Consider This - A Time to Give Birth
Ecclesiastes 3:2
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
Just a note: As a creative person myself, who understands the time it takes to create, I always think it’s great to give back by at least sharing who took the time to create photos that I am using for free. So, with that said, the birth photo is by Photo by Rene Asmussen: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-hands-holding-baby-feet-325690/ and the Death photo is by Photo by Mike Bird: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photography-of-concrete-tombstones-116909/ if you’re a fellow creative, check out their work over on Pexels.
Today we venture into verse two of this fascinating chapter and I’m excited to dive in. I hope you are too!
Let’s begin with the first line, Solomon writes, “A time to give birth and a time to die” …
The first thing I want to point out is the word time here is the word ēṯ which is the word that means seasons. We saw this yesterday and I think it’s good to keep on looking at what words are being used.
The next phrase in Hebrew is “to give birth” which is the Hebrew word yālaḏ which kind of looks like the word salad in English and it’s actually pronounced that way, except with a y. That part was just an aside LOL!
Anyway, the word yālaḏ means to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail. And it’s interesting because there are three categories listed as to how this can be done. Those categories are a) of childbirth, b) of distress (simile), and c) of wicked as in behavior.
I find these three categories interesting because when a woman gives birth she is generally in physical distress and she is giving birth to a human who is in a fallen sinful state.
But as we all know, there is a time to give birth and there is so much here that I already know I could write a lot about it. So for my purpose here, I will attempt to be concise.
Genesis 3:16 reiterates my earlier point and uses the same Hebrew word for birth. Check it out…
To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring H3205 forth H3205 children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”
It’s important to note that this statement was given after Adam and Eve sinned.
Before Adam and Eve sinned the Lord told them in Genesis 1:28 to be fruitful and multiply. Here’s the whole verse…
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
It’s interesting to note that God did not originally tell Adam and Eve to just go and give birth and have babies. God told them to be fruitful and multiply and then He told them what else to do after they gave birth.
The Hebrew word for “be fruitful” is pārâ which means to bear fruit both literally and figuratively. To multiply means to become great and to become many.
It also makes sense that Solomon would start his list with the time of being born because nothing else would happen in life unless we are first born.
It also makes sense to me that if you’re the devil, the first thing you want to try to destroy is human life coming forth. Unfortunately, we have seen the plight of abortion in America and all over the world throughout history and I know that grieves God’s heart because God is the giver of life.
Today Consider This…the beauty of giving birth. The beauty of a human life that God fearfully and wonderfully made and knit together in the mother’s womb. The treasure of life itself. Most people who are expecting to have children and to give birth are excited about what the future of that little human will hold.
There are hopes, dreams, and possibilities all tied up with the birth of a child. Usually, this is realized within the bond of marriage between a man and a woman and it’s a time of celebration.
Sometimes, when things are done in the wrong order and one gets pregnant out of wedlock, there is distress and pain associated with the future event of giving birth to a child. Sometimes, as in my case, there is grief associated with being a barren woman and suffering the loss of never having the gift of being able to have children and to give birth.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the time to give birth, the joy is knowing that our Creator God is at the center of it all because without Him, life is not possible.
Consider this - how would your life be different without those in your life who have been born. I know for me, that the world would be a very different place.
Join me in giving thanks to the Lord today for the time for giving birth!