· Life related principles (continued).
o
Have compassion on your children as God your
Father does with you. Isaiah 66:13
speaks of God’s comfort for His people being like that of a mother for a
child. Paul made a similar argument in 1
Thess. 2:7. This is a universal principle that a mother has compassion on her
children.
o
Be one with your wife (for God’s sake, for your
children’s sake).
§
Mal. 2:15; 4:6: Marital oneness is tied to rearing
children in godliness. It is especially
addressed to husbands/fathers.
§
Psalm 128: This Psalm connects a happy marriage
with happy children.
·
Future related principles.
o
Yield your children to God. 1 Sam. 1:21-28: Hannah wanted a child in the
worst way. She was willing to present
the child to God from the start.
o
Seek God’s specific will for your children. Each child is different. God has a plan for each of them.
§
Gen. 49: Jacob blessed his sons, each
differently. These were prophecies
that came from his knowledge of the boys.
§
Judges 13:12: Samson’s parents asked God how to
raise him. We would probably say that
Samson didn’t always please his parents, but they did do what the LORD directed
them to do.
§
Matt. 19:14: Let the little children come to
me and do not hinder them. Parents
need to give children the opportunity to trust Christ.
o
Support your children’s spiritual growth steps. Judges 6:31: Gideon tore down the idol but at
night because he was afraid.
Nevertheless, his father didn’t criticize his cowardice but backed him
up against the townspeople.
o
Give appropriate guidance in the choice of a
life partner.
§
Gen. 24: I know we don’t usually do the thing
where parents choose a spouse for a child.
But the things Abraham and his chief servant had in mind for a spouse
for Isaac can be very instructive to a child today.
§
Gen. 28: Isaac gave Jacob general advice (get a
wife, not from the Canaanites but from your clan). In other words, we should have the
conversation.
o
Allow your children to grow in faith through
testing. In other words, don’t always
bail them out.
§ The
story of Esther illustrates this. She
faced a severe situation. Uncle Mordecai’s
advice did not bail her out but encouraged her in going through the tense
moments.
I hope you get the point. The OT is a valuable help to rearing children
to know and love Christ.
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