"I do not believe a person is to try to prevent the blessing of children in any way. Naturally or otherwise. I am completely content to leave all pregnancies in God's hands and believe that the Lord brings children in His time. The intimacy of marriage should not be separated from the blessing of children. 1st Corinthians 7:5 speaks to a couple abstaining for a time to give themselves to fasting and prayer but I have never seen anywhere in Scripture where we are to try to prevent children. In Genesis 38:6-10, Onan tried to prevent having a child for his brother and the Lord slew him...
I was thinking this morning about family planning and Psalm 127 came to mind. In this psalm, the fruit of the womb is called a reward from the Lord. Thus, who are we to try to prevent His reward?” ~ Megan Peterson
"Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother.
What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death." Genesis 38: 9-10
"Those sins that dishonor the body and defile it are very displeasing to God and evidences of vile affections." Matthew Henry
"The voluntary spilling of semen outside of intercourse between man and woman is a monstrous thing. Deliberately to withdraw from coitus in order that semen may fall on the ground is doubly monstrous. For this is to extinguish the hope of the race and to kill before he is born the hoped for offspring. This impiety is especially condemned, now by the Spirit though Moses' mouth, that Onan, as it were, by a violent abortion, no less cruelly than filthily cast upon the ground the offspring of his brother, torn from the maternal womb. Besides, in this way he tried, as far as he was able, to wipe out a part of the human race." (Calvin's Commentary on Gen. 38:8-10)
Strong words like this are shocking in our day! Seems like Onan would be pleased to give life to one who would inherit his brother's estate since he was pleased to marry the widow.
Steve Wilkins states, "Human beings were made for the society of marriage. Unless a man was given to gift of celibacy, it is not just a privilege to be married--it is a divine obligation. Men are commanded to seek a wife and should take it as seriously as any other command that God has given...He is a fool who thinks he can live by himself."
A young couple should be prepared to have children when they get married. You can grow in your relationship during marriage and child bearing. It's never perfect. To divorce the marriage relationship from bearing children is perverse. Seems like those who do often end up setting aside the marriage relationship for just living in the same house but in separate bedrooms. Everything should be done in faith to the Glory of God.
Many great people have been born out of extremely difficult situations: Moses, Jesus...The greatest theologian of the last century, R. J. Rushdoony, was conceived while his parents were fleeing the Turkish genocide of the Armenians.
R. J. Rushdoony noted, the rejection of fertility marks a suicidal age and the end of society.
Some who are the most demanding that their wife use birth control and get furious with her for getting pregnant are the most proud of those "unwanted" children and later their grandchildren.
Doug Phillips reminds us that the bible calls debt a curse and children blessings, yet many apply for curses and reject blessings.
Women in the bible grieved over barren wombs, and cried out to God for children. Today, many are in a crisis over positive pregnancy tests.
Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are His. And why one? Because He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
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