Contradiction with Genesis 6:5-7
These verses describe how God regretted creating humanity because of their wickedness, which contradicts the notion of children as a positive reward from God as described in Psalms 127:3.
Genesis 6:5-7: And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. [every...: or, the whole imagination: the Hebrew word signifieth not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires] [continually: Heb. every day]
Contradiction with 1 Samuel 2:25
This verse speaks of God’s willingness to kill Eli's sons due to their sin, suggesting a more complex relationship between God and children than viewing them solely as a reward.
1 Samuel 2:25: If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
Contradiction with Ecclesiastes 4:3
This verse suggests those not born are better off than the living or the dead, which contrasts with children being depicted as a blessing or reward.
Ecclesiastes 4:3: Yea, better [is he] than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
Contradiction with Jeremiah 18:21
Here, the prophet calls for children to face dire consequences because of their parents' sins, indicating children may not always be seen as purely a positive reward.
Jeremiah 18:21: Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their [blood] by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and [be] widows; and let their men be put to death; [let] their young men [be] slain by the sword in battle. [pour...: Heb. pour them out]
Contradiction with Hosea 9:11-14
God declares that Ephraim's children will be bereft or miscarried due to divine judgment, alluding to negative outcomes rather than children being a reward.
Hosea 9:11-14: [As for] Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
Contradiction with Lamentations 2:20
The verse depicts a situation where mothers consume their children during a siege, highlighting the extreme distress in which children are not considered a blessing.
Lamentations 2:20: Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, [and] children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? [of a span...: or, swaddled with their hands?]
Contradiction with Ezekiel 16:20-21
These verses chastise people for sacrificing their children to idols, showing scenarios where children are not treated as cherished gifts.
Ezekiel 16:20-21: Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. [Is this] of thy whoredoms a small matter, [to be...: Heb. to devour]
Contradiction with Job 3:3-4
Job curses his birth, expressing despair over being born, which contradicts the idea of being a reward.
Job 3:3-4: Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night [in which] it was said, There is a man child conceived.
Paradox #1
The moral conflict could arise in the interpretation of children as purely a blessing. For those experiencing difficulty in parenting, such as financial stress or personal hardship, this perspective might seem inconsistent with their reality. They might perceive the verse as disregarding the complex challenges of raising children.