Exodus 21:22-25 (ESV)

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”

The ESV translates this literally here. The Hebrew says, word for word, “so that her children come out.” It even uses the normal word for child (“yellid”). This is one of the strongest pro-life passages in the Bible, but some argue that it allows for the miscarriage of the child without penalty. In addition to butchering the Hebrew, that interpretation makes no sense in context.

Obviously, this passage gives weight to the woman’s pregnancy; the presence of the unborn yellid changes the rules. Even if there is no harm, payment must be made. Yet, some people interpret this passage so as to treat the loss of this child as a non-event. They want to apply the words, “there is no harm” and, “if there is harm” to the mother only. Suddenly, the children – who are obviously important in the rest of the passage – don’t matter.

That shift in meaning, right in the midst of the opposite perspective, is absurd. It’s an impossible stretch – a desperate attempt to defend the indefensible. It would be amusing if it weren’t for the dreadful practice it’s attempting to defend.

This passage treats children in utero as not just as valuable as other children, but more valuable. They’re more vulnerable – so this makes sense. God gets to make this call and He has made his preferences clear.

The issue of abortion has divided our nation for decades and shows no signs of being resolved. Why haven’t we achieved great things?

Maybe we have. Can you imagine anything more improbable than converting the original litigant of Roe v. Wade (Norma McCorvey AKA Jane Roe)? Yet that actually happened. Shouldn’t that give pause to anyone who’s skeptical about miracles? Shouldn’t that make folks wonder if supernatural things might be involved? Shouldn’t that have been the tipping point for the whole abortion thing?

No. As awesome as Norma’s conversion was, it didn’t make any difference in the grand scheme of things.

Or maybe it did. Maybe “the grand scheme of things” is something else. Maybe I don’t understand.

Of course I don’t. Finite minds can’t comprehend God’s priorities. Besides, the Bible is clear on this.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
        so are my ways higher than your ways. – Isaiah 55:9a (ESV)

There must be something else, something we cannot see, something totally other.

That something else must be more important than anything we can imagine.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies