Male impotence and female barrenness have been a family problem for thousands of years. There are numerous examples of this condition in Bible times where husbands and wives were unable to conceive and bear children. In those days this was usually blamed on the wife, who was stigmatized as having displeased God in some way. Infertility was regarded as a curse from God. This was made especially apparent in the days when polygamy was in vogue; one wife bore children and another wife didn't.
We think immediately of the case of Hannah who was unable to have children by her husband Elkanah, although he and his other wife, Peninnah, had children (1 Sam. 1:2). Hannah was miserable because "the Lord had kept her from having children" (1 Sam. 1:4). This may have been true or it may have been what she thought. Nevertheless, later on Hannah prayed for a child, and the Lord blessed her and Elkanah with a son, Samuel (1 Sam. 1:19). It seems that in this case God did intervene and somehow caused Hannah to be fertile. Jacob and Rachel had a similar experience (Gen. 30:22).
Another outstanding Bible example of infertility is found in our opening text. God had promised Abraham a son who would carry on the patriarchal succession. God delayed fulfilling that promise for many years. In fact, when Abraham reached the ripe old age of eighty-six and Sarah was barren, he began to doubt God's promise. So he (with Sarah's support) went to bed with the servant maid, Hagar, and she became pregnant with Ishmael (Gen. 16:3,4). This was a pretty good trick for an eighty-six year old. However, fourteen years later at the age of one hundred his ability had diminished to the point of impotency (Rom 4:19). Abraham laughed when told he would have a son (Gen. 17:17), but when Isaac was born, God had the last laugh.
Today, male impotence is a growing marital problem, and much research is being done to determine the cause and cure. The problem is a complex one for it involves psychological, physical, and emotional factors. Even with our advanced knowledge of human reproduction, there has been little success; hormone therapy, herbal remedies, even erectile prostheses have had limited results. One modern treatment widely prescribed and advertised is a drug called Viagra. This drug has been successful in helping many men with the problem of impotency. From the experiences of Abraham and Sarah, Elkanah and Hannah, Jacob and Rachel, could we conclude that God has a mysterious formula for curing impotency and "opening wombs" which might be called, Divine Viagra?
