Abortion
so much confusion, controversy and emotion
Side notes
All Bible references are from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
[1] Psalms 127:4-5
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
[2] Proverbs 20:7
The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!
[3] Acts 10:1-2
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
[4] 1 Timothy 3:4-5
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
[5] Malachi 4:6
“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
[6] Luke 11:11
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
[7] Malachi 2:15
Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
[8] Titus 3:8
The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
[9] Deuteronomy 10:12-15
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.”
[10] Deuteronomy 28:12-13
The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them..
[11] Leviticus 18:21
You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
[12] Psalms 44:9-14
But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
[13] Psalms 106:34-39
They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.
[14] Ezekiel 23:37-39
For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.
[15] 2 Kings 23:10
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech.
[16] Jeremiah 32:35
They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
[17] Exodus 20:1-5
And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me…”
[18] Numbers 33:52
..then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places.
[19] Hebrews 4:13
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
[20] Romans 14:4
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
[21] Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
[22] 2 Samuel 12:23
“But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.”
The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them..
You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.
For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech.
They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me…”
..then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places.
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
“But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Three words probably best describe the subject of abortion – confusion, controversy and emotion. Whenever two people raise the issue of abortion in conversation, it seems to quickly lead to disputing and often heated argument. It is strange that it should be like this, but the reality that it is so, gives us a key to its importance. The level and intensity of debate on any issue should be an alert signal as to the degree of its spiritual significance. You can guarantee that Satan will not waste his time causing arguments over anything that doesn’t really matter!
It is estimated that some 40 million babies have been aborted world wide every year since 1980. As of the end of 2014, this adds up to some 1.4 billion abortions. In April 2015, the world population was estimated to be about 7.3 billions so this means that almost 20% of the current world population died before birth. If every classroom of school children numbered 30, these figures would translate into over 3,600 classrooms of children disappearing daily, every day of every year for the past 35 years.
Now, let us step back into Scripture and consider God’s strategies for children. As we do so we will perhaps come to understand why this practice is so controversial and stirs so deeply.
God’s desire
- God has deep love and commitment towards children. He promises that they will be a blessing to their parents. Psalms 127:4-5[1]
- He wants to provide for them a stable family unit within which to live. Proverbs 20:7[2], Acts 10:1-2[3], 1 Timothy 3:4-5[4]
- He wants them to enjoy the spiritual protection of a Dad, someone to look up to and learn from. Malachi 4:6[5], Luke 11:11[6]
- He wants them to have the opportunity of growing up as Godly offspring, Malachi 2:15[7] and he wants them, in turn, to become profitable citizens. Titus 3:8[8]
Satan’s desire
Satan, on the other hand, has a very different program. Look at some of the things that happen in our society in relation to children. Witchcraft abuses the little ones, pornography exploits them, mothers determined to be career women treat children as nuisances and hindrances, parents who divorce cause them to become orphans, incest abuses the trust that authority figures should demonstrate, and abortion takes from them their God given right to enter life.
Witchcraft steals innocence, pornography kills integrity, careers steal love, divorce destroys value, incest destroys trust, and abortion kills life.
What hope do children have who suffer in these ways? To whom can they turn for help? Which authority can be trusted to heal the pain and confusion?
In the Bible, John 10:10NIV reads: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. How accurately that sums up the work of Satan!
Permit me to suggest why the issue of abortion stirs up such feelings and controversy:
The spiritual agenda
Abortion is the very first battle in the war that Satan seeks to endlessly engage God’s family in.
If Satan can win this one over a little child while it is still defenceless, he never again has to concern himself with any more battles. The war has been won. It is all over. Death has conquered.
It is not the complete story, though, to blame it all on Satan.
The human agenda
The fact of the matter is that he finds plenty of humans who are very willing partners to this battle.
The Bible demonstrated this human culpability through the nation of Israel. God chose Israel to be a model for the rest of the world. Deuteronomy 10:12-15[9], Deuteronomy 28:12-13[10]
Amongst the many directions he gave to them was one that specifically forbade them from sacrificing their children to Satan. Leviticus 18:21[11]
What happened?
They became, not a model to the world, but a mockery to the world, Psalms 44:9-14[12] and surprise, surprise, they sacrificed their children. Psalms 106:34-39[13], Ezekiel 23:37-39[14]
There is one particular demonic deity that became prominent in this horrible business – Molech. 2 Kings 23:10[15], Jeremiah 32:35[16]
Molech
This ‘god’, Molech, was built in such a way that it featured outstretched arms sloping backwards towards a fire in its belly. Guess what happened? Yes, a little infant was placed in this god’s arms, resulting in the child rolling back into the fire. Of course, the ritual was accompanied by lots of drums and chanting. It had to be. Something had to be done to cover the terrified screams as flesh burnt.
Did you know that Molech is still alive and well on planet earth?
Counselling experience thus far has shown that a demonic entity using the name of Molech gains indwelling status with virtually every lady having had an abortion. From the moment of abortion, there comes many side and after effects which steal, kill and destroy – not only the child, but the mother, medical staff involved, parents, brothers and/or sisters, future children and anyone who may have contributed to, or encouraged the abortion.
Some in medical science are belatedly realising the extent of damage being done, but the onward march of abortion seems relentless.
So what is so bad about abortion?
There are three strong Biblical principles that are transgressed through abortion.
- The first two of the Ten Commandments are directly broken. Exodus 20:1-5[17]
In the act of abortion, ‘gods’ and idols of career, personal health, convenience, finance, selfishness, happiness and many others, are set up. Personal ‘high places’ are established. God commanded Israel, and still commands us to pull down every such high place. Numbers 33:52[18] Many call it murder, but that is perhaps not the main focus. It is more, and different, than murder. Abortion is a direct ritualistic and occultic act of homage to a satanic deity. - Personal accountability is avoided. Hebrews 4:13[19]
The Bible is very clear. To his own master a man stands or falls. Romans 14:4[20] What abortion does, is to make someone else pay for our choices. There is a powerful verse found in Micah 6:7NIV: Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?Do you understand the question being asked in this verse? The act that conceived a baby began, not in the womb, or in the sex organs, but in the soul! Abortion causes a physical body to take the blame for an action of the soul. Here is the age old “It’s not my fault!” syndrome. Adam and Eve began it, and every one of us goes right along with it. Abortion seeks to evade responsibility.One of the hardest things we find to do is to take responsibility for our own actions. Do we really think that a God who is absolutely just and righteous will allow us to get away with the sin of causing an innocent party to pay for our actions? - We reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7[21]
There is a time frame where actions appear to escape discipline and judgement, but only for a while. Sooner or later God demands an accounting. It can be as long as ten years before a lady will suddenly start reaping what she has sown, but reap she will.Many, and severe, are the repercussions. Strong desires to commit suicide, nightmares, drug and alcohol addictions, nervous breakdowns, emotional and even physical barrenness, hostility towards others – especially children, rejection, depressions, and the list goes on. Abortion sows death, and it reaps death – with a vengeance!
What can be done? Is there any hope? Yes of course there is! God specialises in forgiving our sins. That’s why Jesus went to the cross! Our Father eternally loves us in Heaven and he longs for us to enter into the freedom for which Jesus died and rose again to achieve.
Healing
Five important stages need to be worked through for the healing of those of us who have been associated in some way with abortion.
- We must acknowledge our sin and take responsibility for it. Remember that it is not just the Mum who has to do this. A boyfriend, husband, parent, (anyone associated in fact), needs to come clean before God concerning guilt by association.
- We must forgive those who have been involved, including ourselves. Most abortions end up occurring through ignorance of the true facts and future repercussions. Ignorance is not innocence – true, nevertheless, forgiveness is possible and needs to be pronounced for healing to have a chance.
- We must grieve at the loss! Many times grief is bottled up inside through a wrong belief that abortion is OK. The spiritual and emotional pain is then capped, but like a volcano plugged by a huge boulder, the pressure continues to build inside until an eruption eventually and violently occurs. Remember that a death has happened. A real live little human being has died. We must grieve over events such as this.
- We should name the baby. While it cannot be stated categorically, Scripture seems to indicate that the baby is in Heaven with Jesus. 2 Samuel 12:23[22] Many ladies have testified that they have asked God to tell them the gender of the little one – and God has told them! Even through the trauma and pain of what has happened, it can be exciting to discover that an extra baby or brother or sister is waiting in Heaven for our arrival. (Incidentally, we can follow the same strategy for any miscarriages. Children lost by miscarriage are just as alive as those lost through abortion!)
- We should have a memorial service. Recall the events. Allow the tears to flow. Release the child to God’s care.
We must allow the passing of time to bring its own share of healing. Remember that our spirits will know the conception date, the abortion date and the supposed birth date. Each of these times during the year may bring unexplained depression and weeping. Take each opportunity to complete another stage of healing. God is so wonderfully compassionate. He is so wonderfully forgiving.
You CAN come into freedom. Come!
This paper seeks to accurately represent the teachings of Holy Scriptures. You are free to copy or alter all or any part of this paper PROVIDED that the Holy Scriptures are not misrepresented as a result.