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The topic of
birth control can be controversial as God does not have a specific command
against it but does that make it okay?
Some forms of contraceptives are nothing more than in womb abortions so
those are definitely unbiblical. What
about the rest? Let’s look at God’s
Word and see what He has to say. Here
are a list of verses that is by no means exhaustive so feel free to search through
God’s Word as there are many more.
The first
and foremost passage of scripture to look at would be Matthew 1. We see through the womb of Mary that God is
in total control of life.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came
together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:1
Let’s go
back even further and look at Genesis and the beginning of mankind and the
directive from God to man.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:27-28
(Do
contraceptives allow a married couple to be fruitful and multiply?)
God is in control of opening and shutting the womb:
Now Adam knew Eve his wife,
and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.
Genesis 4:1
And he lifted his eyes and saw the women
and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has
graciously given your servant.”
Genesis
33:5
Psalm 113:9
And He said, “I will certainly return to you according
to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Genesis 18:10
So Abraham prayed to God; and
God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children;
for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house
of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Genesis 20:17-18
So Boaz took Ruth and she
became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. (Ruth 4:13)
Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Genesis 25:21
Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no
children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or
else I die!” And
Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the
place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Genesis 30:1-2
And her rival also provoked
her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when
she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her;
therefore she wept and did not eat.el
1 Samuel 1:6-8
Children are a blessing:
Behold, children are a
heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:3-5
Then she spoke out with a
loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is
the fruit of your womb!
Luke 1:42
Children’s children are
the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
And the glory of children is their father.
Proverbs 17:6
He grants the barren woman a
home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Like a joyful mother of children.
Psalm 113:9
God is the author of life, the creator of children:
For You formed my inward
parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
Psalm 139:13-16
Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace
Galatians 1:15
God multiplies children:
Then the
Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will
multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for
multitude.” Genesis 16:10
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I
will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I
have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it
forever.’” Exodus 32:13
He increased His people greatly
And made them stronger than their enemies.
Psalm 105:24
The Lord your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the
stars of heaven in multitude.
Deuteronomy 1:10
We found one verse in regard to birth control.
Onan Genesis 38:8-10 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
What we see in scripture is that God is in control of life and when man steps in he is in essence trying to be like God. (Just look at the name 'birth control' and it speaks for itself.)
Another point to consider is that in most cases these birth control situations are made for the ease of the burden to feed more mouths or perhaps so a couple can have less work and more free time for their own pursuits/together to do as they please. But this flies in the face of the fact that our lives are His, often we are much closer to God when times are tougher and that we need His hand daily to keep us. (Selfishness or ease cannot grow one's faith.)
We must also remember the Holy Word tells us we are slaves to Christ and our lives are not our own. How does this future planning of who will be in our lives (children) really line up to surrendering your entire life to the Lord to do as He pleases?
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Romans 14:7-8