“Termination????”
Jarrod M. Jacobs
ecently, my
oldest son and his wife got to see an ultrasound of their baby. They have been
able to hear the heartbeat a few times as well. Their experiences reminded me
of what happened when my wife and I heard our oldest son’s heartbeat for the
first time in 1997. The events surrounding that time resulted in this article
below. Though the article is based on something that happened 27 years ago, I
think the lessons apply yet today.
I remember when my wife and I went
to the doctor’s office to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. What an
exciting time that was! After we listened to our firstborn’s heartbeat, the
doctor discussed with us how strong our baby’s heart was. She then began
talking about our next visit. She said that during that visit, it would be
possible to take a test and determine what if any, birth defects or tendencies
were prevalent in our baby. Understand, she said the test was not 100%
accurate, but could provide some indicators for birth defects. She said that if
we wanted, we could also discuss termination. What? “Termination”? This doctor
was talking about killing this baby whose heartbeat we had just heard a few
minutes earlier. Can you imagine such? My wife and I said that we were not
going to kill this baby. The doctor responded, “You won’t need that test,
then.” In other words, that test’s sole purpose was to “help” people decide to
kill their baby!
What a tragic reality that exists in
this world where, in one breath, folks discuss how exciting it is to hear an
unborn child’s heartbeat, and in the next breath, there is a discussion about
stopping the heart we just heard beating. It hurts to think about it now.
I have often wondered how many young
couples entered that doctor’s office as we did, but after hearing their baby’s
heartbeat, decided that if they found the tendency for problems, they
would go ahead and dispose of the human life they had made.
Please understand I didn’t have to
hear my unborn child’s heartbeat to make my decision. I just can’t understand
how after hearing that strong, sound, steady heartbeat, people could
say, “Kill It.” Yet, it happens.
Though some believe that the Bible
doesn’t address “modern topics” like abortion, whether or not an unborn baby is
a human life, etc. I assure you that it does (II Pet. 1:3)! To help us
appreciate what the mother is carrying during pregnancy, let us consider the
following ….
When Abraham’s son Isaac and his
wife Rebekah could not conceive a child, they went to the Lord. “And Isaac
entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren …And the children struggled together within her;
and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.
And the LORD said unto her, Two nations
are in thy womb, and two manner of
people shall be separated from thy bowels (body, NKJV, NASB) …”
(Gen. 25:21-24). Notice the terms used. Though unborn, the Bible speaks of
“children” being in Rebekah’s womb. They were not “unviable tissue mass”! They
were not merely an extension of Rebekah’s body! These were living humans conceived
by Isaac and Rebekah! Not only this, but God saw a future day where her
children would give rise to two nations of people! Yes, these two unborn babies
were living human beings while inside their mother. The book of Romans 9:9-11
also speaks of these twins as “children” when they were yet unborn.
In the days of Exodus, God said, “If men strive, and hurt a woman with child,
so that her fruit depart from her,
and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s
husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt
give life for life” (Ex. 21:22-23). God describes a scene where two men
are fighting, and somehow a pregnant wife gets hurt in the fight. If “her fruit depart,” i.e., if she
miscarries and gives birth prematurely, the man at fault for bringing about the
miscarriage would be punished. However, if she miscarries and “any mischief follow,” i.e., if the baby
dies as a result, then there is to be exacted “life for life” for the incident. How can this be if what is within
the mother is merely a “mass” or “growth”? The book of Exodus declares that God
considers that baby’s death a capital offense! If God considered what was in
the woman as “unviable tissue mass,” a “growth,” some “appendage,” something
“non-human,” then how can He then justify the death of another? In truth, God
considers unborn babies as sentient life, human life, worthy of respect,
dignity, and protection. So should we!
King David was inspired to write: “I
will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”
(Ps. 139:14-16, NASB). David also says God sees the “unformed substance,” and
nothing was hidden from God. In other words, God knows us from the very
beginning. This is similar to what we read in Jeremiah. “Then the word of the LORD
came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and
before thou camest forth out of
the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”
(Jer. 1:4-5).
When Mary, the mother of Christ,
visited her cousin Elizabeth in Luke 1. “The babe leaped in her womb, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy
Ghost: …. as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy”
(Luke 1:39-44).
Notice the term “babe” used in this text. Luke, “the
beloved physician” (Col. 4:14), called what was in Elizabeth’s womb a “babe.” Being a doctor, Luke would have
been familiar with medical terminology, and he called what Elizabeth was
carrying a “babe”! It is no accident
that the term used for describing an unborn child was the exact term he used
when describing a child that had been born (Lk. 2:12, 16)! By inspiration (II
Tim. 3:16-17), we see that God considers a baby as a human life, whether unborn
or born!
Abortion is the unlawful taking of
another human life! These short readings should be enough to convince the
honest and good heart that a pregnant mother is carrying human life inside of
her. In conclusion, let us ask a few questions.
1.
Seeing
that God inspired the Bible’s writers to write what they did (II Pet. 1:20-21),
doesn’t it make sense that God is showing us that babies are living, human
children, though they are not yet born?
2.
Isn’t
it interesting that Dr. Luke (Col. 4:14) chose “babe” to describe the unborn John
the Baptist? He used the same term when speaking of born or unborn children.
3.
Before
ultrasound, God knew Jeremiah and had set him apart for a special work in the
kingdom (Jer. 1:4-5). What if God has such plans for some yet unborn, but the
parents “opted” for “termination”?
4.
What
if Rebekah had decided to “end the pregnancy” and not carry those whom God
promised would give rise to two nations?
5.
What
if Eve and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were pro-abortion?
God said that He considers“hands that shed innocent blood” an “abomination” (Prov. 6:16-19). Can we
think of anyone who is more innocent than the unborn? I do not want to be
involved in something that God hates! Do you? At the same time, if you have
been involved in something the Lord hates, please know there is hope for you.
Just as those who killed the Innocent One, Jesus Christ could receive the
remission of sins, so can you (Acts 2:36-38). Please know you can turn to the
Lord, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, repenting of your sins,
confessing your faith, and being baptized (Jn. 8:24; Lk. 13:3; Rom. 10:10; I
Pet. 3:21; Acts 2:36-38; etc.). Regardless of the sin you have committed, it
can be forgiven. Make your life right with God before it is too late (II Cor.
6:2). Let us teach our children and grandchildren that abortion is murder. Let
us stop this murderous practice that plagues our country and the world!
