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The death of any human being is an emotive issue; more so that of a baby.

The seeming randomness of suffering in this life is spoken of by Solomon.

Ecclesiastes 8:14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

This is how it is – the innocent are not assured of a long life and peaceful death and the wicked are not subjected to an early painful death.

It is possible for us to come to terms with the situation and not condemn God for it.
David went through the trauma of losing a newborn child without it shaking his faith in God.

The loss was particularly grievous for David because his sin was the cause of the child’s death and he knew it.

2Samuel12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? 19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. 21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

The child died in this particular instance because of the sin of his parents.

I am not suggesting that all babies die specifically because of their parents’ sin but it brings me to the point which is crucial to the situation in which we find ourselves.

WHY DO ALL OF US DIE?

The answer the Bible gives is that we all die because of the sin of our first parents. The disobedience of Adam and Eve brought the sentence of death on both themselves and their posterity. Adam and Eve had freewill and just one commandment to keep.

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

They disobeyed and we suffer the consequences.

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

From birth we are under a sentence of death. We have no right to either quality or length of life. As children we die because Adam sinned and we bear his nature. As adults we die because of our own sin.

Ecclesiastes 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

When children are killed by men it illustrates the problem within our nature. The men who kill them were themselves innocent children once. As they grow the evil in our nature gets the better of them and they deem it justifiable to kill other men’s children.

The Bible was written to show us how God intends to rectify the situation. It takes no more than the first three chapters of the first book to tell us why we are in the situation we find ourselves.

The rest of the first book and the following 65 books are written to explain the character of the God we have been created by, how he deals with men and what his intentions are in the long term.

The Bible cannot help a baby who dies but it might help those like yourself who query the cause of it, to examine the situation from God’s point of view and not to reject him out of hand. In the end it is only God who will be able to do the seemingly impossible.

Acts 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

God allowed his only begotten son to die a cruel death in order to break the cycle of sin and death.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

God has promised to send Jesus Christ back to the earth to put the situation right. During his reign children will no longer be killed or die young.

Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

At the end of his reign there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Paul tells us what is going to happen.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

This will be the fulfilment of God’s declared purpose.

Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

We experience the distress at the present time of children dying daily but we can take some comfort from the knowledge that God will not allow it to continue indefinitely. We are fast approaching the time of the restitution of all things prophesied in Scripture.

Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

I hope you have found this helpful.

God bless!
Glenn,
thisisyourbible.com