Read post #59, plus consider the following:
Jacob:
We know that...
Labanite deception, and not God, was the author of Jacob's original polygamous wife. [Jacob had been told by his monogamous father, Isaac, to explicitly take "a wife" (not wives plural) in Gen. 28:2.]
...nothing but one big pregnancy rivalry and poor emotions reigned in Jacob's household (see Genesis 30).
...the two wives' servants were brought into the equation to simply fuel that baby competition, and that one of the servants was only referenced as a servant/concubine.
...the other servant/concubine, Bilhah, later slept with one of Jacob's adult sons, Reuben...hardly what would be done even in those times--to sleep with somebody who might be deemed a "stepmom."
David:
In David's era, wives and concubines were accumulated in royal households, often as part of peace pacts with other tribes. David simply inherited Saul's wives or concubines (not sure which is was) from Saul as part of the kingdom transfer. Beyond that, the OT mentions Michal's death (David's first wife), so that may have preceded Bathsheba's relationship. And the references to "wives" in 2 Sam. 12:8--we know they were concubines who were not sexually loyal to David by comparing 2 Sam. 14:21-22 to 2 Sam. 12:11. The Hebrew word for "wives" in 2 Sam. 12:8--ishshah--was used even more commonly as the basic word for woman and is even used for female animal mates boarding the ark in Genesis 7. (I don't think we would call them "wives").
I am not a polygamist or a Mormon and find the religion to be made up.
Condemnation from God doesn't seem to rest on many of Gods men in the Bible for common things we call sin. David was condemned once because he sent a man to die in battle so he could take his wife. God actually told David he would have given her to him if he would have asked.
The problem is Christians have gone from walking by faith in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus to going around trying to establish their own righteousness which is of the Law.
“and is even used for female animal mates boarding the ark in Genesis 7. (I don’t think we would call them “wives”). “
Well, I know of some that would.