Children Belong to the Lord
- Michael E.B. Maher
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
2 Samuel 12:19-23 “When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore, David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." (20) So, David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. (21) Then his servants said to him, "What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food." (22) And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' (23) But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
David also understood that all children are born spiritually alive to God. He knew this when he prayed for his new born son that he might live. You will recall the account of Bathsheba falling pregnant with David’s child through his act of adultery. God judged his act by taking his child away from him through death (2 Samuel 12:13-14). As a result of God’s judgement pronounced through the prophet Nathan, David then fasted and interceded to the Lord that He would spare his son’s life. In the above quoted passage of scripture we see that when God did not answer David’s prayer and his son died, David did not mourn. The reason for that is because David knew that he would see his son again, for he said that he would go to be with his son when he also fell asleep. Obviously, David is in heaven right now rejoicing in the presence of God. And David’s son, who died as a new born infant, is also in heaven rejoicing alongside his father.
Numbers 16:23-34 “So the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (24) "Speak to the congregation, saying, 'Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.' “(25) Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. (26) And he spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins." (27) So, they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children. (28) And Moses said: "By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. (29) If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. (30) But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord." (31) Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, (32) and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. (33) So, they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. (34) Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up also!”
We will close this section with the only account in scripture of God sending people alive into hell. That account is recorded for us in the above quoted passage of scripture. I want you to notice in this account that the little children were with their parents at the time. And so from this account it seems as if the Lord sent the little children to hell along with their parents. If that did indeed happen then it would contradict what the bible teaches on this subject, i.e. children who die go to heaven.
Numbers 26:9-11 “The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord; (10) and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign. (11) Nevertheless, the children of Korah did not die.”
The above quoted account in scripture gives us more insight as to what happened on the day that God sent people alive into hell, for in this passage we see that the children of these men did not die with their parents. The reason the children of Korah did not die with their parents is because in this instance, their parents were sent directly to hell and God will not send children to hell, for all children are His. In many other instances in the Old Testament when the parents were judged by the Lord and were killed, we see the children being killed as well. The children dwelling in Sodom and Gomorrah are just such an example. The reason that our Lord allows that to happen, is because He knows that when little children are absent from their bodies that they are present with Him in heaven, which is far better. As an aside, because children are spiritually alive they have always gone straight to heaven when they died. Even under the old covenant this was the case. Whereas their believing parents that died, had to go to Abraham’s bosom because they were still spiritually dead. And they only ascended into heaven when Jesus took them there, after His resurrection and they were born-again (Ephesians 4:8).
Michael E.B. Maher
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