Being Childless: Biblical Perspective, Part III

For part two in these series, please click on Being Childless: Biblical Perspective, Part II

In II Kings 4:8, we read about a woman. She is referred to as a ‘great woman.’ II Kings 4: 8-10, ‘and it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was 

a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. Verse 9, and she said unto her husband, behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, which passed by us continually. Verse 10, ‘please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.’ You see her ministry to God’s mighty man. Verse 14, and Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no child, and her husband is old.” Verse 16, Elisha says, “About this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” Verse 17, ‘but the woman conceived, and bore a son….’

A woman having a compassionate heart for God’s people, a woman serving God’s prophet is barren. She in no way is a cursed woman. In spite of not having a child, she is not a bitter woman. She is not angry. On the contrary, she has a service attitude, she is a content woman. Verse 13, “and Elisha said to him, “say now to her, ‘look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” O, what a content woman.

Luke 1: 5-7, ‘there was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah, his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Verse 6, and they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Verse 7, but they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

See, righteous people, obeying God’s commandments, blameless and yet barren. God had a purpose in her being a barren and them being well advanced in years. God gave them a child, who was known as John the Baptist.

In all the instances where Bible talks about a woman being barren, it never associates barrenness to sin. In all the references, God had been glorified through the barrenness of the woman.

This discussion is incomplete without reference to II Samuel 6:23, ‘therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.’ ²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. ²² And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

For part four in the series, please click on Being Childless: Biblical Perspective, Part 4

When Mom's lifted Up

Oh! How I wish that everyone’s mom dies. Oh! How I wish that everyone is brought to such a desperate condition as I was, and still am, brought. I’ve realized the futility of life. I do not long to live. I have a tremendous longing to see my mom, to kiss and embrace her. This heartache, agony, and her absence are immense. I suffer bouts of depression. I have cried a lot and often, praying to God, in my desperation and emotions, to raise my mom from the dead, lift her out of the grave and bring her back to me. That is the immenseness of my emptiness, the vacuum created by her demise.

I've known few who have been emotionally destroyed by their mom’s death, particularly, when their marital status is ‘single’. Individuals have suffered depression, gone into isolation shunning the world and some have attempted or committed suicide. My mom’s death has devastated me. I’ll never be able to recompense this loss. Her death is a huge blow to me, much greater than the blow inflicted by my termination from IBM.

But I thank my God that I’ve known Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am glad that I’d put my faith in Him. He is my hope and refuge. When I feel her absence, when the agony overwhelms me, when I am possessed by the desire to see her, I find my refuge in Him. He consoles and comforts my soul. In Jn 14:18, Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Everyone who puts his faith in Christ for the forgiveness of his/her sins, God sends His Spirit to reside in them as a guarantee of their being saved from their sins, as is written in Ephesians 1:13, 14, ‘In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.’ Bible calls Him, the Comforter. It is through His Spirit that the ‘peace of God which surpasses all understanding guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus’. Phil 4:7.

In Christ, I’ve hope to see my mom in heaven. I’ve this hope because she too had accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She too lived a life in conformity to God’s standard, though she was not perfect. I’ve this hope because of the promise of Jesus, when He said, “that where I am, there you may be also.” Jn 14:3b. I’ve the hope that when Jesus comes back in the sky, my mom will be raised up from the dead as it has been written in I Cor 15: 51, 52, ‘Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’

My mom’s death brought me back to Christ. Her death brought me closer to Christ. Jesus said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth (signifying by what death He would die), will draw all people to Myself." Jesus' death on the cross will bring you near to God. I wish and pray that you too would be brought to a desperate state as me and come to Christ. For years I lived a casual life. I am sorry for the years lost. I am sorry for having not understood the vanity of life and that I did not value time as it slipped past. In Christ I’ve been, and still am, able to understand and cope with the loss of my mom. If it would not have been for Christ, I wouldn’t have been and won’t be able to understand the reason of her death. I wouldn’t have been and won’t be able to bear the continual sorrow of her death. But having known Christ and the hope that I would see her in Heaven, give great satisfaction to my soul.

Are you living an uncertain life? Are you uncertain of your own future as well the future of your loved ones? Is your faith for the future based on the figment of imagination of humans and tradition received from your fathers? When it the question of eternity, wouldn’t you want to be certain of your belief? Do you love your sins over and above the love for your parents who are and will perish in their sins along with you?