“And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Genesis 24:60)

In the world today, the blessing above would be viewed as a curse.  Mother of thousands of millions!  Terrible!  Growing the influence of the godly over those who hate them by having many, many children? Are you crazy? We need to save the endangered bugs, not the people!  Sadly, many Christian families have also been influenced by the world’s way of thinking on family size.

Consider also Psalm 127-128:

A Song of degrees for Solomon.

1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, 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.

A Song of degrees.

Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.

God says that children are His “reward,” and the man is “happy” or blessed who has a household “full of them.” The man who starts having children with his wife even from his “youth” is blessed. This is the way Jehovah blesses His people–children all around one’s table.  Lots of little mouths is His blessing, not a burden or a curse.  As in Genesis 24, lots of children leads to greater influence for the kingdom, peace and victory over God’s enemies, because of a greater number of saints.

If we go by Scripture alone, we would conclude that believers should seek to have as great a degree of God’s blessing in the area of children as in every other area.  If a Christian family would not limit God’s blessing them in other areas, they should not limit God’s blessing them with children.

Sometimes people say that if they have more children they will not be able to raise the ones they already have properly. But Scripture never says that one is more likely to have his children live for God if he limits the number of blessings God gives them. What if older children are more likely to be responsible and godly if they have to help care for other little ones? Would God’s blessing of more children really be something that leads to more rebellion and unconverted people?

Other people say that they cannot afford to have more children. But God who sends the blessing of children will enable you to take care of the children. Furthermore, if we cannot afford to have many children in the richest country that has ever existed in the history of the world, then for 99.9% of human history nobody could afford to have children, and none of us would be here.

If you are married, seek God’s blessing of children–as many as God can give you. Do it even from the start of your marriage in your “youth” (Psalm 127:4). That may be lots and lots–it may be a few–it may be none–God knows what is best for you.  But for your part, you should think it a wonderful gift if you could be a family that has thousands of millions of children, vastly increasing the number of righteous people in this world.

–TDR