Boys Will Be Boys, but Boys Should Want To Be Men
December 4, 2009 at 12:28 pm | In Biblical Parenting | Leave a CommentTags: teenagers, Biblical manhood, David, meekness, Biblical Parenting, parenting in the Bible, Jesse, parents, Christian parenting, parenting principles, principles for training children, principles for parents, 1 Samuel 16, teens, teenagers in church, principles for parenting, teenagers in the Bible, prolonged adolescence, adolescence, adolescence in the Bible, teenaged boys, training Godly boys, Samuel, David's anointing, boys will be boys, training for manhood, God-given talents, valiant, mighty men, courage, prudence, childish behavior, physical attractiveness, texting, spinning hubcaps, laser tag, iPod, ill-fitting clothes, sagging pants
The Lord has commanded parents and church elders to train up boys and young men to be what the Lord wants them to be when they reach true manhood. God anointed David, the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, king of Israel when he was still in his teen years.
By looking at what kind of boy David was, we can get a good idea of what kind of young men we should be training boys to be.
Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.
I Samuel 16:18
The phrase “cunning in playing,” means that David had taken time to develop and hone the skills with which God had gifted him. We must encourage boys to commit themselves to practicing and exercising their God-given talents.
The phrase “a mighty valiant man” means that David was courageous in dangerous situations. We must not shelter our boys from situations where their courage will be tested.
The phrase “a man of war” refers to David’s willingness to stand and fight for what was right. We must impress upon our boys that there are things that are worth fighting for, and Christian men are to be meek, but never cowardly.
The phrase “prudent in matters,” means that David exercised wisdom. He did not behave foolishly or invite criticism by behaving childishly. He behaved appropriately for his age.
The phrase “a comely person,” refers largely to David’s physical appearance. He was thought to be handsome. We certainly can not train boys in their physical characteristics. God determines this through genetics and His Own providence. But we can certainly train boys to dress appropriately and groom themselves properly.
Conspicuously absent from the description of David in his teen years are any indications that he was involved in foolish vanities. David, if alive today, would not be involved in hanging out at the mall, or text messaging silly word-plays. He would not inappropriately play-wrestle with girls or young ladies. He would have little time for shuffling his iPod, playing laser tag, or shopping for spinning hubcaps. He would not over-pay for ripped-up, ill-fitting clothes, so he could slouch around with uncombed and unwashed hair, trying desperately to look “cool.”
A Snapshot of the Lord’s Adolescence
October 30, 2009 at 9:12 am | In Biblical Parenting | Leave a CommentTags: adolescence, adolescence in the Bible, Biblical child-rearing, Biblical Parenting, centrality of preaching, child-rearing in the Bible, childhood of Jesus, children in the Bible, Christian behavior, Christian parenting, church conferences, church youth groups, guitar hero, house of God, Jesus in the temple, Jesus's childhood, Luke 2, parenting principles, preaching, principles for parenting, principles for parents, principles for rearing children, principles for training children, prolonged adolescence, teenager, teenagers, teenagers in church, what the Bible says about children, XBox, youth groups, youth ministry
[Before beginning today's post, I would like to point you to a site with a good plan for helping you read through the Bible in a year: bible-daily.org. There are some excellent posts there, as well.]
“Dad, can we go play in the youth building?” Billy (aged 12) asked his father, during a break between speakers.
“I’m sorry, son,” said Billy’s father. “We’re here to strengthen our faith in the Lord, and to learn from God’s Word.”
“But, Dad, we’ve been here for hours. We’ve sung, we’ve prayed, we’ve heard preaching. I’m bored with this conference.”
“Well, let me ask you something,” Billy’s father said. “Are you a ‘Christian?’”
“Yes.”
“Who are Christians supposed to act like?”
Billy thought for a moment. “Christ… Jesus.”
“That’s right, son. Now, I want you to read Luke Chapter 2, and tell me what Jesus was interested in doing at age 12.”
Does this exchange between a father and son sound familiar to us today? It probably doesn’t, but it should. If we profess Christ, then His life must be our example for Christian living.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Luke 2:41-46
Jesus Christ, approaching what this world calls His “teen years,” was not interested in vain amusements, dabbling in youthful sin, or filthy entertainment. They did not have Guitar Hero for XBox in His day, but if they had, you can believe He wouldn’t have played it in the synagogue.
Our Lord’s affections were set on sitting in the house of God, among the elders of the church, listening to the Word of His Father.
The Unbiblical Concept of “Teenagers”
October 14, 2009 at 8:48 am | In Biblical Parenting | 2 CommentsTags: Biblical Parenting, children's church, Christian parenting, church games, church youth groups, games, parental responsiblities, parenting in the Bible, parenting principles, pizza parties, prolonged adolescence, rock concerts, teen years, teenage years, teenagers, teenagers in church, teenagers in the Bible, teens, the Gospel, Titus 2, youth ministry
The world has developed a wonderful category for young people – wonderful, that is, from the world’s point of view. This category is called: The Teenage Years. Teenagers – especially in America – are encouraged to play around with all the privileges of adulthood while being exempt from all but a very few of the responsibilities.
Since this is a worldly concept, we would expect to see something different in the Church, wouldn’t we? Here is how the Bible says that adults should minister to young people in church:
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Titus 2:2-6
The world says that teenaged children must be entertained or they will find church boring and irrelevant. God says that they are to be taught and exhorted from His Word, and that the power of the Gospel (not pizza parties, rock concerts, or games) will transform them. Children are not to be separated out of a church fellowship. They are to be kept among the aged men and women of the church, so that they can be prepared for mature Christian adulthood, not a worldly prolonged-adolescence.
Hijacked Hearts
September 29, 2009 at 9:14 am | In Biblical Parenting | Leave a CommentTags: Biblical Parenting, Christian parenting, Elijah, Hijackings, John the Baptist, Luke 1, make-out parties, Malachi, Malachi 4, Old Testament, ordained by God, parent-child relationships, parental responsibilites, parental responsiblities, parenting in the Bible, parenting principles, parents, pop culture, principles for parenting, principles for rearing children, principles for training children, rock concerts, Satan, shopping malls, teenagers, terrorism, vanity, what the Bible says about parents, worldly entertainment, Zacharias
It sounds like a crazy notion, but we might wonder if Satan has been reading his Bible. If he has seen Malachi Chapter 4, Verse 6, then he would know that God’s desire is to see the hearts of children turned toward, not away from, their parents. “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” And that would motivate the devil to work very hard to do just the opposite of what God wants. Does this explain the state of most of the parent-child relationships we see in the world today?
Malachi 4:6 is actually the very last verse in the entire Old Testament. Malachi is prophesying in part about the ministry of John the Baptist.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Malachi 4:5
John the Baptist was not Elijah reincarnated, but he did minister in the spirit of Elijah.
Between the end of Malachi and the beginning of the New Testament there is about 400 years of silence, as far as recorded Scripture. Then, in Luke 1:17, the angel of the Lord tells Zacharias, concerning John the Baptist: “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
The devil has turned the hearts of many of our children. He has turned them to drugs, immorality, worldly entertainment, popular culture, their own vanity, and even to their peers. Dads, moms: no modern-day John the Baptist is going to catch your children at the shopping mall, rock concert, or make-out party, and convince them to repent. However, we have One greater than John the Baptist. If we can get them to Jesus, He will turn their hearts to Himself, and back to us. It’s a great thing to pray for your kids. God can protect them in ways we can’t. However, he has ordained us, parents, in a very real, personal, and hands-on way, to take the steering wheel of their hearts, and guide them in the right direction.
Character and Integrity Part 5
September 25, 2009 at 5:03 pm | In character and integrity | Leave a CommentTags: Ammon, Ammonites, Babylonian captivity, Bible study on character and integrity, Bible study on Judges, Biblical gore, Biblical Parenting, Biblical vows, blood, blood in the Bible, Book of Judges, burnt offerings, Character, Character & Integrity, Daniel, deer, deer hunting, field dressing, Gilead, Godly character, gore, Hebrews 11, illegitimate children, integrity, Israelites, James 4, Jephthah, Jephthah's argument, Jephthah's daughter, Jeremiah 17, Judges, Judges 10, Judges 11, Levitical priests, Levitical sacrifices, Levitical system, Leviticus 1, Luke 16, no mistakes, Romans 12, the true God, vows, vows in the Bible
Last time, we looked at character and integrity in the life of Daniel. Daniel was not slothful in business. (Romans 12:11) When the Babylonians undertook to increase his education, he and his friends learned the lessons better than any of the others. Daniel knew that his flesh would want to follow the ways of those around him (Jeremiah 17:9), so he maintained his separated position. When Daniel was forced to disobey authority he tried to do it as graciously as possible, not being puffed up with pride. (James 4:10) Daniel was faithful to God in the test of whether he would eat the king’s defiled food, so God gave him a position of great authority. (Luke 16:10)
Lesson number 5 begins, not with Daniel, however, but with the strange subject of animal butchery. Personally, I have never skinned or gutted a deer, although I have seen it done. It is a gruesome sight. I think of it when I read about some of the requirements for preparing the Levitical sacrifices.
If this offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Leviticus 1:3-9
The offering was a burnt offering. It was prepared in a very hands-on way. The priest had to physically touch the animal himself. He had to kill it himself, not from far away, with a rifle, but right up close with his own hands. There would have been a great deal of blood since it was a “fresh kill” – spurting blood, blood everywhere, a “blood bath.” The priest flayed it open, and cut the guts out. Then, there was even more cutting – cutting through the skin, through the muscle, through the sacs around the organs, maybe through some bones, some tendons and ligaments, sawing, slick with blood, guts, bits of raw meat, and nerves. He would cut the head off, and slice the fat from the muscles. Then he would wash out the guts, and various parts and pieces, and take the legs, and burn them up. Frankly, it grosses me out to think about it, and you’re probably wondering what it has to do with character and integrity, but we’ll come back to it later.
For now, let’s skip over to the Book of Judges, which describes a very dark time in Israel’s history. God’s chosen people were rebelling against Him, worshiping false idols and false gods. Sadly, they believed, like many of the people around them (the Amalekites, the Philistines, the Amorites, the Ammonites) that God was just one of many gods. And it seemed like they were constantly under attack. The “Judges” were rulers or military leaders or deliverers. They were supposed to protect God’s people or rescue them or punish God’s enemies.
Judges Chapter 10 tells the account of Jephthah. He was the son of Gilead. Gilead was married, and had sons, but Jephthah was the result of a mistake he made with a prostitute. Therefore, Jephthah’s brothers really didn’t like him. When their father died they chased Jephthah away.
The Bible says that Jephthah left home and became a mighty man of valor. That is an encouragement to people today who believe that, because their parents did not intentionally conceive them, they are a “mistake.” Whatever your background, or the facts of your birth, you were never a “mistake” to God. Some people go through their whole childhood, and even much of their adult lives, believing that, if their parents had not made the “mistake” which brought them into this world, their lives would have been better and easier. Please remember that God was not surprised when you were born. He planned some great things for you before you were even conceived. Maybe your parents really let you down, but God will never let you down. We must live our lives in a such a way as to please HIM.
Jephthah had to learn how to take care of himself. In fact, he was so good at fighting and surviving that he attracted a group of followers, but Judges 11:3 calls them “vain men.” They were men without a purpose – outlaws, brigands, adventurers – and Jephthah was their leader.
When the Ammonites attacked Israel, the Israelites pretended to repent for God’s help, but God told them no.
Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
Judges 10:13-14
The Israelites knew they would have to fight, but they needed a leader. Someone suggested Jephthah.
Jephthah might not have realized it, but his response is his own echoed version of God’s response.
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
Judges 11:7
However, the Israelites promised him that he could be leader of Gilead if he helped them, so he agreed.
Imagine how embarrassed and mad his brothers must have been – they ran him off, and now he was coming back as the ruler of their land! Jephthah did not rub it in, though; he gave the credit to God.
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Judges 11:9
Jephthah’s first plan of action was to start out trying to reason with the Ammonites. He was no hothead. He knew his Bible, and he knew his Bible history. He informed the Ammonites that Israel had not “stolen” the land – they had “captured” it. He told them that Israel’s God had given Israel the victory. In effect, he told the Ammonites that, if they had any complaining to do, they should have done it 300 years ago. He went on to explain the futility of their fighting against the true God.
However, they wouldn’t listen. So Jephthah went to war
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah…
Judges 11:29
In our previous studies on character and integrity, we have seen this same statement about David and Mary: the Spirit of the Lord came upon them.
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
Judges 11:30
The worst word in Judges 11:30 is the word “if.” Jephthah was a man of faith (Hebrews 11:32), but he failed the test of faith at a crucial time, and he tried to make a bargain with God.
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands …Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Judges 11:31-33
When Jephthah came home victorious, what do you think came out of his house to meet him?
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
Judges 11:34-35
What came out of his house to meet him was not a “what” at all! It was a “who:” his beloved daughter!
Now, if we believe that Jephthah was under a vow to make his daughter a burnt offering, and if we review the details of what that meant in Leviticus 1:3-9 described above, we have to gasp in horror. I want to be very fair at this point and state that I believe that Jephthah did believe he was under such a vow. Most modern Bible scholars and commentators disagree with me. Even the best Bible teacher I know believes that Jephthah’s vow only resulted in his daughter being forced never to marry. There are quite a few older (by decades or even centuries) theologians and Bible scholars who do agree with me. I have studied most of the arguments for and against, and I truly believe that Jephthah did the unthinkable due to his fear of the Lord in light of the vow he had made. Obviously, you are free to disagree.
To return to the narrative, though, what do think Jephthah’s daughter said when he told her the tragic news?
“It’s not fair!”
“I’m going to run away!”
“Can’t you pay some money and get me out of this?”
“I wish you weren’t my father!”
“I don’t love you anymore!”
“None of my friends have to do this!”
“I don’t have to listen to you!”
“I need to know why??!!”
None of those are correct. Instead, we read:
And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
Judges 11:36-37
Jephthah had done a terrible thing. His vow, his bargain with God, was a mistake – worse, it was a foolish sin. We must be very careful about what we say. “I swear…” “God, I promise, if you get me out of trouble this time… I’ll never do it again.” Vows to God are a serious thing.
What about the integrity, though, of Jephthah’s daughter? Could Jephthah trust his daughter?
And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
Judges 11:38
If you are reading this, and you are someone’s teenaged daughter, can you be trusted? Can you be trusted to take take out the trash? To keep your room clean? To be respectful even when your parents are not around? To be home on time?
Jephthah’s daughter had true integrity, and Jephthah knew her character. He knew he could trust her to obey – even in something like this.
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
Judges 11:39-40
God is not going to require your parents to offer you up for a burnt offering. We don’t live in the days of Judges. But God is serious about your obedience. We all need to remember this story – when children feel like saying, “But why can’t I do this..?” or “It’s not fair, all my friends get to do it.”
Remember Jephthah’s daughter the next time your parents tell you they can’t afford to pay for something or they don’t want to spend the money for something. Maybe God wants them to stay within their budget to give that money to the church or to missions. You have no room for whining or complaining.
“And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father”
Can you be trusted? If you won’t even do your homework, if you won’t study, if you won’t help clean up without being asked – then your parents shouldn’t trust you to even go next door, much less to a friend’s house. You have free access on your home computer to the most evil garbage in the world – only a mouse click away. If you can’t be trusted not to curse or gossip in a text message or an email, then you shouldn’t even be allowed to touch it.
Your parents, I pray, are trying to protect you. God has great plans for some of you. Don’t settle for just being popular, being cool, just getting by in school, even for having a great career, or falling in love. Those things are going to pass away. Worldly fun, fleshly fun, the kind of fun that pleases Satan and grieves the Spirit of God now mortgages the good things in life that God has in store for you later. Some of the people I knew who had the most fun when they were teenaged kids are completely miserable now: divorced, in jail, on drugs, can’t get a job. They had a blast for 7 years, but they’ve been miserable for 20 – and they’re looking at another 30.
Lord God, thank You that you haven’t put us in the same predicament as Jephthah’s daughter. But please let us be as obedient, as trustworthy, as she was. Let us be content with what we have. Let us be thankful, and let us spend our time getting ready for the good things You have planned for us. Help us to to do the simple things: read our Bibles; pray every day; be obedient; be a blessing to others. In Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.
The Raptor and the Captor
September 17, 2009 at 9:54 am | In Biblical Parenting, Biblical Violence | Leave a CommentTags: bald eagles, battle scars, Biblical discipline, Biblical irony, Biblical Parenting, Biblical Violence, birds of prey, California, captives, Captor, captured, chastening of the Lord, child discipline, Christian conduct, eye injuries, Godly parents, head shaving, idol worship, irony in the Bible, lambs, Lemuel Briggs, Mendocino County, Micah, Micah 1, parenting principles, polling, polls, principles for parenting, Raptor, raptors, spoiled children, spoils of war, strategy of Satan, the jealousy of God, the prophet Micah, victory over Satan, violence in the Bible
Lemuel Briggs was a farmer in Mendocino County, California, in 1895. He had a lamb and two sons. Bald eagles were not as scarce in those days as they are today. One day, a bald eagle left its nest in the mountains near Mr. Briggs’s farm, soaring on wings that measured over 8 feet across, and carried off Mr. Briggs’s lamb. He was furious.
He sent his sons, Willie, aged 13, and Eddie, 11, up into the mountains to find the eagle’s nest. They obeyed.
However, as they went up the narrow mountain path, they neared the eagle’s nest before they realized it, and the eagle attacked. It circled around them, swooping in relentlessly, talons tearing and beak pecking. The attack ended with Eddie permanently scarred, having lost an eye.
One can only imagine the grief felt by Lemuel Briggs every time he saw his boy’s patched and scarred face. In the Bible, there was a tradition among the Jewish people of cutting off their hair or shaving their heads during times of devastating grief. As God’s people faced the chastening of God for their idol-worship and spiritual adultery, the prophet Micah used a bit of holy irony to drive home what would have been a sore point.
Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.
Micah 1:16
The irony has to do with his description of their children as “delicate.” Parents who are not strict with their children when it comes to Bible study, church attendance, and Christian conduct, may gloss over the suggestion that they are spoiling them. However, when the enemy comes to take them captive, it will quickly become apparent that children who were too “delicate” to be subjected to discipline, are likewise too delicate to withstand the rough treatment they will experience at the hands of their captor.
Don’t Let Distraction Lead To Division
September 16, 2009 at 7:24 am | In Biblical Parenting | Leave a CommentTags: babies in church, Biblical Parenting, children in church, children's church, distraction, division, God's glory, idolatry, Joel, Joel 2, senior citizens, solemn assembly, teenagers in church, the prophet Joel
The prophet Joel had a message from God, and it was not restricted to certain age groups. In Joel 2:15-16, God convened the most serious kind of church service there was, and nobody was to be left out. From senior citizens, to children, to little babies, to young adults of marrying age, He wanted everybody present.
Joel didn’t even kowtow to the religious leaders of his day.
Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
Joel 2:17
When God’s people go astray, they need to be cleansed before they are restored. This is because God loves His people, but His chief concern is for His Own name. God alone is worthy of praise and worship, and for Him to seek glory for any other – even His beloved creations – would be a form of idolatry.
Let us pray that we never send a message to our children, or to any group of our church family, that our comfort, our convenience, or our own concerns are to be sought above God’s Own glory.
The Know-It-Alls that Don’t Know Much
September 1, 2009 at 7:22 am | In Biblical Parenting | Leave a CommentTags: Biblical direction, Biblical discernment, Biblical foolishness, Biblical fools, Biblical hatred, Biblical Parenting, Biblical prosperity, Biblical spanking, Biblical wisdom, Book of Proverbs, child discipline, child-rearing, children in Proverbs, Christian parenting, danger, deadly, death, death in the Bible, denial, denied, depart, depart from evil, desire, desires, despair, despised, destroyed, destruction, devices, devised, directed by God, direction, discernment, discipline, disgrace, disgust, disgusting, disrepair, encouragement for parents, evil, evil in the Bible, fathers and sons, foolishness, Godly wisdom, laziness, loathsome, parenting in Proverbs, parenting in the Bible, parenting principles, parents, parents in the Bible, poverty, principles for children, principles for parents, principles for rearing children, principles for training children, prosperity, Proverbs, Proverbs 1, Proverbs 13, Proverbs 15, Proverbs 17, Proverbs 19, Proverbs 21, Proverbs 22, Proverbs 24, Proverbs 25, Proverbs 27, Proverbs 3, Proverbs 30, Proverbs 7, Proverbs 8, reproach, reproof, rod of correction, slothfulness, taking God's name in vain, the departed, vanity, what the Bible says about children, what the Bible says about parents, where to find direction, wisdom, wisdom in Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs is a good place to find wisdom in all areas of life, including the area of child-rearing. When parents want to know what the Bible says children should grow up to be, they should start by finding out what the Bible says children already are.
Children are simple (Proverbs 7:7), in the sense of being unwise, and – not to put too fine a point on it – simply foolish (Proverbs 8:5.) The simple, foolish, and unwise are marked by a list of very fundamental things about which they are ignorant, or, in other words, things about which they do not know.
Children do not know about danger.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
Proverbs 27:12
Children do not know about discernment.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
Proverbs 15:17
Children do not know what is truly to be desired.
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
Proverbs 21:25
Children do not know what is truly to be despised.
A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
Proverbs 15:5
Children do not know what is truly to be denied.
Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Proverbs 30:7-9
Children do not know what is truly to be devised.
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
Proverbs 24:8
Children do not know what is truly to be destroyed.
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Proverbs 1:32
Children do not know what truly brings disgrace.
He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.
Proverbs 19:26
Children do not know what truly brings despair.
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
Proverbs 17:25
Children do not know what causes true disrepair.
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Proverbs 25:28
Children do not know what is truly disgusting.
A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
Proverbs 13:5
Children do not know what is truly deadly.
Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
Proverbs 15:10
Children do not know where to find direction.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:6
Children do not know from what to depart.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:7
Foolishness comes naturally to children. It is bound up in their hearts. Parents face a tough task in trying to extricate, from the hearts of the little ones they love so much, ignorance of all these things: danger, discernment, desire, despicability, denial, devices, destruction, disgrace, despair, disrepair, disgust, death, direction, and departing. Thankfully, the Lord has given us clear instruction on one other thing that children do not know, but that will drive the foolishness from their hearts: discipline.
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15
This Big Light of Mine
August 10, 2009 at 7:27 am | In Biblical Parenting | 3 CommentsTags: 1 John 1, 1 Thessalonians 5, Biblical Parenting, Biblical vigilance, children of darkness, children of light, Christian parenting, creation of light, darkness, day vs. night, daytime, distinction, divine nature, fornication, Genesis 1, God is light, God's nature, immorality, light, light in the Bible, modesty, night and day, nighttime, parenting in the Bible, parenting principles, principles for parents, principles for training children, proper dress, regeneration, sleep in the Bible, soberness, vigilant
God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all. (I John 1:5) In fact, the very first creation that God recognized as “good” was the creation of light. (Genesis 1:4) Keeping this in mind, it would only make sense that the children of God (those that, by the spiritual birth of regeneration through faith in Christ Jesus, have become partakers of God’s divine nature) would be children of light.
Following this reasoning, children of light would have a desire to walk in the light, and to tend toward performing daytime, rather than nighttime, activities. Children of light should be sober, for the favored time of drunkenness is nighttime. Children of light should be properly dressed, for daytime is the time for getting dressed, and nighttime is the time for getting undressed. Children of light are to flee from the temptations of immorality and fornication, and these sins are most likely to occur in the dark.
Furthermore, children of light should be awake and alert, watching and working, staying ready for the coming of the Lord, which could happen at any moment. Physical sleep is something that promotes growth and good health when done in proper balance, but spiritual sleep – for the sons and daughters of the Most High God – is to be avoided.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
I Thessalonians 5:6
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