God’s Many Children

Multiple births of humans are fairly common with two or three babies at a time, known as twins and triplets. Siblings of multiple births result either from a single egg (monozygotic) that splits into two or more embryos and are identical. Siblings from multiple eggs (dizygotic) are referred to as fraternal. Polyzygotic multiples represent a combination of identical and fraternal siblings. One way for a family to grow rapidly is through multiple births. Imagine mom coming home from the hospital with three babies instead of one!

Multiple births of as many as eight babies have been born alive, the first set on record to the Chukwu family in Texas in 1998; one died and seven survived. In 2009, a second set, the Suleman octuplets, was born in Bellflower, California. To date, all eight have survived. There have been a few sets of nonuplets (nine) in which a few babies were born alive, though none lived longer than a few days. Twins are the most common type of multiple births and happen in one out of 80 pregnancies. Triplets happen about every 8,000 births.

The book of 1 Chronicles begins with a genealogy of Adam’s family down through many generations. In this family tree the most popular set of twins in Scripture is identified, Esau and Jacob. The list culminates with the most important figure, Jacob, who is considered the most prominent patriarch. Why? The 12 tribes of Israel were established from his children. Chronicles relates the history of Israel from its ancestral roots, showing how God has a plan for His children.

Whether you were born as a singleton (single birth) or a quintuplet (five births), you are a precious child of God and are part of a royal lineage that will live forever. As you read through the family tree lists in Scripture, remember that you are part of a very large family!

Key Bible Texts

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1 KJV)