He agreed and that was why he married the two of them.
Leah easily had four sons one after the other in Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah (Genesis 29:31 – 35). At this stage, when Rachel could not have a child, she decided to give Jacob her slave girl called Bilhah to sleep with him. Maybe she could be pregnant and have a child for her husband on her behalf. It worked as Bilhah had a son she named Dan for Jacob. She had a second one known as Napthali (Genesis 30:1 – 8).
By this time, when Leah realized she could not have a fifth child for Jacob, she too gave him her slave girl called Zilpah. She had a son for Jacob, whom she named Gael and a second one known as Asher (Genesis 30:9 – 13). God visited Leah again and blessed her with a fifth son called Issachar and another son she named Zebulum and later she had a daughter for Jacob she named Dinah (Genesis 30 (17 – 21).
Then the Heavenly Father remembered Rachel and made it possible for her to have children of her own. The name of her first son is not provided in the Bible but the second one was Joseph (Genesis 30:22 – 24).
It was after Jacob had married four wives, the highest number by any non-royal man in the Holy Book, that God changed his name to Israel (Genesis 32:22 – 32). Before giving Moses the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1 – 17 the Ancient of Days had in Exodus 19:3 told him that the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob. If the Lord was against polygamy would He have named the country of his people, Israel after Jacob, a man who had four spouses?
Some Nigerian pastors even claim that no polygamist can make the Kingdom of God because He is against it. Another one of the same opinion is the person who sent a text message to me from 081 – 4650 – 2764 who says “whoever practice (sic) polygamy is a candidate for hell, because in the beginning God made Adam and Eve and not Adam and two women. He ended up calling me “a dead prophet of polygamy.” Also of the same opinion is the owner of 070 – 8184 – 4202 who called me “a prophet of doom who wants to take people to hell.”
READ ALSO: Pastors’ misconception of Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19: 4 – 6 (2)
Since these so – called Christians have not read their Bible as far as Luke 16:22 let me bring what is there to their notice. It is the story of the rich man and Lazarus where we are told that when the poor man died he was carried by angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in Heaven. It was the same Abraham who was married to Sarah and Hagar while on earth.
In Matthew 8:11 it is also written: I assure you that many will come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. Only Isaac of the three was a monogamist.
To be continued next Wednesday
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Phenomenal Matriarch of the Adedipes, Falaes, Ade – Ojos & others (19)
The great – great – grandson of our extraordinary matriarch to serve in political office in government was Barrister Ayodeji Falae (1971 – 2013), the first Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the elected administration of Governor Olusegun Mimiko. He died on active service in a plane crash in Lagos when he led a team of government officials to collect the body of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, a former Governor of Ondo State for burial in his hometown.
Deji was the son of High Chief Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (1986 – 89) and Minister of Finance (January – August 1990).
The great – great – granddaughter of our matriarch to serve in a political office is Mrs. Olubunmi Ademosun, Special Adviser Multi – Lateral Services in the administration of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in Ondo State.
READ ALSO: Resign now, Akeredolu tells aides seeking elective offices
She is the daughter of late High Chief Bolanle Adedipe, the immediate past Elemo of Akure and Parliamentary Secretary (Minister of State) for Agriculture – 1964 – 66 in the Federal Government of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
Next week: The uncommon academic and career achievements of our matriarch’s descendants, which has produced six professors, three men and three women, the highest by any lineage in Akure.
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My 74th Birthday (2)
The three most outstanding and unusual anniversary greetings I received came from two retired Army Officers, Colonel Ayo Bababunmi (75), an Engineer, and Colonel Peter Clark of the great Clark family of Warri and Mr. Thomas Ekpeyong of Abuja. Colonel Bababunmi, a Lagos Island – born friend of mine and who like me attended Ibadan Grammar School, phoned me on Monday, September 3 and said Sina I know tomorrow is the day, but this is an appetizer. He prayed for me. The following day he was also the first to call me when he did so at 7.15 a.m. and offered me another round of prayers.
Colonel Clark was the first to congratulate me through a text message that day and it came in ten minutes after 12am on September 4. He thanked God for His infinite mercy in my eventful life and prayed that may He grant me many happy returns of September 4. And gave me 74 (Thunderous Gbosas) for turning 74. This is a Nigerian way of saying 74 cheers.
In his own message Mr. Peter Ekpeyong said: May the God of your great matriarch continue to protect, guide and give you good health and longevity.
Continues next week