GIFT OF CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY

“Behold, CHILDREN are a HERITAGE from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” – Psalm 127:3

God is intentional about the GIFT of CHILDREN in the FAMILY: “Behold, CHILDREN are a HERITAGE from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psa.127:3). Just like human efforts – building and working – are only of value if engaged with God and Hi blessing in mind (vv.1-2), bearing and rearing children are only fulfilling when God blesses (vv.3-5). Children are not ultimately the product of human effort, but gifts from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward granted by God (v.3b). Children are like arrows in a warrior’s hands (v.4). The Hebrew terms for heritage and reward – nachalah and sakar – both imply something valuable. The first refers to something passed down from one generation to the next; the other, to wages or rewards.

Just as a father leaves an inheritance to his children, the Lord gives parents the precious possession of children, as blessings not burdens. Jacob referred to children as "the fruit of the womb" (Gen.30:2). Leah named her fifth son, Issachar, meaning, “God has given me my wages” (Gen.30:18). At the birth of her sixth son, she announced: "God has endowed me with a good endowment" (Gen.30:20). Our Lord Jesus blessed children, saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Mt.19:14). There has never been more evil attack on the family than the attack being launched on the children.

How we “build” into the lives of our children makes a difference. Raising them to understand godliness and godly wisdom positions them better in life (Pro.22:6). However, that the Bible extols children does not mean that marriage is meaningless without them. Such a view harms those who still await children. Apart from children, marriage is blessed as it reflects the relation between Christ and His Church. Even so, children are the Lord’s heritage. God calls His people to bring forth children (Gen.1:28). He motivates us to obey this command by showing us that children are a blessing, not a burden, nuisance, misery, or grief: “He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” (Psa.113:9). To believing parents, every child is a blessing!

We should always value and treasure children as God-given. Ultimately, they belong to God – He gives them to us for a season and expects us to raise and teach them to know, reverence, honour and serve Him. He expects us to love them, to teach them that He loves them and to teach them to love Him. We are to teach, train, and prepare them for a godly life and then launch them out as arrows from a bow. If we want the arrow to fly straight and hit the target, we must take time to prepare it perfectly. We cannot rush it. The arrow must be perfectly straight, with no cracks or splinters. The point must be sharp and the feathers perfectly placed.

When it’s ready to fly, the bow must be engaged fully. The arrow must not be released before its time or it will fall short of the mark. We must nurture our children and release them only at the right time. Providing for them physically is not enough. We must teach them about God, life and how to live godly lives. When they are fully taught, we must not hang onto them, but release them to soar into their God-ordained future. If we teach them properly and send them out prepared, they will go far and be a blessing wherever they go. Their lives will count for God and make a difference in time and eternity (v.5). God holds us responsible for the welfare of our children – spiritual and otherwise, and we should not take that responsibility lightly.

Godly children are trained to be responsible to: Obey their parents (Eph.6:1; Col.3:20); listen to counsel and instructions (Pro.6:20; 23:22); respect and honour them (Exo.20:12; Lev.19:3; Eph.6: 2-3); love them (Gen.46:29); value their possessions (Pro.28:24); and provide for them in later life (Mk.7:11-12; 1Tim.5:4). To treat parents with mockery merits condemnation (Pro.30:17).