Can a man get pregnant? Yes, that’s exactly what this Biblical text asks. I’ve read that before a number of times but it hit more forcefully considering in the last year that has become a social issue—people believing and defending that men can get pregnant. But before people run to this verse and proof text it out of context for social wokenesss, let’s look at this chapter.
The Lord had exiled the people in Babylon and he is now promising them that he in the right time will rescue them and return them to Israel. But the suffering before they leave will get bad. Really bad. That’s when he uses the descriptor of how bad.
“‘Cries of fear are heard—
terror, not peace.
6 Ask and see:
Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,
every face turned deathly pale?
7 How awful that day will be!
No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it
Of course in context he is implying that it is impossible for a man to get pregnant. But the horror and terror of that day will be so bad that men will hold their stomachs like they were a pregnant woman.
But on that day God will break off their yoke and deliver them from Babylon. They would never again be enslaved it says. Instead he will raise up David as their king (not actually David but a Son of David) and they will serve the Lord their God.
The Lord says their injury is incurable. Not only that but all their lovers have abandon them. But God has not abandon them. And is going to cure the incurable.
But he had to discipline them “because of your enormous guilt and your innumerable sins” (v. 15).
They were also to know that God was going to bring judgment on those who had enslaved them. He would send into exile all of their adversaries, all of them (v. 16).
This while Jacob would be restored. The people would come back to the land and prosper yet again. The Lord would bless them.
But on the wickedness of their enemies, he would bring terrible judgment against them.
So in essence this chapter is a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that the Lord would restore and heal them. Not only that but he would bring punishment against those who enslaved and devoured Israel.
But at the same time things would get really bad before they were delivered. So bad men would walk around holding their stomachs and groaning in agony.
We can know this from this chapter:
- We may enjoy sin for a time but at some point there are consequences. And it isn’t pleasant. he judges nations. Not in the way of salvation but in the ways of judgment that comes upon them.
- The Lord says that he will be sending David again to be their king and they will never be enslaved again. Of course David had lived and died but we know from Matthew 1 and the emphasis on David that this meant Jesus. He was going to do a deliverance for them from the worst enslavement—their sins.
- Their is judgment for wickedness and the enemies of God. There is grace for them for a time, but there will eventually be judgment.
- God’s discipline is for our restoration. It isn’t to destroy us. But rather to wake us up to our sins. Just as a parent must discipline their children, so God must discipline whole nations.
- What kind of people have we become that instead of pregnant men being a shocking example like here, people actually have come to believe this? So much so that I was going to put “Can men get pregnant?” as the title but certainly someone would claim it and say, ‘ha! it’s in the Bible!’ and use it out of context. But with such craziness, will God not have a say in this?
