by Steve Hale
"Then Herod...put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then it was. fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more'" ( Matthew 2:16-18, NKJV).
It has been 24 years since the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that struck down state laws restricting abortion. In those 24 years, SOIne 40,600,000 children have been aborted. As Israel, represented by Rachel, mourned for the loss of multitudes of children in the days surrounding the birth of Jesus, so it is today in America.
Consider the birth of the Savior Himself. The word for baby is the Greek word brephos. Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptizer, was visited by Mary. The Bible says the baby (brephos) leaped in her womb ( Luke 1:41).
The Bible uses the same word (brephos) to describe the Christ child our:side the womb ( Luke 2:12).
Biblically, if baby Jesus is a" valid human being outside the womb, John was while inside Elizabeth's womb. If baby John was not viable inside Elizabeth's womb, neither was Christ outside of Mary's womb.
Obviously, the Bible is teaching neither was a mere "fetus," but a child, a full member of the human community. The destruction of either would have been murder ( Matthew 2:13-20). The term "fetus" comes from a Latin word, which simply means "little one."
"If men strive; and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit (child) depart from her (born pre-maturely) and yet no mischief follow: (child does not die and is not injured) 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 (injury or death of the child) then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe ( Exodus 21:22-25).
If this child (in the womb) dies, the man that killed the child is to die! This hardly seems justice if this child is a mere blob or "fetus."
In fact, any injury given the child is to be retributed on the criminal! God says that injuring an innocent baby in the womb is a criminal, sinful act before. Him! Speak out! Stand-up! Rachel is still weeping!