III.  Godly Living Patterns about Children

A.   Child Ownership

Responsibility and authority to raise children have been delegated to parents by God. Children, however, belong to God--not to the parents and not to the state.

Genesis 1:28a (God-ordained)

And God blessed them, and God said unto them [the first parents], Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [fill] the earth, and subdue it.

Genesis 33:5b (God-given)

And he [Esau] lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he [Jacob] said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

Psalm 127:3 (God-given)

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Isaiah 8:18a (God-given)

Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me.

Ezekiel 16:20-21 (His)

Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto Me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, that thou hast slain My children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

 

 

B.   Child Purpose

There are purposes for which these children were given to our care.

Psalm 128:3–4 (to be a blessing)

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

John 16:21 (to be a joy)

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Proverbs 17:6a (to be grandparents' crown)

Children's children are the crown of old men.

Psalm 127:3 (to be a heritage)

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Psalm 78:2-8 (to be a godly generation)

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

1 Cor. 7:14 (to be holy)

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

Proverbs 27:11 (to be answer to our enemy)

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

Matthew 21:15-16 (to be praise- proclaimers)

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Exodus 1:21 (to be a reward)

And because the midwives feared God he gave them families. RSV

Isaiah 8:18 (to be for signs and wonders)

Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

Matthew 18:2-4 (to be an example)

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 127:4-5 (to be our arrows)

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

 

 

C.   Respect for Child

Children, too, were created in the image of God. They are, therefore, to be respected for this reason, as well as for their special position with the Father.

Matthew 18:5-6

And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (See Mark 9:36-37.)

Mark 10:13-16

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. (See Matthew 19:13-15.)

Matthew 18:10

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

 

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