Is God concerned about the child before he is born?

"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect: and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee" (Psalm 139).

Manoah, Samson's father.

An angel of God came to Manoah's wife, who had been barren, and announced to her that she would be the mother of a son who would "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" (Judges 13:5). When the wife reported this to Manoah, it says, "Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born." His prayer was answered; the angel returned and he asked the angel, "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" (Judges 13:12). The angel then gave special instructions for that child.

Hannah, Samuel's mother.

She was one of the two wives of a man by the name of Elkanah and was barren while the other wife had children. At the house of the Lord, "She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore ... and she vowed a vow and said unto the Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed...." She promised to give him back to the Lord all the days of his life if God would give her a son. She kept her vow and Samuel was a great prophet in Israel during the time of the Judges.

Jeremiah.

When God called Jeremiah, as a young man, to be a prophet to rebellious Israel, He said to him, "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" (Jeremiah 1:5).

John the Baptist.

Before he was born, God sent a special message to his father Zecharias, saying "He shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine,, nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15). When he was born the Holy Spirit came upon his father and he prophesied many things about what he would do.

Parents today.

Just as it is important before the birth of a child for the mother not to smoke, not to take drugs, alcohol or medicines that could harm the unborn child, it is likewise best if the parents will prepare spiritually before the child is born as well as to continue a proper atmosphere in the home afterwards.

God's Instruction Regarding Children

1. Teach your children God's commandments; take them to church.

   "Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children" (Deuteronomy 4:10).

   "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).