Topical Bible: Children: Not to Have: A Reproach in Israel

◄ Children: Not to Have: A Reproach in Israel ►

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In ancient Israel, the absence of children was often considered a significant reproach and a source of personal and social distress. This cultural perspective is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, where children are seen as a blessing from God and a sign of His favor. The desire for offspring was not only a personal longing but also a communal expectation, as children were integral to the continuation of family lineage and the fulfillment of God's promises to His people.

Biblical Context and Cultural Significance

The importance of having children in Israelite society is evident throughout the Old Testament. Children were viewed as a heritage from the Lord, as expressed in Psalm 127:3 : "Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward." This verse underscores the belief that children are a divine gift, and their absence could be perceived as a lack of divine blessing.

In the patriarchal narratives, the longing for children is a recurring theme. For instance, Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel all experienced periods of barrenness, which brought them great distress. In Genesis 30:1 , Rachel's desperation is palpable: "When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister and said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or I will die!'" This plea highlights the intense personal and societal pressure to bear children.

Theological Implications

Theologically, the absence of children was often interpreted as a sign of divine disfavor or judgment. In Deuteronomy 28, the blessings and curses associated with obedience and disobedience to God's commandments are outlined. Among the curses for disobedience is the threat of barrenness, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:18 : "The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks."

Conversely, the granting of children was seen as a sign of God's covenantal faithfulness. The promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5) was a foundational aspect of God's covenant with Israel. Thus, the inability to have children could be perceived as a hindrance to the fulfillment of God's promises.

Social and Familial Dynamics

In addition to theological considerations, the absence of children had significant social and familial implications. In a society where lineage and inheritance were paramount, childlessness could threaten the continuity of a family line. This concern is evident in the practice of levirate marriage, where a man was obligated to marry his deceased brother's widow to produce offspring in the brother's name (Deuteronomy 25:5-6).

Furthermore, children were expected to care for their parents in old age, providing a form of social security. The absence of children could leave individuals vulnerable and without support, adding to the reproach associated with childlessness.

Narratives of Redemption

Despite the cultural stigma, the Bible also presents narratives of redemption and divine intervention in the lives of childless individuals. The accounts of Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth, who were all eventually blessed with children, demonstrate God's power to overcome barrenness and fulfill His promises. Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 1:11 exemplifies the faith and hope placed in God's ability to change circumstances: "And she made a vow, pleading, 'O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.'"

These narratives serve as reminders of God's sovereignty and compassion, offering hope to those who experience the reproach of childlessness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 1:6,7
And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 1:25
Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Story of Israel Crossing Jordan under Joshua is Typical of ...
... to Joshua, the son of Nun, This day have I taken ... of Egypt from off you." Then the
children of Israel ... received the land of promise God did not entertain them ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/26 the story of israel.htm

Rhapsody
... gates of the land; I have bereaved them of children, I have ... and avenge me of my
persecutors: take me not away in ... know that for thy sake I have suffered reproach ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/rhapsody.htm

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his ...
... esteem your honour and high privilege; ye have received this, to ... is no blot, though
it be in reproach among men ... in their face, that they were not children of God ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon iv they have corrupted.htm

Impossible that Marcion's Christ Should Reprove the Faithless ...
... Except that not even He [4386] would have inveighed against them, if He had not
dwelt among ... contrary, [4389] let loose bears against children, in order ...
/.../chapter xxiii impossible that marcions christ.htm

Expository Treatise against the Jews.
... How is He numbered among the children of God, and His ... Therefore have we erred from
the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us ...
/.../expository treatise against the jews.htm

That it was Previously Foretold that they Would Neither Know the ...
... with sins, a wicked seed, corrupting children: ye have ... the fountain of living water,
and have dug for themselves worn-out cisterns, which could not hold water ...
/.../three books of testimonies against the jews/3 that it was previously.htm

The British Bayonet.
... We teach them every day by example, if not by precept ... be worse for a child than to
have a parent ... the most terrible sights will be where children will reproach ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xliv the british bayonet.htm

A Colloquy Between a Penitent and God
... But where all these have been overcome there is true repentance. ... It is not rebuke
or reproach that lies in that designation, 'backsliding children.' It is ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/a colloquy between a penitent.htm

Argument. --And Thus Unclean Animals are not to be Reproached ...
... far, then, must that law, which"as I have shown by ... too that the law was given to
the children of Israel ... Whence it results, that not only were the animals not ...
/.../novatian/on the jewish meats/chapter iii argument and thus unclean.htm

Demonstration xxi. --Of Persecution.
... of Tyre, of Zidon, of the children of Ammon ... saying):""Ye are persecuted and are not
delivered," let ... themselves, that at every time they have been persecuted ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxi of persecution.htm