FERTILITY THROUGH EGG DONATION – A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
Sakkie Parsons
Someone wrote the following to me:
“I would just like your view on something: I am considering donating some of my eggs to a couple who are unable to have children. They will retrieve about 10 eggs from me to implant into the ‘recipient’. My husband and I have discussed it, and he is not entirely in favor of the idea.”
I’d like to share my view on this matter with you as well.
To begin with, as far as I know, there is nothing directly in the Word that speaks to this specific matter. However, I have the wonderful grace of the Holy Spirit to guide me.
Alright, let’s take a closer look:
When a woman becomes pregnant—or does not become pregnant—it is our Lord who is at work. We have clear evidence of this in the Word. I will give just a few examples:
Genesis 20:17
So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they gave birth to children;
Genesis 20:18
for the Lord had securely closed the wombs of all the women in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Genesis 29:31
Now when the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb [to bear children], but Rachel was barren.
Genesis 30:22
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb [so that she would conceive].
1 Samuel 1:5
But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children.
Isaiah 44:24
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb,
“I am the Lord, Maker of all things,
Who alone stretches out the heavens,
Who spreads out the earth by Myself,”
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument],
And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own];
I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Someone might now say:
“If the eggs are fertilized, then surely it is God’s will.”
That may be true, but we also have many examples in the Word—and at least I have such examples in my own life—where we go outside of God’s will, and because we are disobedient, the Lord allows us to suffer the consequences.
You wrote:
“They will retrieve about 10 eggs from me to implant into the recipient.”
But what happens if all 10 eggs are fertilized?
I don’t have all the knowledge about these things, but I do know that when the so-called in vitro method is used in a lab, the surplus embryos—what I would call surplus babies—are often destroyed, which, as I see it, amounts to murder.
Sometimes the embryos/babies are frozen, possibly for later use, and if not used, they are destroyed—or murdered, in my view.
My conclusion:
To me, the risk of all the possible complications, and what I see as being involved in murder, is far too great to even consider such a thing. But why would I even consider it, if there is another wonderful solution—one we find beautiful examples of in the Word?
If someone were to ask me what I would do if my wife and I couldn’t have children, I would, without hesitation, say:
“If my wife and I had tried everything—just the two of us with the Lord and with medical help—and still she didn’t fall pregnant, we would definitely try to adopt a child.”
There are wonderful examples in the Word where the Lord used adoption of children for His glory.
I think of Moses, who was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and later became the deliverer of Israel from Egypt.
Then there’s Esther, who was adopted by her uncle Mordecai, and became the savior of her people, Israel, from annihilation.
And then—praise the Name of the Lord!—there was Joseph, who adopted Jesus as his Son.
Jesus, who then walked the road to Golgotha.
Jesus, of whom the Word says:
John 3:16
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
As I sit here and write, I cannot think of anything better or more noble that a childless couple could do—if they truly want a child—than to adopt a little one, part of God’s highest creation, and raise that child to His glory.
There are also many cases where, after a couple adopts a child, the woman unexpectedly falls pregnant as well.
In conclusion:
Do you remember what Jesus says about a child—even an orphaned or adopted child?
Matthew 18:2–6
2 He called a little child and set him before them,
3 and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking], and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 Whoever receives and welcomes one child like this in My name receives Me;
6 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
I don’t know why some married couples don’t become pregnant.
Just as I also don’t know why I am blind—but when I look at these things, at myself, and at everything around me, I rejoice with my great hero, Paul:
Romans 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways!
Because I, His child, whom He has adopted:
Romans 8:15
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, “Abba! Father!”
I, His child, know:
Romans 8:28
And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.
Yes!
How wonderful it is to know!
Ephesians 1:5
He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will—
Ephesians 1:6
to the praise of His glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].
Greetings,
Sakkie