Horrifying its unknowingly deceived supporters, the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment is actually anti-Israel. 
 
This becomes self-evident by reviewing the Biblical account in Genesis of the family of Israel's progenitor, Jacob, renamed by God as "Israel." 
 
Jacob was very much in love with a beautiful young woman named Rachel. He was truly committed to marrying her. He gladly contracted to work for her father, Laban, for seven years in order to marry his beloved. To Jacob, the years passed as quickly as though it had been a few days. This was a man in love! 
 
The seven years soon passed. Jacob asked Laban for Rachel. He was eagerly ready to marry her, to "go in unto her." Laban instead called for a feast, a wedding celebration.  
 
Modern individuals frequently perceive marriage as officially occurring at the "wedding celebration." In this story, all the activities during the feast --the wedding celebration-- were undoubtedly "all about Rachel" becoming Jacob's wife. 
 
Yet, were they married at that point?  
 
Laban had another daughter, Leah. She was older and reportedly less attractive. Laban wanted her to be married first, since she was older than Rachel. So, he tricked Jacob. That night, after the feast was concluded, Jacob unknowingly "went in unto" Leah instead, because of Laban's deception. 
 
In the morning, to whom was Jacob actually married? Was it Rachel, the one for whom he had the wedding feast? Or, was he married to Leah, the one with whom he "went in unto?" 
 
The Bible says, "Behold, it was Leah." 
 
Jacob was not married to Rachel. Leah was his wife. 
 
When Jacob confronted Laban about the deception, his father-in-law proposed another agreement with him. First, Jacob would have to spend his "honeymoon" week with his new bride, Leah, exclusively. After that week, Laban would let him marry Rachel also, as long as Jacob would agree to work for yet another seven years. 
 
Jacob agreed. Leah got her "honeymoon" with her husband. A week later, Jacob "went in unto" Rachel, marrying her also. This blessed man of God was now a polygamist with two wives. 
 
In this new polygamous family, Leah first gave birth to four sons. 
 
Through various patterns of non-conception, both of the two wives would each have their husband marry an additional wife. 
 
Rachel brought Bilhah for Jacob to marry. This third wife bore two sons. 
 
Leah brought Zilpah for Jacob to marry. This fourth wife also bore two sons. 
 
Leah then again bore two more sons and a daughter. 
 
After all that, Rachel was finally able to conceive. She bore the last two sons. Sadly, though, she died while giving birth to her second son. 
 
Prior to that last birth, though, God re-named Jacob to Israel, "he shall prevail as God." God blessed polygamous Israel. 
 
Out of those twelve sons, born of four wives, would come the "12 Tribes of Israel." And yes, not only were Leah and Rachel referred to as wives in the Bible, but Genesis 37:2 also calls Bilhah and Zilpah specifically as wives too. 
 
Yet, the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment would liberally re-define marriage to deny Israel's marriages to all his wives but Rachel. 
 
This goes far beyond the false cliche of saying, "But that happened in the Old Testament." The New Testament reveals important revelations which Christians also believe. 
 
The New Testament includes both Galatians 5:19-21 and Matthew 8:11. As the first passage says that "adulterers and fornicators... shall not inherit the kingdom of God," the second one shows Jesus Christ saying that polygamist Jacob will, in fact, be seen in the kingdom of heaven! Explicitly, polygamy is neither adultery nor fornication according to the New Testament. 
 
More importantly (for Christians, on a spiritual level), according to Revelation 21:12-13, the coming glorious "New Jerusalem" will have 12 gates --three gates on each of the four sides of the city. Each gate is named by each individual name of the "12 Tribes of Israel." If polygamy was sinful, God would never have that happen! 
 
Yet, according to the modern idea that marriage supposedly occurs at the "wedding celebration," Israel's relationship with Leah was supposedly fornication. The "week" he spent with her would have to be adultery. The same would also have to be true for his relationships with his other wives, Bilhah and Zilpah. 
 
Because anti-polygamy and that feast-basis view say that Israel could only have been married to Rachel, they therefore also say that all but Rachel's offspring are supposedly "illegitimate." God forbid. 
 
But it gets even more absurd. 
 
The Bible shows that Leah gave birth to Levi, from whom Moses descended. She also bore Judah, from whom the Jews descended. Jesus Christ, being Jewish Himself, of course, (through Mary) also descended from Judah. 
 
Denying Israel's relationship with Leah, as if it was not true marriage, then says that Moses, even all the Jews, and Jesus Christ Himself, are supposedly "illegitimate" descendants of an adulterously fornicating Israel! God forbid.  
 
Yet the proposed amendment does exactly that. 
 
There can be no other conclusion. Biblically, the Federal Marriage Amendment is anti-Israel. 


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