I was reading a website not long ago wherein the author of a certain “blog” stated that he had stopped having children after having one, because he wanted to “better serve the Lord”. This kind of attitude is one of the most common concerning Christians and Birth Control. On the surface it sounds reasonable to those who know nothing about what the Word of God has to say about children, but it only takes a scratch on the surface of this feel-good sentiment to reveal the heart of selfishness and unbelief, the heart of cowardice behind it.
In the hand of our Lord the King is life, all life, it comes from Him alone, time and time again has He revealed in His Word that His very hand creates and forms new life inside a woman’s womb, and it is His hand alone that opens and closes the womb; Genesis 20:18, 29:31, 30:22, 49:25, Deuteronomy 7:13, 28:4, 28:11, 30:9, 1 Samuel 1:5, Job 10:8-11, 31:15, Psalm 22:10, 139:13, Isaiah 44:2, 44:24, 49:5, Jeremiah 1:5. 17 passages to convince of God’s mighty and gentle hand in this most sacred creation of new life,… let us grant this fact as firmly established beyond a shadow of a doubt then, yes?
But, imagine if we were to push all that aside, and for a moment be ignorant of such treasures in scripture. If, in such a blinded state of mind, we were set out to find from God’s Word what a true man or woman of God is like, how they lived their lives, and how they served their King with strength and might, how they honored Him in word and in deed, worshiped Him in spirit and in truth, ….what would we find? Let us begin.
Let us start with Jacob, called Israel by God, who was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob was visited by God, spoke with Him in person, and was faithful in doing all that the Lord commanded him. In Genesis 29 and 30 we see that every desire of Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachel was to bear children to him, each of them even giving their maidservants to Jacob to bear children for them! Jacob did not shrink back from having as many children as God would give Him, but accepted each with rejoicing and gratitude, as such blessings should ever be received by men!
And in Genesis 33, Jacob meets his long-lost brother Esau: “But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.” Genesis 33:4-5 How sweet to the Lord’s ears must such words be, and how dear to His heart! Oh, that all men would see children as such!
And here, another servant of the LORD, Gideon (Judges 6-8). Though he was the least in his family, the angel of the LORD appeared to him and spoke to him in person. Through the strength given to him by God, and by faith in Him, Gideon cut down and destroyed the worthless altar of Baal and the wooden idol of Asherah, using the latter as wood to burn sacrifice to honor the one true God, the God of Israel! By faith, and by the Spirit of God, Gideon with only 300 men of Israel descended upon the Midianites and Amalekites and routed them, pursuing them and cutting them down throughout the hill country, and cutting off the heads of the enemy leaders! Gideon had seventy sons born to him. There are few men who served the LORD as mightily as Gideon son of Joash, and yet he had SEVENTY SONS!
Now let us hear of Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2), mother of Samuel who became leader of all Israel! The LORD kept Hannah’s womb closed, until she poured her heart out to Him, and promised her child would be given in service of the LORD all the days of his life. The LORD, who is strong and mighty, and whose right hand alone opens and closes the womb, He opened Hannah’s womb and she bore Samuel, and indeed he served the LORD faithfully all the days of his life. And the LORD continued to bless Hannah, giving her three more sons, and two daughters, six in all! Did this woman of God, whose heart was set apart and holy unto Him, ever complain of having too many, or that she may not be able to serve Him with so many children to care for? No! She sought such blessings with tears and with anguish of heart, as any Godly woman should! And the LORD heard her, and was pleased in her!
And would any dare say there was ever a greater king of Israel than David son of Jesse? Indeed, from the time he was a small boy he sought the LORD with all his heart, and was called a man after God’s own heart. David was filled with the Holy Spirit, and in the Spirit’s power David, only a small boy, rushed forward to the battle lines to meet Goliath, a wicked Philistine who stood over nine feet tall! David struck him down with sling and stone, and cut off his head with the Philistine’s own sword! From that time forward David made all the LORD’s enemies his enemies, cutting them down and destroying them in the Name of the LORD! Twenty sons were born to David (though one died in infancy) and one daughter, and other sons by his concubines!
Never did David seek to limit the number of children born to him, but accepted them with praise and thanksgiving, and loved them as a true father, even weeping bitterly at the death of his rebel son Absalom, who had tried to kill him and take the throne. And of Jesse; David’s father. Jesse had seven sons besides David, and two daughters! What if Jesse had decided to take the place of the LORD his God, and limit how many children he was to have, David the youngest would surely never have been born! Oh, how grievous and bitter a thought! And Zeruiah, David’s sister, had she not been born, so also her sons Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, all mighty leaders and warriors of God in David’s service, and numbered in his mighty men! All the mighty ways in which they served their Lord, the God of Israel, none of it would have come to pass, they would never have been. What grief in my soul to think of such things! What grief in God’s heart for all his mighty warriors, and gentle princesses he has longed to send to his rebellious people, who cut short His offspring with wicked poisons and destruction and cutting of their bodies, which are meant to be Temples, houses of His Holy Spirit, set apart unto Him!
Brothers and sisters, let not your hearts be faint! Raising children is great responsibility, but with it is blessing beyond our comprehension! The LORD knows how many children you can care for, and he will not over-burden you! Jesus himself said:
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37
and:
“”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
And also David spoke these words in Psalm:
“When I called, you answered me;
you made me bold and stouthearted.” Psalm 138:3
Therefore go on your knees before the Throne of the Living God, call out to Him, He will answer, and will give you all strength, courage, and boldness to do what He has called you to do! This is true in all areas of obedience, and not the least of which is the high calling by the LORD, to be mothers and fathers, and build up His Kingdom, and fill it with shouts of joy and the sounds of children!
To order the book “The Bible and Birth Control” by Charles D. Provan, or to order our literature to give out at your local church or Christian event, contact Nathanael Nathanael@bibleandbirthcontrol.com , or call 724-503-7347
This small book examines birth control in light of the Scriptures, and offers nine reasons why it is prohibited by the Bible. You will learn surprising statements from Protestant leaders, including Calvin, Luther and Wesley, on birth control. If you want to know about Biblical principles which oppose contraception, or wish to know what the Reformers and their successors thought about this important subject, we certainly hope that you’ll get this book!
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