“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5. The Scriptures tell us, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward.”
Families in Biblical times wanted several children, especially sons, to help protect and defend the family. At a young age, the children worked the fields, tended the animals, and performed other chores. When family members became widows, elderly, or ill, the children had a responsibility to care for them. I Timothy 5:4 states, “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for his is pleasing to God.”
Advice for fathers to give sons is found in Titus 2:6, 7. “Similarly, encourage the younger men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good.” No pensions, nursing homes, care takers, or hospitals were available to provide help. I Timothy 5:8 warns, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
This same philosophy applies today. God expects us to meet the needs of our family members. In the Biblical times people were viewed as part of a family plan, not individuals. The action of one person reflected on all the others. Some family members could have wished to harm Mary for disgracing them. We learn in Proverbs 11:29, “He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.” God proclaimed in Exodus 34:6,7, “ ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generations.’” Even today children and grandchildren often suffer from the misdeeds of their parents. Consequences of parental sins like abuse, alcoholism, anger, and stealing may inflict pain on several generations.
No comments:
Post a Comment