Last time, we saw that children are a means of spreading godliness on the earth. Today, we shall look at children as a source of strength and defence.
In Psalm 127, children are described as a gift and a blessing from the Lord, like “arrows in the hands of a warrior.”
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.” Psalm 127:3-5 (NIV)
From the mouths of little children and infants, you have built a fortress against your opponents to silence the enemy and the avenger. Psalm 8:2 (GW)
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The Symbolism of Children
In former times, having many children symbolized strength, expansion, and dominance over other tribes. Unlike the modern preference for smaller families, ancient societies aimed for large families to build strong communities and conquer rival groups. It wasn’t uncommon for a man to desire numerous wives and children to establish influence and prosperity. This desire for abundance extended to all aspects of life, including land ownership and military power.
Psalm 127 says that children are a reward, and whenever the Lord refers to giving offspring to His people, He doesn’t state that He would give them a child, but that He would give them children. He definitely wanted His people to be abundant, adequately defended, and secure!
“He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 113:9 (NIV)
Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house: your children like olive plants round about your table. Psalm 128:3
“Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.” Jeremiah 29:6 (NIV)
“So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.” 1 Timothy 5:14 (NIV)
So we see that more than simply being a ‘biological occurrence’, children are a sacred trust, and a source of joy and strength that God blesses individuals and families with. And obviously, He wanted them to have a lot of this goodness.
But do these positive scriptural positions take into account modern economic realities?
We shall continue to consider these in the next episode.
READ NEXT: HOW MANY CHILDREN SHOULD A CHRISTIAN HAVE? (PART 5)
Marriage is a form of discipleship, and it involves carrying a cross. Discover how to navigate its paths in this episode.
