(Judges 2:10 ESV)

This verse illustrates what often causes a generation to turn away from God–an education gap.  In this passage, the first generation saw mighty wonders from God as He delivered them victoriously into the Promised Land.  However, they failed to adequately pass these great works of God to their children, as it states that they did not “know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”  This failure to teach their children and grandchildren thrust Israel into a downward spiral of disobedience, illustrating for us today that great importance of properly educating the next generation. Therefore, careful attention must be given to proper Biblical education–in manner, methods, and content.

Since the time of creation, God has chosen to reveal knowledge of the world and of Himself through two venues:  general revelation (those things inherent in nature) and special revelation (those things revealed in by His Word). However, sin has “darkened the mind” and “suppressed the truth” (Rom 1:18 & 21), thusly distorting man’s ability to understand fully either form of revelation. Therefore redemption is needed, which begins the process of “renewing the mind” (Rom 12:1-2) and possessing a clear, enlightened understanding of God, the world, and others.  It is only with a renewed mind that true education can take place, for without it, the mind remains unable to fully understand either special or general revelation.

Scripture teaches the following concerning education:

The Role of God and the Holy Spirit

• God and the Holy Spirit are both described in Scripture as having a teaching function (See: Dt. 4:1, 14 & 14; Ps 32:8; Ps 94:10-12; Is 48:17; Is 54:13; Jn 14:26; Jn 16:8; 1 Cor 2:10 & 13)
• The Holy Spirit is described as the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord (Is 11:2-3, Eph 1:17).
• The fear of the Lord is described as “the beginning of all wisdom” (Pr 1:7), and God is source of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding (Pr 2:6; For an example of this see: Ex 28:3 & Dan 1:17 & 20).
• Rejecting God leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts (Ro 1:21).
• Proper instruction can lead to this fear of the Lord (2 Chr 26:5)

–>Therefore, educators (parents and the church), must recognize and pray for the Holy Spirit to be the teacher.

—> Educators must also seek to teach their students in a manner that will lead to the “fear of the Lord.”

Role of Scripture

• Everything written in the OT was for instructional purposes (Ro 15:14)
• Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:6)
• Scripture equips man of God for every good work (2 Tim 3:17)
• God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pe 1:5-9)
• God’s statutes bring more insight than possessed by the Psalmist’s teachers (Ps 119:99)

Need for Integration in Education

• Education is not to be separated from the rest of life:
  • God’s commands are to be taught as you “sit at home and when you walk along the road, and when you lie down and when you get up,” thusly encompassing all of life (Dt 6:6-9, 11:18-19)
  • Much of education occurs through modeling (Pr 23:26; 1 Ki 9:4; Lk 6:40; 1 Cor 4:16; 1 Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17; Phil 4:9; 2 Thes 3:7, 3:9; Ti 2:7; 1 Pe 5:3)
  • “Spiritual” education is not to be separate from “secular” education:
    • “Every thought” is to be captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Phil 4:8 provided criterion for proper thoughts.
    • As stated above, the fear of the Lord (which can be taught) leads to “ALL wisdom.”
    • The skill, ability, knowledge and wisdom all all kinds of crafts comes from the Spirit of God (Ex 28:3; Ex 31:2-6)
    • “Intelligence” and scholars and philosophers of this world will be shown to be foolishness (1 Cor 1:19-20); The wisdom of the world does not lead to knowledge of God (1 Cor 1:21); God’s “foolishness” is wiser than man’s “wisdom.” (1 Cor 1:25); There is a sharp distinction between God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom (1 Cor 2:6)
    • All things were created and sustained by Him and all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him (Col 1:16-17, 2:3).
  
  
• Commands for education of God’s people to be distinct from that of the World’s
  • Jeremiah 10:1-3: God’s command to not “learn the ways of the nations.”
  • Romans 12:1-2 Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
  • Colossians 2:8 Hollow and deceptive philosophies depending on human tradition and “basic principles of this world” can take you captive.
  • 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Command to stay away from brothers who do not live according to the teaching from Paul, Silas & Timothy
  • 1 Timothy 6:3-5 “turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing hae wandered from the faith.”

Additional Aspects of God’s Design for Education

• Formal times of instruction (Dt 4:1, 5:1, Joshua 8:35, Ro 10:17).
• Use of traditions, holidays, and symbols (Ex 12:26, 13:8; Dt 6:6-9, 11:18-19; Joshua 4:6-7)
• Recalling history and past experiences (Ex 10:1-2; Joshua 4:6-7; Is 48:19; Joel 1:3).
• Differentiated instruction for ages and life positions (Neh 8:1-8, 1 Cor 3:1, Tit 2:1-10).
• The teacher must be of solid character & godliness (2 Tim 3:14; Tit 2:7-10; 2 Thes 3:6; 1 Tim 6:3-5; 2 Pe 2:3).

God’s Institutes for Education

• The Family (Dt 4:1-14; 6:5-9; Eph 6:4; Col 3:21)
• The Community of Believers (Today, this would be the Church) (Josh 8:35; 1 Ki 12:2; Mat 18:5; Mark 16:25)

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More on A Biblical Look At Children, Families and Education

An appropriate thing for me to ponder today–two years after moving to Canada! In many ways this is one of the last places I would have ever thought about living. But now I look forward to the coziness of sweaters and scarves and reading by the fire. I’ve come to greatly enjoy sipping hot tea before a meal with a good friend. Down-hill skiing was a disaster, but I look forward to another go at cross-country skiing. I love the team I serve with and Bridge Church have become my family and my best friends. Experiencing a few weeks of bitter cold has brought its humourous stories (such as my back door being frozen shut or moisture in my nose freezing as I go from my house to car!), but God shows His faithfulness through the seasons of weather, just as the seasons of life. The Winter makes Spring and Summer even more enjoyable, and knowing that Fall and Winter are just around the corner makes those scorching hot July days bearable.

I’ve learned that this is the funny thing about most of my heart’s desires–I may think I know exactly what it is that I want, but like a kid in a candy store asking to eat gumdrops and licorice for lunch, the Lord knows far better than myself!! It is in the thinking of our own wishes that praying, “not my will, but Your will be done,” becomes imperative.  Surrendering to Him results in joy of deep fellowship with Him and great gratitude for His wisdom playing out in your life. Oh, that I may come to know this more in the years ahead!

It’s that time of the year when we sit down and reflect on all that has happened, and pray about all that we would like to do in order to move forward with the King’s business on this earth. We celebrate what God has done, but we are prayerful about all that He has yet to do in us, through us, and with the world around us.

We’ll gather for an early dinner at 4:30 in the Fellowship Hall, followed by the business session afterwards. This year will be radically different from last year’s experiment, and we hope to inform you about happenings, and dream together about our goals for the future. As always, new members will be approved and departing members will be dismissed, but our focus and passion will be on taking the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. Some interesting and exciting developments will be announced and discussed, and of course- a budget will be approved. Child Care will be provided so that all moms and dads can participate undistracted, and our entire meeting will end around 8:30 so that everyone can get kiddos home and into bed.

So be sure to mark your calendars, and if you have any pictures from happenings from the past year then please email them to me at kylagleason@aol.com so that I can include them in the Year-In-Revew video presentation.

(Note: The Annual Great Commission Meeting is an open meeting, and we welcome non-members of the Bridge to attend)

Value of Children

• Scripture consistently views children as a blessing from God. (Genesis 22:5; 48:9; Joshua 24:3; 1 Sam 2:21; 1 Kings 4:8-37; Ps 113:9, 127:3-4; Is 8:18, 48:19; Is 8:18, 61:9);
• One purpose for the writing of Scripture and commanded obedience to the law was the continuation of faith in the Lord in the next generation (Dt. 6:1-9; Ps 102:18).

Nature of Children

• Created by God in the womb and in His image (Ge 1:27; Ps 139:13-14; Is 44:2);
• Born in sin and possess a sinful nature (Ps 51:5; 58:3; Pr 29:15; Lk 18:20);
• Immature (Pr 20:11, 22:15);
• Dependent and Impressionable (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16; Eph 6:2-3)
• Accountable
  • The laws for children disobeying parents requires punishment  (See section on “The law required obedience to parents” here).
  • 1 Kings 2:23 records account of children who mocked the bald man and then received the consequence of death.
  • Each person is accountable for their own sin–not that of their fathers (Ez 18:17-32).
  • Jeremiah records disaster coming because of fathers’ and children’s disobedience (Jer 16:10-13).
• Inquisitive (Ex 12:26; Ex 13:8; Ex 13:14; Dt 6:20-25; Dt 32:7; Joshua 4:6-7)
• Fully able to know and serve the Lord:
  • Salvation:
    • Speaking of the children who were coming to him, Jesus states that the Kingdom of Heaen belongs to “such as these” (Mt 19:13-15; Mk 10:14);
  • Other examples:
    • Samuel ministered to the Lord as a boy (1 Samuel 2:11, 2: 18, 3:1, 3: 11; 2 Sam 2:21, 2:26);
    • David:
      • sang to God as a boy;
      • was chosen by God as a boy;
      • defeated Israel’s enemy as a child (1 Sam 17:33);
      • Trusted God from the time he was an infant (Ps 22:9-10);
    • The little girl directed Naaman to visit the prophet for healing (1 Ki 5:2-4);
    • Josiah became King at age 8 and did “what was right in the sight of the Lord (1 Kin 22:1-2; 2 Chr 34:1-3);
    • Joash became King at age 7 and did what was right in the sight of the Lord (2 Chr 24:1);
    • The Lord has established strength out of the mouth of babies (Ps 8:2);
    • Along with his own, Isaiah’s children’s lives were to be signs to the people (Is 8:18);
    • Isaiah was called by God prior to his birth (Is 49:1);
    • God commanded Isaiah to include his son in his ministry (Is 7:3, 8:18):
    • Jeremiah was called by God as a boy (Jer 1:6);
    • God reveals things to little children (Mt 11:25-26);
    • The children praised Jesus during the Triumphal Entry, and thusly fulfilled prophecy (Mt 21:16);
    • As a boy, John grew in the Spirit (Lk 1:80);
    • As a boy, the grace of God was upon Jesus (Lk 2:40);
    • As a boy, Jesus was about His Father’s business (Lk 2:40);
    • A boy gave Jesus his lunch for God’s work (Jn 6:9);
    • The young can set an example for others (1 Tim 4:12);
    • Timothy was taught as a child and knew the Scriptures from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15);
  • Promises of children knowing and serving the Lord:
    • God’s Word keeps young people from sinning (Ps 119:9-11);
    • God can make boys and infants rule over the people (Iss 3:4);
    • God will uphold, sustain, carry, and rescue from birth to old age (Is 46:3-4).

Responsibility of Children

• As demonstrated in the legal requirements upon children, children are first expected to obey and respect their parents.
  • Additional Scripture expounds upon these commands:
  • • Disobedience to parents is often listed alongside other grievous sins, such as bloodshed and eagerness to do evil (Mic 7:6), hating God (Romans 1:30-31), and abuse (2 Tim 3:2-5);
    • Proverbs 10: 1 “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
    • Proverbs 19:26, 28:24 Robing parents brings shame and disgrace to them
    • Proverbs 30:17 The one who mocks his father and disobeys his mother will have his eyes picked out by ravens;
    • Malachi 1:6 Sons are to honour their fathers as we should honour God.
  • The New Testament affirms these commands in Ephesians 6:1-3 and Colossians 3:20.
  • Jesus provides the example for parental obedience in Luke 2:51.
• Children are also to heed instruction (Pr 1:8, 3:1, 4:20, 5:1, 5:7, 6:20-23, 7:1, 7:24, 23:22, 23:26)
• Children are to ask questions:
  • Major Hebrew holidays, such as the Passover, were designed for the children to ask their parents questions (Ex 12:26, 13:8, 13:14).
  • Commanded to do so in Dt 32:7;
• Finally, children, like all poeple are called to follow the Lord.  A specific call in Scripture to the children is Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”

We see in these passages that children are capable of knowing and serving the Lord, and are expected to do so.  Parents and church leaders must not overlook this fact, and must respond appropriately to God’s call to teach and lead these precious ones.

“Do you think you will come to Jesus up the ladder of knowledge? Come down. You will meet Him at the base. Do you think you may reach Jesus up the steep hill of experience? Come down, dear climber. He stands in the plain. ‘Oh, but when I am old, I will then be prepared for Christ.’ Stay where you are, young man. Jesus meets you at the door of life. You were never more fit to meet Him than just now. He asks nothing of you but that you will be nothing, and that He may be all in all to you. That is His teaching, and to send back the child because he does not have this or that is to fly in the face of the blessed doctrine of the grace of God.” Charles Spurgeon

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More on A Biblical Look At Children, Families and Education

Part 3: Education

]]> http://thebridgekamloops.com/http:/thebridgekamloops.com/the-value-nature-and-responsibility-of-children-part-3-of-a-biblical-look-at-children-families-and-education/ /feed 0 http://thebridgekamloops.com/http:/thebridgekamloops.com/american-gods-are-getting-whipped/ http://thebridgekamloops.com/http:/thebridgekamloops.com/american-gods-are-getting-whipped/ #comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:05:55 +0000 Joshua Claycamp http://thebridgekamloops.com/?p=1784 I read this little article this afternoon and was rather impressed. American gods are getting whipped by better, meaner false gods. The American gods of materialism, entertainment, and self-gratification are totally getting nailed to the wall by the false gods of Islam. The Muslims are doing a better job of exposing the false gods of America with their false religion of Jihad than the Christians who have the one true living God. This article lead me to reflect on the relative strengths and weaknesses, both intellectual and otherwise, of the competing world religions. The truth is that Christians have the sharpest sword, but the weakest inclination to use it in defense of His Glory.

Anyway, be sure to check out Doug Wilson’s article. I’ve included a little blurb here to wet your appetite. He uses the “mosque at Ground Zero” controversy to provide a stinging indictment of contemporary Christianity for not exposing the vacuous and self-absorbed nature of secularism:

I said that the Muslims know what they are doing. What is that exactly? They are exposing the intellectual, theological, and ethical bankruptcy of secularism, and they are doing it on purpose. To answer their challenge, someone as intelligent as Charles Krauthammer is reduced to saying that sacrilege is defined by what lots of people think, true or false, doesn’t matter, or where lots of people died, right or wrong, doesn’t matter either.

Someone really does need to tell secularist America that her gods are genuinely pathetic. And currently, the Muslims are doing this because the Christians won’t. And the Christians who won’t do this are not so much in need of a different kind of theology as they are in need of a different kind of spine.

Read the whole thing here.

Understanding God’s design for education would be impossible without first studying His design and intent for the family.  Therefore, this is where our Biblical look at children and education will begin. After studying the Scriptures pertaining to the family, it is clear that the family is a purposeful institution with a key role to play in the redemptive history and daily discipleship.

On the sixth day of creation, God created man and woman, as husband and wife, and gave them the command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28).  Thusly, the family is the first institution created by God and the central means of carrying out His purposes for mankind. This high purpose for the family did not change after the introduction of sin, as evidenced throughout God’s redemptive history (such as the selection of a family as His chosen people), the Law, the structuring of His chosen people, the provision He gives to those without a family, and finally the promises He gives regarding families.

Scriptural evidences of God’s high purpose for the family are seen:

• In creation
  • The institution of marriage (Genesis 2:21-24)
  • The first command given to mankind was to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28)
    • NOTE: This was repeated to Noah (Genesis 9:1) and while the Israelites were in exile (Jer 29:6); therefore God’s desire for reproduction in the context of marriage remains despite the introduction of sin into the world or hardships upon the people.

• In the Law
  • Two explicitly stated purposes of the Law are that:
    • the people and their children may know and fear God, and that they may consequently live long (Dt. 6:1-9, Psalm 78:5-8); and
    • Each generation would teach future generations (Dt. 6:1-9; Psalm 78:5-8)
  • God’s design for the important Passover celebration included the key component of children asking questions (Exodus 12:26, 13:8 & 14)
  • The Law required obedience to parents:
    • Within “The Ten Commandments,” the fifth commandment (and the first commandment with a promise) is to honour your parents (Exodus 20:12, Repeated: Dt 5:16, Dt 14:18).
    • In list of “various laws,” respecting parents is listed first (Exodus 19:3)
    • Contempt and disobedience towards parents is listed with other grievous sins such as bloodshed and eagerness to do evil (Micah 7:6)
    • Anyone who dishonours parents is cursed (Exodus 27:16; Dt 27:16)
    • The law included severe consequences for disobedience to the commands to honour/respect parents, as follows:
      • attacking father or mother = death (Exodus 21:15)
      • cursing father or mother = death (Exodus 21:17)
      • being a rebellious son = death, specifically stoning (Dt. 21:18-21)
  • The Shema, considered one of the most significant of the OT laws includes the purpose of deliberate education of children  (Dt 6:6-9, near repeat in Dt. 11:18-19)
  • Command to meet the physical needs of the fatherless and widow (Dt 24:20-21)
  • The command to obey the commandments yourself, and the command to teach children & grandchildren is woven intricately together (Dt 4:1-14; 6:1-9)
  • Command to not marry children off to foreigners (Ez 9:12)

• In Redemptive History
  • The woman’s “seed” would crush Satan (Genesis 3:15)
  • Abraham was called by God for the explicit purpose of commanding his children and household after him to follow the Lord (Genesis 18:19)
  • Pharaoh’s heart was hardened for the explicit purpose of showing God’s signs & that they could tell their children about it (Ex 10:1-2)
  • Recording of God’s word was for the benefit of next generation (Ps 102:18)
  • Jesus came as a baby to a family (Is 7:14)
  • The New Testament provides numerous examples of entire households receiving Christ together (Cornelius-Acts 11:14; Lydia-Acts 16:15, Jailer-Acts16:31-34; Ruler of the Synagogue-Acts 18:8; the household of Stephanas 1 Cor 1:16)

• In God’s structure of Israel for land, battle & worship
  • (see entire book of Numbers!)

• In the analogy of God as Father and His people as a family
  • God calls Himself “Father” to His people (Ex 4:22; Dt 32:6; 2 Sam 7:14; Is 1:2; Jer 3:19; Jer 31:9; Rom 8:14; Rom 9:4; 2 Cor 6:18).

• In God’s provisions for those without a family
  • Through the command to meet the physical needs of the fatherless and widow (Dt 24:20-21)
  • God promises that He
    • “sets the lonely in families” (Psalm 68:6);
    • defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow (Dt 10:18); and
    • is a helper to the fatherless (Ps 10:14) (see also: Ps 27:10-11)
    • “Settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children” (Psalm 113:9)

• In God’s Promises
  • If you curse parents, your lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness (Pr 20:20)
  • Descendants of one who follows the Lord:
    • Will inherit the land (Ps 25:12-13, 37:28-29)
    • Will have great inheritance (Ps 69:36)
    • Will be mighty in the land (Ps 112:2)
    • Will be blessed (Ps 112:2, Pr 20:7, Is 44:3)
    • God will save the children of the needy (Ps 72:4)

• The above evidence is reaffirmed in New Testament:
  • Fifth commandment is repeated, with additional exhortation to fathers to bring children up in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord,” thusly summarizing and reaffirming previous commands of the OT (Eph 6:2-3, Col 3:20)
  • Command to care for fatherless and widow also repeated (James 1:27; 1 Tim 5:4-16)
  • Provision for own house is to be a priority (Lk 8:39; 1 Tim 5:4, 8 )
  • Disobeying parents remains listed among other grievous sins (Rom 10:30-31; 2 tim 3:2-5)
  • Requirements for Elders includes their children being believers and not wild or disobedient (Tit 1:6)

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Part 2: Value, Nature & Responsibility of Children

Following the earthquake in Haiti,  the Canadian National Baptist Convention, partnered with their sister denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, implemented a strategy to bring physical relief and the spiritual Truth to disaster-struck families and  individuals.  Through making, shipping, and distributing “Buckets of Hope,” thousands of Haitians received a physical demonstration of Christ’s love and heard the message of eternal hope. Many of you here in Bridge Baptist Church financially contributed to the Buckets of Hope, and made this endeavor possible.  Click here to see a moving video about how your gifts impacted a nation for the Gospel.

If we’re not careful in our bantering and flippant use of the word “Gospel,” we may find that the watching world finds us increasingly enamored with a news-worthy message and less interested in the person who is at the center of the story. To me the message is incredible only because it promises me a personal relationship with the One about whom the story is told. I pray that we remember we’re not just telling a great story… we’re introducing people to a Great Savior.