Bible Question:

What happens to the souls of born babies who die unbaptized? What of those who are aborted? I know I can ask forgiveness for the error of my ways, and I have, but what is to happen to those who did not have a choice, the babies?

Bible Answer:

The answer to your question is found in the death of a baby born to King David and his wife Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11-12 states that King David had sinned two times. It all started one evening when King David was looking around from his flat roofed house.

Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. (NASB) 2 Samuel 11:2

David’s Two Sins

David responded to his passions. His first sin was committing adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife (2 Samuel 11). But things went wrong because Bathsheba conceived (2 Samuel 11:5). King David did not want his sin to be discovered. So he decided to have Uriah killed and then marry Bathsheba. His plan went well. He ordered the general to place Uriah at the battlefront of the war, and he was killed in the war (2 Samuel 11:10-17). Then King David married Bathsheba. He thought he was safe. But God knew! God sent Nathan, the prophet, to King David and confronted him with both of his sins. The penalty for sin was blood shed within the family, starting with the death of Bathsheba’s child. Here is God’s statement.

Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. (NASB) 2 Samuel 12:9-10

Baby’s Death

The baby was born sometime later and lived only seven days.

Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ “But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (NASB) 2 Samuel 12:18-23

After the child was dead, David’s servants were shocked that he stopped mourning. David explained that his mourning will not bring the baby back to life, but someday he would “go to him.”

Conclusion:

God makes it clear in 2 Samuel that babies who die at a young age will go to heaven. There is no comment about babies being baptized. It is important to know that baptism is not required for salvation. There is no comment in the Bible about anything being done to King David’s baby. Yet, King David would see the baby in heaven some day. The expectation of every mother and father who have had a still-born child, aborted child, or had a young baby die for any reason is that the baby will be in heaven. That is a great blessing for the aborted child.

Suggested Links:

Will we know each other in heaven?
Wide and Narrow Roads
I had an abortion a year ago. What can I do to be forgiven?