SERIES: “WOW! WHOSE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG DAUGHTER IS THAT? (PART 9) WHEN IS A CHILD BETTER THAN SEVEN SONS?
1. Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
2. Ruth 2:5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Whose Beautiful Young Daughter Is That?”
INTRO: Wow! Whose Young Daughter Is That? (Pt. 9) When Is A Child Better Than Seven Sons?
SERIES: An Intro (God Can Change Your Story); Love Is More Than Kissing; Getting Out Of Mara – Dealing With Bitterness; Father’s Day Message - Where Did Elimelech Go Wrong?, Behold A Woman Lay At His Feet; Characteristics Of A Good Spouse (What Do People Know About You?); Who Was Boaz This Eligible Bachelor?; I Will Not Marry Ruth & Endanger My Heritage – She Is Not My Type; Be The Kinsman Redeemer In Your Family – Deal With The Family Curses; Here Comes The Bride; The Benefits Of Godly Advice; When Is A Child Better Than Seven Sons?; The Dating Game; When The Honeymoon Is Over - How Satan Attacks Christian Marriages; What Do You Do When You Realize You’ve Married The Wrong Person; The In-Laws Factor; You Can Begin Again (About Divorce Or Death - Life Without A Spouse), etc.
SOME COMMON REASONS WHY PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN?
Natalie Denise Doud-Suleman (Octomom) is a single mother who, in 2009, already had 6 children when she gave birth to octuplets. Nothing Wrong With Having Children, But Why:
1. To Have Someone To Love Me & Take Care Of Me When They Get Old. What if they don’t love you? Children are not insurance that matures and is ready to use when you are old. You better save money for retirement.
2. To Carry On My Family Name. Whose family name? The father or mother? What is it about the family name to carry on? Christ, Paul, never had children but their names go on. Do something remarkable, then maybe your name will live on.
3. Because I Love Babies. They are cute! If this is your reason, you have forgotten that babies will eventually turn to children and adults. Join a pediatric department, or apply for a job as a nanny or nursery teacher. You will not run out of babies.
4. It's Human Nature. Yeah right! Stopping at one or two is definitely not human nature. So if you view procreation as human nature, you should continue creating children till you no longer can.
5. Pregnancy & Childbirth Are Life Experiences. The world is full of wonderful things to experience. You might as well try a number of them. You just want to experience pregnancy and childbirth? Think about your unborn children and not about yourself.
6. To Let My Children (Who Don't Exist Yet) Experience The Joy Of Existence. Existence could be enjoyable, but it also could be something else. There is a big difference between existing and living. You let a child suffer because you want them to exist?
7. To Give Your Parents Grandchildren. What if your children don't like being with them? You bring a child to please someone? You cannot please everyone.
8. To Embody Our Love For Each Other. Humans are gifted with imagination. We can other things more helpful that embody our love for each other.
9. I Want Children Of My Own, With My Own Bloodline. By this reason, anyone who donates blood to another person should become family.
10. To Fit In With Others. Some people want children because others would somehow isolate or stigmatize them if they did have. They might seem “less than” women or men.
11. To Give Your Life Purpose Or Sense Of Importance. While it’s true that raising a child can give your life focus and purpose, it’s a lousy reason to have a child. You are the only person who can define what gives your life meaning. A child’s job isn’t to make your life look better.
12. To Keep Your Marriage Together (Or To Obligate Someone To Marry You In The First Place). Some people believe that a baby can heal a relationship already under stress. No.
13. To Show Off To Others. They want others to see that they too can achieve something.
WHY DO SOME HAVE MANY CHILDREN?
1. Your Wishes As A Couple. Having any child is a monumental decision, and if both partners aren’t sold on the same number, then tension and resentment can arise.
2. Your Wife’s Age & Health. Experts say the best age for a woman to bear children is between ages 20 and 35. Bearing children beyond that is possible but more difficult. Pregnancies do take their toll on a woman’s body - morning sickness, body aches, sleep problems, leg cramps, numb or tingling hands, indigestion, dizziness, and worse more. After giving birth, maybe stretch marks, varicose veins, hip soreness, a leaky bladder, postpartum depression, permanently wrinkled stomach skin, etc. Your wife is strong, but each birth packs a wallop. Think of her also.
3. Your Age & Health. Men are biologically able to produce offspring well into their senior years. But there are reduction in sperm counts. Babies fathered by older men also carry an increased risk of genetic disorders. Beyond the potential for complications, being a good dad simply requires both physical and emotional energy.
4. Your Finances. Having a baby isn’t cheap, but when your baby arrives, you can still make it maybe. But look beyond the years. Having each kid will cost you.
5. The Individual Attention Investment Question. If your family is bigger, then your time with each child is necessarily spread thinner. It’s a trade-off. Parents of larger families have less time and money to spend on each child individually.
WHY RUTH WAS BETTER THAN SEVEN SONS
The women of Bethlehem were saying to Naomi. Ruth 4:15 For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” Elkanah tells Hannah: 1 Samuel 1:8 “Am I not better to you than ten sons?” So What Does It Mean?
1. Israel Was A Patriarchal Society: Men headed households & made decisions for families.
2. To Have A Son Was Wonderful. Only in a patriarchal society could a man say to a childless woman: “Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
3. A Family With Seven Sons Was Considered The Ideal Family In Israel. A man with seven sons was a father whom God had richly blessed.
4. Sons Helped Their Father In His Old Age - brought him prestige in the community, and protected the family in times of danger.
5. The Name And The Life Of A Father Were Continued In The Life Of His Son. When a man had a son, his son was an assurance that his name would not be forgotten in Israel.
6. The Jewish Son Should Care For His Mother - when his father passed away.
7. He Was Her Security - and companion in old age.
8. This Commitment Of Woman To Woman Could Not Be Expressed Even By A Son. For this reason they told Naomi that Ruth was better to her than seven sons.
9. Ruth Gave Birth To A Dream - that which Naomi had longed for.
10. The Women Agreed - Ruth had done all that any son would have done and more.
11. Naomi Had No Sons But She Had Something More Valuable Than Seven Sons - she had a daughter-in-law who, through Obed, would revive Naomi’s life and bring seed from her
12. Ruth Bore Naomi A Grandson - the assurance that she would be taken care of in old age.
13. Ruth’s Trust In God Was A Seven Times Blessing – God is an Eternal Rock.
14. With God In Her Corner, Ruth felt she could do anything.
15. A Lot Of Things Changed For Naomi - but one thing remained unchanged – Ruth’s love.
16. Ruth Fought Every Battle With Love & Sacrifice. Her personal dreams are never revealed.
CONCLUSION: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU TO BE BETTER THAN 7 SONS TODAY?
If You Want To Be A Child Better Than Seven Sons, Look At The Following:
1. Put God First – all other things will be added.
2. Be A Kind Person – Generous. Ruth Was.
3. Be A Great Listener – Be Sensitive. Ruth Was.
4. Help People In Need When You Can – Have Compassion. Ruth Did.
5. Put Yourself In Other People’s Shoes - Empathize. Ruth Did.
6. Forgive People - Even When You’re Hurt.
7. Stand Up Against Bullies – In Whatever Form. Ruth Did.
8. Avoid Gossiping - Doing Mean Things To Others. Ruth Did Not.
9. Do Your Best At Whatever You Do – Work Hard. Ruth Did.
10. Focus On Learning - Instead Of Being Perfect. Ruth Did.
11. Take Time To Reflect On Mistakes – In Whatever Form. Ruth Did.
12. Do Not Compare Yourself To Others – Ruth Did Not. Your Parents Love You Any How.
13. Do Not Be Afraid Of Failure - You’ll Learn From New Experiences. Ruth Did.
14. Do Not Judge Other People - Based On Race, Sex, Religion, Opinion. Ruth Did Not.
15. Have Self-Control - It Keeps One From Making Hasty Or Impulsive Decisions. Ruth Did.
16. Be Courageous – Not Fighting Off Bullies, But Doing Things Above Your Ability. Ruth Was.
17. Have Social Skills – Get Along With Others. Ruth Did.
18. Be A Person Of Integrity / Be Honest – Being Honesty. Ruth Was.
19. Be Resourceful – Using Little To Do Much. Ruth Did.
20. Be Creative & Innovative - Imagination & Creativity Whenever. Ruth Did.
21. Be Humble - Accept Contribution Of Others In Your Achievement. Ruth Did.
22. Be Content – Be Satisfied With What You Have. Ruth Was.
23. Be Adaptable / Flexible - Often Rigidity Gets In The Way Of Progress. Ruth Was.
24. Have Self-Discipline & Impulse Control – Able To Halt Oneself When Needed. Ruth Did.
25. Be Optimistic & Positive - Optimism In The Face Of Difficult Obstacles. Ruth Was.
26. Be Grateful - Appreciation Every Little Thing Done For You By God Or Men. Ruth Was.
27. Be Proactive - Recognize & Do What Needs To Be Done Before-hand. Ruth Did.
28. Have Endurance - The Strength To Withstand Stress & Perform Under Pressure. Ruth Did.
29. Be Respectful – Learn To Treat Others Better. Ruth Was.
30. Be A Good Lead & Follower - To Be A Good Leader, Be A Good Follower. Ruth Was.
31. Be Peaceful - All It Takes To Stop Trouble Before It Starts. Ruth Did.
32. Be Patient - Making It Through Events Without Complaining. Ruth Did.
33. Be Faithful - Committing To Being Consistent Rather Than Unstable. Ruth Did.
34. Have Confidence & Self-Esteem – Knowing Who They Are. Ruth Did.
35. Be Independent – Learning To Do Things Alone At Times. Ruth Did.
36. Be Organized – Prioritizing The Way You Do Things. Ruth Did.
INTERCESSORY
1. Having Many Children Is Not The Issue, but be willing to individually invest in each as if he or she were the only one you had. Quality is better than quantity. Ruth was only one but she was better than seven sons.
2. And Children, Whether You Are One Or Many In The Family, make a difference by focusing on being the one that makes a difference.
Prayer: That You Will Be Better Than Seven Children Put Together – To Your Parents, The Society And Even Yourself.
