Maranatha Messenger

HOW DOES GOD VIEW CHILDREN?

David tells us that “children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward. 4 As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are] children of the youth. 5 Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:3-5).

1. God says that children are a nachalah {heritage} or inheritance from the Lord (v. 3a). This Hebrew word is also translated possessions, property and portion. Children are an inheritance from God! They belong to God! They are His personal possession! To abort an innocent baby is to destroy God’s property.

2. Secondly, God tells us that babies are His special reward to parents (v. 3b). The Hebrew word sakar {reward} gives the idea of being rewarded with pay. Children are like a bonus in addition to our salary. Do you ever receive a Christmas bonus? Children are likened to a special reward from God!

3. Thirdly, God calls children a blessing (v. 5a). The Hebrew word 'esher {happy} means blessed. In other words, blessed is the man that has his quiver full of children. Children are a blessing from the Lord! How do you view children? Do you view them as an inheritance from the Lord? God does! Do you see them as a special reward from above? God does! Do you recognize your children as a blessing of the Lord? God does!


WHO IS THE GREATEST?

In Luke 9:46-48 Jesus taught His disciples a very important lesson on greatness. Evidently there arose a discussion among these ambitious saints concerning which of them should be called the greatest. Perhaps there was a dispute over superiority or seniority? Nonetheless, the omniscient Savior perceived the dialogismos {thoughts} or reasoning in their hearts. In great wisdom, Jesus reached out to a child, and set him next to Himself. What was Jesus doing? What would the Savior do next? He was about to strike a chord concerning the very self-worth of the disciples. In a very deliberate manner, Jesus said to them, “Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great” (Luke 9:48). Their egos were crushed! I can hear the disciples now, “You’ve got to be kidding! That dirty little stinking kid is greater than me?” What was Jesus thinking? What exactly was Jesus saying?

1. First of all, this was a statement of condescending equality. Jesus equated Himself with this poor, dirty child. What humility! The God of the universe lowered Himself to the same level of the least of them all! “Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me.” Sounds like equality to me! Furthermore, this text infers a great truth! How you treat children is a reflection on how you treat Jesus. By the way, murdering an innocent child is the ultimate form of rejection. It’s simply not right!

2. Secondly, this was a statement of exalted equality. In the same sentence that Christ associates Himself with this child, He also equates Himself with God the Father. The second part of the verse says, “whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me.” On a theological realm we see the humility and divinity of Christ together. He is the God-man. Yet on a more practical tone we see Lord’s opinion of children. In order to illustrate a lesson on humility Christ compares Himself to a little child to get His point across. The punch-line of His message is found in the last statement. “He that is least among (children) you all, the same shall be great” (v. 48c). Please keep in mind that Jesus was instructing the “greatest” preachers of all time, the disciples. They soon discovered that they weren’t so great after all.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Your sixteen year old daughter is pregnant. Is abortion a viable option for your little girl? It may be convenient, but is it right? Should a child of God consider abortion as an alternative solution to an unwanted pregnancy?We have established that God’s law protects the baby in the mother’s womb (Exodus 21:22-23). Furthermore, we agree the scriptures teach that God has a plan for your unborn child (Psalm 139:13-16). We have read how God called Isaiah, Jeremiah and John the Baptist while they were in their mother’s womb. Additionally, we have discovered how children are an inheritance from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). Then finally, we saw how Jesus equated Himself with little children (Luke 9:48). Without a doubt the scriptures forbid abortion as a viable solution for your sixteen year old daughter’s pregnancy.

1. What does God mean when He calls a child an heritage of the Lord?

2. Are children really a reward from God? How?

3. How are children a blessing from the Lord?

4. Who are the greatest?

Maranatha Messenger

WHAT TO DO
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO

Do Right
(Part 2)


DOES GOD HAVE A PLAN FOR MY UNBORN CHILD?

David gave us this great insight in Psalm 139. He said,

Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them (Psalm 139:13-16).

Notice four thoughts that David shared concerning his own birth.

1. First of all, David informs us that the womb is a place of protection (v. 13). The Hebrew word cakak {covered} means to screen or protect. The safest place in the entire world for an unborn baby should be the mother’s womb.

2. Secondly, David tells that conception is a work of God (v.1 4). The tiny little baby placed in the mother’s womb is a creation of God. Therefore, David cried out saying, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works” (v. 14b). Child birth is a miraculous work of God!

3. Thirdly, David informs us that the eye of God is on the fetus (v. 16a). The Hebrew word golem {substance} literally means embryo or fetus. Concerning this verse, Hebrew scholar Willem VanGemeren said, “Even when unborn (‘when I was made in the secret place,’ v. 15) and little more than a physical being (‘my frame’; lit., ‘my bone’) in the womb (‘when I was woven together in the depths of the earth’), the Lord had a purpose for the undeveloped embryo (‘my unformed body,’ v. 16).[1] The Creator of life had a purpose for King David.

4. Fourthly, David explains that an embryo is a person. Take a pen and circle these important words. Mark the phrase “all my members.” This is a reference to the body parts of David. Now take your pen and circle the words “were fashioned.” This expression comes from the Hebrew word yatsar which means to form, frame or create. David’s bodily members were in the process of being formed by God and written in a book! He is describing a person with hands, feet and eyes. Nevertheless, notice the last phrase of verse 16, “when as yet there was none of them.” In other words, even though the fetus was not completely formed, God still describes him as a person. While his hands were developing David was a person. While his eyes were growing David was a person. While his face was maturing, David was a person. This scripture clearly teaches that the embryo is a person.

The third question we must answer, does God call people to His service from the mother’s womb?

CALLED FROM THE MOTHER’S WOMB?

He did Isaiah! Isaiah said, “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; 5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb [to be] his servant” (Isaiah 49:1-2; 5).

1. God qara' {called} or commissioned Isaiah to be a prophet even while he was yet in his mother’s womb (v. 1a). God fashioned and formed Isaiah to be the servant of Jehovah from his mother’s belly.

2. What about Jeremiah? Jeremiah said, “Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:4-5). God qadash {sanctified} and nathan {ordained} Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations even before he came out of his mother’s womb. God set him aside to this sacred calling even before he was formed in his mother’s belly.

3. What about John the Baptist? Without a doubt, God had a special plan for John the Baptist. Luke tells us “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb” (Luke 1:15). Only a living person can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, John was filled with the Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

[1]Willem A. VanGemeren, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Psalms, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 5:838.