DAILY DEVOTIONAL, JULY 14
"Memory before birth"
Got a good memory? Recent research conducted in the Netherlands and published in the medical journal Child Development reveals that babies can remember things quite well—even when they’re still in the womb! The sonogram-based study showed that at 30 weeks, babies in utero display short-term memory. By 34 weeks, they can store information and retrieve it up to a month later. As scientists continue to study the early stages of human life, one fact shines brightly: Babies in the womb are living, growing persons. That’s why abortion is a big deal.
In Exodus 20, when God gave Israel the words to help them follow His ways, He stated “you must not murder” (v.13). The wanton destruction of another human being is despised by God, for people are made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6). Persons, even the tiniest ones, are precious image-bearers of Him. The Hebrew word for murder used in verse 13 is found just 47 times in the Old Testament. Of the seven possible Hebrew words that mean “to kill,” it’s the one that speaks the strongest of premeditation and intentionality—words that describe the act of abortion. God allows for the taking of life in certain instances such as killing an animal for food (9:2-3), the execution of murderers by the government (Genesis 9:6), the death of a burglar attempting to rob your home (Exodus 22:2), accidental killings (Deuteronomy 19:5), and certain types of war (Joel 3:9-10). Abortion is not acceptable to God, however, for it involves the killing of innocents—babies who are individual persons created in His image.
By God’s grace, those who have been involved in abortions can find forgiveness in Jesus. But today, regardless of the past, each of us should remember that even babies in the womb display memory. They are persons— made in the image of God. —Tom Felten
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