God’s Plan for the Home

GOLDEN TEXT: “God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” —Psalm 68:6

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9; EPHESIANS 5:21 – 6:4

NO HOME life can be more beautiful than one in which the Spirit of the Lord prevails. The “first commandment” given by Moses sets the proper pattern for such a home—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” When every member of a family thus loves the Lord supremely—more than even life itself—there is no room for ‘selfishness to exercise its blighting influence.

Moses insisted that this first love for God should be more than a motto hanging on the wall, or words merely to be quoted from time to time. “These words,” he said, “shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

In other words, the importance of putting God first in the affections was to be kept prominently before every Israelitish family. Moses knew that in this was the secret of family peace and joy, as well as national security. The whole nation of Israel was as one large family, the prosperity of which depended upon obedience to God’s Law. Moses knew that if the individual families of the nation loved God supremely and were therefore obedient to him, the entire nation would be the same. It was because the people did not obey Moses’ injunction that they lost God’s favor.

Paul’s lesson in Ephesians concerning family relationships pertains also to two kinds of families. He admonishes husbands, wives, parents, and children, and at the same time reminds us of our responsibility as members of the spiritual family of God.

He speaks of submitting ourselves one to another “in the fear of God.” As members of God’s family we cannot live unto ourselves in the sense of always having things just as we would like in the church or in our co-operative ministry. The necessity for loving submission one to another is evident at practically all times.

Then Paul applies the same principle in admonishing Christian wives to submit to their own husbands “as unto the Lord.” He explains that this is in keeping with our being subject to Christ, who is the Head of the church, even as the husband is the head of the wife. But this does not authorize a domineering attitude on the part of a Christian husband, for Paul further admonishes, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.”

Paul speaks of the scriptural truth that when a man and woman are joined in marriage they become “one flesh.” “This,” he says, “is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” This oneness of Christ and his church as members of the same body has indeed been a “great mystery,” so great that only those specially called by God have been able to comprehend it.

But to these it is a glorious reality, for they know that all the wonderful messianic promises of peace and blessing for the world of mankind must await fulfillment until this “body” is complete. The Christ [Messiah] is not one member, but many, Paul explains. (I Cor. 12:12) Failure on the part of nominal churchianity to recognize this has led to all sorts of error in thought and practice; among them the false notion that God has been trying to convert the world during the present age, when in reality he has merely been selecting from the world those who are to be members of the Christ company, members of his “body.”

Paul addressed the opening verses of the 6th chapter to the “children” of the consecrated. He apparently believed that their parents would read at least this part of his letter to them,’ and even though they were probably too young to appreciate the spiritual truths of the Word, he felt a responsibility of admonishing them to proper respect for their parents.

“Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath,” he wrote, “but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Children provoked to wrath by their parents would be disinclined to be, come interested in what the parents might try to teach them concerning the Lord.

QUESTIONS

In what manner would obedience to the “first commandment” of Moses safeguard the peace and happiness of a home?

Would obedience to the Law on the part of Israel have kept the nation from going, into captivity?

What two “families” are mentioned in our lesson by Paul?

Explain how Paul compared relationships in these two kinds of families.

What did Paul refer to as a “great mystery”?

How does the understanding of this mystery serve to harmonize the divine plan?

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