“My daughter will he a teenager next week. What can I do about it?" Here is God’s divine plan for the home .
How true are the words of verse 2: “ It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows.” I have come across several Christian homes where parents rise up early, and sit up late, and eat the bread of sorrows—wonder ing what their children are doing, where they are and what will happen when they come home — if they come home. The ways of God are past finding out, and in some cases the finest godly homes are beset with the problem of wayward children. Many cases, however, which have come to my attention are the result of the failure of the parents to obey the Word of God—either through ignorance or lazi ness. What can one say to a mother who comes with the pathetic outburst, “My daughter is a teen ager next week. What can I do about it?” Not all remarks are as naive as that, but there is an atti tude of mind which avoids taking any deliberate action with growing children, apparently hoping that the children will sort themselves out. This attitude is never the teaching of the Bible which exhorts parents to train up a child in the way he should go, to use discipline, to exert authority and to expect respect. A closer look into verse 1 — “except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain”— shows us that there is one keeper, who is the Lord, and one watchman (not the watchwoman or watch- parents, but watchman). This is God’s order and truth, but a truth which is being constantly over looked and neglected. God’s plan for a Christian home is that the husband, not the wife, is the watchman. The word watchman has the idea o f a sentry— someone who is always on guard. The watchman’s job is, to watch, not to fight. In war when the sen try stands watch, his job is to be constantly alert and responsive. I f he recognizes an enemy ap proaching, he doesn’t go out and fight by himself. His job is to give the warning so that there can be an effective resistance made by the forces on his side. His job is to watch and warn. This is exactly the teaching of this verse. The watchman does not fight — God’s responsibility is to keep the city. The watchman’s job is to bring the power o f God to bear on a particular circumstance or situation. In the family this is the task o f the husband and father. He will be on guard as his
“we are laborers together with God.” I know this has a specific reference to Paul and his ministry, but the truth is also applicable to the Christian home. Verse 10 says, “ But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.” Notice how personal this is: the words “ every man” occur six times in these few verses. Verse 11 speaks of the founda tion o f the Christian home: “ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The foundation is the person of Christ, not merely the work of Christ. It isn’t enough to know that Jesus Christ died for me on the cross. God’s answer to our need is the risen Christ who lives in us through His Holy Spirit. He is the Builder, and by His presence in our hearts and homes, the Chris tian home becomes a living reality. Notice also the solemn fact that “ every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall de clare it” (verse 13). Some day I will have to give an account to God o f my work as a laborer in my own home. The following words also challenge us: “ the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” Notice that the work is not tested for how much it is, but for what sort it is. These verses in I Corinthians speak primarily of the responsibilities of a Christian in working and witnessing for God in the world as a whole. But we must remember that the greatest witness for Christ in the world today is a truly Christian home where God is honored, and His Word obeyed. The test therefore in verse 13 is “ of what sort it is.” The success of my home is not the size of it, nor the bank balance behind it, nor the number o f cars and “ things” in it. God looks for one thing only: what kind it is, whether His building has been matched by our laboring, whether His plans are the product shown in our home. Psalm 127 goes on to tell us that “ Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Here the Word o f God teaches us how to keep the home. Notice immediately the similarity between the building and the keeping of the home. “ Except the Lord build . . . except the Lord keep . . .” Just as there is one Builder, so there is one Keeper— God
23
SEPTEMBER, 1967
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker