“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:44And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)). “I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children” (2 Cor. 12:14).
God created the family unit and has chosen to bless whole families, not merely individuals. The significance of God’s blessing whole households first came into play at the time of the flood, when God saw it necessary to judge the world because of the violence and corruption of the human race. He said to Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation” (Gen. 7:11And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. (Genesis 7:1)). It was Noah’s faith and obedience that was instrumental in saving the whole house. This is confirmed in the New Testament: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Heb. 11:77By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)). The faith of Noah caused him to labor many years preparing for the coming judgment; it was not merely a free escape ticket handed to him by God. Noah’s faith caused him to act; he “prepared an ark to the saving of his house.” Would not every true-hearted householder that believed what God told Noah do such a thing to save his whole household, rather than himself alone!
Abraham
The second example we wish to consider gives us a view of why God chose to reveal His ways with Abraham and make him a depository of His blessing. He said to Abraham, “I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him” (Gen. 18:1919For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (Genesis 18:19)). God’s blessings are invaluable and must be treated accordingly. God does not cast His pearls to swine. Rather, He entrusts them to those who will honor Him in their use of them. This includes passing on the entrusted blessings, in the right way, to the following generations. Psalm 78 states it beautifully: “We will not hide them from their [father’s] children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done” (vs. 4). This is done with a view to cause them to keep the Lord’s commandments, as it goes on to say in verse 7: “That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” It can only be done inasmuch as we walk in obedience and in the good of these things ourselves. It involves every part of our life, as the Lord said of Abraham, “He will command his children and his household after him.” And then it goes on to say, “And they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him” (Gen. 18:1919For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (Genesis 18:19)). We have in this example ample evidence of what God looks for in those to whom He may entrust His blessing. It ought to prompt our interest and strengthen our desire.
The Ground of Grace
We turn now to an example in the life of Hezekiah, who was a good king that trusted in the Lord God of Israel like none before or after him. Yet there is a lesson to be learned from his life, concerning his request that his life be prolonged. What we are about to notice is possibly one of the easiest pitfalls to fall into, especially for one who has been used of the Lord in blessing. When Isaiah told king Hezekiah to set his house in order for he was about to die, he wept sore and prayed to the Lord to remember how he had walked before Him in truth and with a perfect heart, doing good in His sight. It was an appeal to the Lord based on his godly walk. This is not a good ground to take with God; in fact, it is very risky. The grace of God is a better ground on which to intercede with God. The Lord did add fifteen years to his life and promised to deliver Jerusalem from the hands of Assyria for the sake of David his father. It appears that the Lord’s reference to David was a way of pointing Hezekiah to the example of how David had interceded with the Lord. It was not on the basis of his own righteousness. On one occasion David said, “If I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me again, and show me both it, and His habitation” (2 Sam. 15:25). On another occasion he said, “Although my house be not so with God; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure” (2 Sam. 23:5). This is an example of one standing on the ground of grace.
The Treasures
After the Lord had raised Hezekiah up to health again, the king of Babylon sent letters of condolences to him for his sickness. Hezekiah received the men and showed them all the riches of his house. What folly for a king who was surrounded by enemy nations stronger than he! It is one thing for the treasures of Israel to be made public in a time of great strength like David and Solomon, but it is quite another in a day of weakness. The prophet Isaiah calls to his attention the result of showing his treasures to these visitors — the treasures would be taken away and his sons made eunuchs in the palace of Babylon. Hezekiah, in showing the treasures, did not give the glory to the Lord. Could he defend those treasures on his own? Earlier when Sennacherib came against Jerusalem, Hezekiah interceded so beautifully with the Lord, recognizing his own lack of strength (2 Kings 19).
The next part of the story, though so sad, reveals an import lesson for households, for it reveals Hezekiah’s motives. “Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?” (2 Kings 20:19). What a lack of care for the next generation! Self-centeredness does not make for a strong household. What Hezekiah said is much worse than the bumper sticker which says, “I’m retired — spending my children’s inheritance.” A lot more is at stake than money; the issue involves the moral and spiritual welfare of the succeeding generations. It is a way of teaching that we think it is all right to be selfish. Is it any wonder, in this case, that Manasseh the son of Hezekiah was not a godly king? Certainly Manasseh must give an account for his own failure, too. Also, to be fair in commenting on the story, we must remember that Hezekiah did not have the advantage of a godly father to teach him these things. May we each, in any measure that we see these things, put them into practice and give thanks to the Lord for His mercy to us in the measure we are preserved from these pitfalls.
Our Failures and Expectations
How often we are made to feel our weakness and failure in properly putting into practice these principles in our households! And along with this, how often we have unfulfilled expectations! In our attempts to order our households, time passes, and we do not always see those in our home going on the way we had hoped. Then we may become discouraged. To be distressed for dishonor done to the Lord shows a right motive, but it is easy to confuse this with our own motives. Let us have a contrite and humble spirit in these things. The Lord promises to dwell with such (Isa. 57:1515For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15)).
The enemy is subtle in confusing us, seeking to make us think that, because of our failures, God’s grace will cease and our household will not be blessed. While it is true that we reap what we sow, this does not hinder God from blessing according to His riches in Christ Jesus. Let us cling to His promise in faith. Let us never cease trusting God, no matter what happens, for in doing so we are leaving the ground of grace. Consider those in the Old Testament who claimed blessing for their household, and notice how often those who had faith for their households failed in how they acted. Noah got drunk, Moses killed an Egyptian, Rahab told a lie, and David had a list of serious failures. Without doubt each of these failures brought in governmental consequences, but it did not stop God from honoring their faith.
One more word about seeing expectations fulfilled: “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Heb. 10:35-3635Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:35‑36)). We cannot expect to see all the fruit of our labors in this life. With some, like Moses, God leaves them to train in His school a long time. No doubt Moses’ parents saw very little of their desires fulfilled in his life. The ultimate goal in this is not for us to see the fruit now, but that the Lord may have it fulfilled for His sake in His timetable. Doing things for reward in this life is not the best option. The Lord spoke of this concerning those who sought for glory before men and said, “They have their reward.” May we each be encouraged to trust the Lord regarding our households “until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Cor. 4:5).
D. C. Buchanan