Perspective

   By L. Jim Tuck

February 2, 2023

“Where have all the children gone?”

Greetings from Phoenix,

            What has happened to the America we once knew when family was center-stage and marriage was an honored institution? Will there come a time when children will be so few, we will no longer hear the laughter and giggles of little ones playing?

            God told ancient Israel what would happen if they kept His laws: “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely… ‘For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.” (Leviticus 26:3-5, 9)

            In Deuteronomy 28:4, God restated what was said in Leviticus: “Blessed shall be the fruit (offspring) of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.”

            We could hardly say modern Israel obeys God’s laws today when there are so many who claim to be Christians still supporting the extermination of the “fruit of the womb” by abortion. God warned Israel, if you don’t obey, “Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.” (Deuteronomy 28:18)

              An article on the Business Insider website posted February 1, 2023 titled, “China's Shrinking Population Is a Grim Omen for the Rest of the World” states, “The United Nations has estimated that if China's birth rate remains at its super-low level and the country fails to position itself as an attractive destination for migrants, the country will lose nearly half of its population by the end of this century, a contraction of roughly 700 million people.”

            The article goes on to say, “It's also an omen for the US and Europe: If they don't turn around their shrinking birth rates, they face the same economic fate as China. …”

            The US birth rate fell by four percent in 2020, the sharpest decline in nearly 50 years, according to CDC data. It intensified a pre-pandemic trend of decreasing birth rates and fertility rates as women delayed childbearing until a later age. The Wall Street Journal reported the US population could decrease for the first time on record. In the year that ended on July 1, 2021, the U.S. population increased by just 0.35 percent.  COVID deaths, immigration restrictions, and a baby bust have sparked economic concerns.

            Forbes magazine, in a cover story titled, “Abortion By The Numbers”, reported on statistics from May 7, 2019. Estimates vary for how many people get the procedure each year, with 630,000 on the low end to around 886,000 based on other models.” 

            Based on these figures the United States has lost 30 to 45 million potential citizens of the United States by abortions alone, not taking into account the generational compounding effect of each person.

            Add to that the declining birth rate caused by the impact of the modern woman putting off having children or choosing not to bear children, plus the fact that male sperm counts have fallen by 62 percent in under fifty years around the world, it is no wonder populations are set to diminish dramatically before the end of the century.

            Statisticians try to explain why they are falling; it can be chalked up to cultural changes. However, it has to do with wrong thinking which has become the norm.

            God said if Israel chose not to obey His laws, “Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.”

            We are seeing supply chain shortages, and we will likely see things growing worse in the coming months. We have lived in a time of plenty when our store houses were full. Unless people of modern Israel repent and turn around, the time of affluence will be over. God has so greatly blessed the birthright nations of the patriarch Joseph. It is good to be reminded that Jesus said, “to whom much is given, much is required.”

            In the near future we may be asking, “Where has the food gone?” Much more importantly, we may be asking, “Where have all the children gone?”

            We can be encouraged that when Jesus Christ rules the earth in the future kingdom of God, our Lord will usher in a time of plenty for all, and the family will take center-stage once again. Zechariah wrote of this joyous time: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’” (Zechariah 8:4-5)

         

            Have a peaceful Sabbath and a fun weekend.