Verse 11 describes what would happen: “Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them unto your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.” This is an astonishing account, and it shows how severely God will deal with this sin—a sin He considers against Him. God plainly stated that David’s wives would be raped publicly that very day—under “this sun.” The use of this term meant God would deal swiftly with what David did. But there was another immediate event—and it was the result of God’s sentence: “David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD” (vs. 13). Psalm 51 details much more of how David was broken up, deeply convicted and extremely sorrowful for what he had done. The result of David’s repentance (now back in II Samuel 12:13), was Nathan declaring, “The LORD has put away your sin; you shall not die.” Yes, David had practiced polygamy, but he turned from it in real, deep, sincere repentance—it could be said, as deep as was the punishment for disobedience. David continued in marriage to Bathsheba, with his only legitimate wife, Michal, almost certainly now dead (II Sam. 6:23). Upon returning to Jerusalem shortly after this time, David ended the relationship with his harem of ten concubines. Let’s read: “And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood” (II Sam. 20:3). David did feel an obligation to provide for these women, but he no longer cohabited with them. Let’s further understand. David’s wives, through public rape, and his concubines, because of polygamist marriage, had all been defiled. They were required to live in “widowhood.” Also understand that, as a virile young man who had been a great warrior, and who had pursued many women in his early years, David was able to change, and to come to spiritual maturity. The scriptures record that he “went fully after the LORD” (I Kgs. 11:6). (Anyone who finds himself in such a situation should follow David’s example.)
Repentance involves change — ACTION ! — and David followed through on his change of heart by ending all practice of polygamy in his life. David’s son Solomon became the very reverse of his father’s pattern. He began as a righteous king who had tremendous faith in God, and was given wisdom like none other before or since. But Solomon also changed—and not for the good. Scripture records that “when Solomon was old” he accumulated 1,000 women in his life—700 wives and 300 concubines. This represents an incredible departure into the pursuit of pleasure and selfish accumulation—and it was PLAIN SIN. Solomon, like Saul, copied the kings of the surrounding nations. In this, the Bible records, “Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD” (I Kgs. 11:6). Some have used these examples—Abraham, Jacob, Saul, David and Solomon—to justify polygamy. A well-known, large, modern sect of professing Christians (involving millions) once believed these accounts permit polygamy, and thus reveal the mind of God on this subject. They followed this practice for decades before changing later. However, smaller breakaway groups from this “church” have secretly held to polygamy, willing to go underground to continue this illegal practice. Why have so many been unable or unwilling to read the plain statements of Jesus—that marriage is between one man and one woman only?