Introduction
In the Hebrew culture as it is in the African society, lack
of children or barrenness was considered a statement of disapproval from God
especially when we reflect on God’s commission to mankind in Genesis 1:28 and
the other promises of God in Deut 7:14 and Exodus 23:26 to Israel. Boice says
children were a sign of favor with God.[1] He
quotes Psalm 127:3-5 “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children
a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's
youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to
shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.” Keener confirm
this when he says that to be childless in this context was socially and
economically disastrous.[2]
According to Adeyemo, the childless person was left with
the option of adopting[3] as
indicated later in the story of Abram (Gen15:2), getting a second wife or even
a maidservant to bear them children (Gen 16:1-16; Gen 30:3). In the law, barrenness
was seen as judgment for sin. That is why in the story of Zechariah and
Elizabeth, the couple is introduced with the disclaimer that “Both of them were upright in the sight of
God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly” (Luke 1:6). Critically examined it is women who bore the
brunt of childlessness. In any childless marriage it was generally assumed that
it was the woman’s defect that brought about the misfortune.
Children
are From the Lord
As earlier on shown it was anticipated that Gods people
will be fruitful and multiply according to God’s commission and purpose for
mankind. Yet barrenness was
a serious struggle that faced prominent women and men in the Bible. Abraham and
Sarah struggled over this for almost a century. We see Rachel’s frustration with
this condition through her remarks to her husband. She said, "Give me
children, or I'll die!"(Gen 30:1). Hannah and
Elizabeth in the New Testament echo the same story. Notable is the fact that
all these women brought forth very great, peculiar and prominent people who
greatly influenced the spiritual destiny and history of Israel. Their children
were indeed a blessing from the Lord because they bore them as an answer to their
fervent prayers or by God’s promise to them.
Isaac as a child of promise became the heir of Abraham’s
estate and of God’s covenant and promises. He brought forth Jacob whose name is
later changed to Israel by God and it’s through him that the nation of
Israel—the twelve tribes—draws her name. Rachel brought forth Joseph who saves
many people including his own family from starvation through his God given
wisdom and skill in governance. Hannah though despised by the co-wife Peninah,
fervently in prayer sought God for an offspring and she bore Samuel(1Samuel
1:1-20) who becomes a great prophet and priest in Israel influencing the first
two Kings of Israel, Saul and David. Elizabeth and Zechariah on the other hand
bring forth John the Baptist who becomes the forerunner of Christ (Luk 1:76-80). It is this recognition by Eve that children
are a blessing from the Lord that elicit her jubilation, “with the help of the
Lord I have brought forth a man,” (Gen 4:1) after the birth of Cain.
The
Blessing
of Bearing Children
According Harris and others, in the Theological Wordbook
of the Old Testament, to bless someone means to endue with power for success,
prosperity, fruitfulness and longevity.[4] It was
frequently contrasted with to curse which meant to be lightly esteemed. Bearing children can thus be closely
tied to God’s blessing. This is seen in Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and
increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”” And also in Genesis
22:17 “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the
stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” Psalm 128:3-4
crowns the blessedness of the man who fears the Lord saying, “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus
is the man blessed who fears the LORD.”
In
Genesis 4:1 the Bible says that ‘Adam knew his wife’ which is a Biblical euphemism
for marital intercourse expressing both the full harmony and understanding
between the couple according to God’s purpose for sexual love and reproduction.[5] The conception and birth of the child is
attributed to God by Eve in her expression of gratitude and thanksgiving to Him
upon the birth of Cain. Eve said,
hw")hy>-ta
vyaiÞ ytiynIïq' rmaTo§w: which
literally translated means ‘I have gotten a man with the Lord.” [6]
According to Kidner, this cry of faith by Eve compares
with that in verse 25 and “…lifts the situation out of the rut of the purely
natural to its true level...”[7] the supernatural intervention of God through
which he continues His creation. He points to the fact that Eve could be having
in mind the oracle in Genesis 3:15. If this be the case she then gives birth to
all her sons with some sort of expectancy. She looks forward for that promised
Seed, the one who would bruise the serpents head to bring deliverance and end
the enmity between the serpent’s offspring and hers. If she does give birth
with this in mind then we understand her outburst of gratitude to God upon the
birth of Cain, although she is later disappointed when Cain turns out to be
evil and kills his brother Abel. She however doesn’t give up. Upon the birth of
Seth she exclaims again in Genesis 4:25, "God has
granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."
It is important to note that she praises God in spite of the
presumed pain she undergoes throughout the conception period and birth
according to Genesis 3:16 which says, "I will greatly increase your pains in
childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children.” The pain she
experiences cannot be compared with the joy of getting a child. The name Cain
is drawn from the intonation of the Hebrew hn"q' meaning to get,
acquire, posses or procure as spoken by Eve in this context. Thus as a result of receiving a man from the Lord she
praises Him.
Application
It is apparent therefore that although those that bear
children without a problem may assume their origin to be themselves, the Bible
indicates otherwise. The stories of the
barren women clearly show that children are a blessing from the Lord. Those not
privileged to have children then have God as their last appeal when seeking
children of their own.
Again though today people may be wary of having children and
see them as a hindrance to the pursuit of their career objectives and pleasure,
we need to remember that from the beginning children are not a bother but a
blessing from God (Psalm 128). Every person who desires to have children invites God
to work through them to fulfill His mandate as given in Gen 1:28 to be fruitful
and multiply. Children are therefore a blessing from the Lord that
should bring great joy to the parents. Those that abandon their children after
birth reflect a diametrically opposite image of God and misunderstanding of His
purpose.
Before conception people should lift up their voices
and pray to God for the gift of children. When they conceive they should
continue to trust God to carry the pregnancy to term. After birth they should
trust God for provision to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord
so that they would serve God’s holy purposes when they grow up (Mal 2:15, Eph
6:4).
Some of the arguments that people raise who
don’t want to get children are that in today’s challenging and unpredictable
economic environment they are not able to provide for the children. However it
is good for believers while exercising their free will as given by God to
remember that God who causes conception to take place is not only able to bring
the pregnancy to term, to superintend the birth process so that no complication
arise but is also able to provide so that the arrival of the child will bring
joy to the parents and they will exult with thanksgiving to God. His assurance
in Isaiah 66:9 is notable “Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give
delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to
delivery?" says your God.
Conclusion
There
is need therefore to praise the Lord whenever he blesses us with the fruit of
the womb. Both men and women should lift their voices and praise God because
every child born in this world comes with a God given assignment to accomplish.
We should then view them as solutions that God gives through His providential
care for mankind.
[1] James
Montgomery Boice, Genesis: An
Expositional Commentary Vol2 (Grand Rapids Michigan: Baker Books, 1998),
562.
[2]Craig S. Keener,
The IVP Bible BackGround Commentary- New
Testament (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 188.
[3] Tokunboh Adeyemo,
Africa Bible Commentary (Nairobi,
Kenya: WordAlive Publishers, 2006), 33.
[4] Harris R.
Laird, et al, Theological Wordbook of the
Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1980), -.
[5] Henry M.
Morris, The Genesis Record: A Scientific
and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings (Grand Rapids: Baker
Books, 1976), 134.
[6] Ibid., 134.
[7] Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (Leicester:
Intervarsity Press, 1976), 74.
