Old Testament Scriptures about children

This post is pulled from another chapter of Craig Houghton’s book Family Unplanning. A book about letting God plan the size your family and not trying to control what we were never meant to control.

God’s first known commandment to mankind.

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 1:28

After Noah and his family left the ark in Genesis 9:7, God says basically the same thing.

And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

It doesn’t sound like God is worried about overpopulation. It’s also interesting to think that God didn’t tell them to build houses or anything else first, He tells them to have children and lots of them.

But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. Exodus 1:7

This was before the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt.

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. Exodus 1:12

Life as slaves was harsh, if the Israelites had ever wanted to control the number of children they had now was the time. God can open and close the womb, as we see in the stories of Rachel and Leah, Hannah Samuel’s mother, and Elizabeth Mary’s cousin. And yet, God didn’t close their wombs. He continued to bless them with children.

And in verse 20, it specially mentions that God blessed the midwives for not killing the Hebrew baby boys.

So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.

God blessed His people with children before and after their bondage. God doesn’t think limiting children is a blessing, which makes me suspect that neither should we.

And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” 1 Samuel 1:8

So ten sons was considered a blessing. I admit, I find the idea of having ten children a little daunting, but with God all things are possible, and I trust Him to do whatever is best.

In 1 Chronicles 26:4-5, the Bible is listing the sons of Obededom and I love how it mentions in passing that he had eight sons because the Lord had blessed him! This is a verse, I would like to share with a certain lady at my church who doesn’t seem to think many children are a blessing. I offered to loan her this book, but I don’t think she is going to take me up on that. She is one of those people that is quick to say, children are a blessing, but-

The but is always followed by some excuse about children being lots of work and draining, or something along those lines. I agree children take effort and are a lot of responsibility. But sixteen months after my first child was born, I say more than ever that children are a blessing to be treasured. When I saw the ultrasound for my second baby, I was filled with a overwhelming sense of love and eagerness for his arrival. I remember that feeling with Lily my firstborn, and there is nothing that can replace her.

My husband and I aren’t planning our family, God is. We want to have as many children as God will give us.