In other articles in this issue of “The Christian,” we have already commented on the importance of God’s wisdom, as found in His Word, the Bible. We must realize that God’s wisdom is not merely an improvement on, or an addition to, man’s wisdom; rather, it is the exact opposite of man’s wisdom. When we consider any moral or spiritual subject, the Word of God must be our source of wisdom and our guide. The holy Scriptures always exalt Christ, and ultimately, Christ is the wisdom of God for the believer’s pathway.
As parents, we may have seen the importance of the Word of God in our own lives and the need for its guidance in raising our children. But we would all wish that our children would feel the same reverence, need and desire for the Scriptures. How is this to be accomplished?
The Word Woven in Our Lives
First of all, it is important that our children see the principles and instruction from the Bible woven into the very fabric of our lives, whether it is in the home, in our work life, in education, or in our assembly life. They must see clearly that reading the Word of God is not merely religious ritual, but rather a living Word to us, meant to be, in reality, a part of every aspect of our lives.
Godly Christian parents will want to have a time of private reading of the Word of God and prayer. This is important, for we must all ultimately feed on Christ individually before we do so with others. This is true even in the family. When life is busy, this may be difficult, but as we all know, it is most necessary to read the Word of God daily and to pray. Mary of Bethany sat at the Lord’s feet and heard His Word, and when her sister Martha complained to the Lord that Mary had left her to serve alone, His response was, “One thing is needful” (Luke 10:4242But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:42)). It is the same with us today; the “cares of this life” must never deprive us of individual time over God’s Word and in prayer.
Reading the Word
Second, it is important that we read the Word of God with our children. Since we normally eat more than once a day, it is good if we have the Scriptures before us morning and evening as well. A father may often have to go to work early in the morning, and it may not always be practical for him to read with his children under these circumstances. In that case the mother should take over. I can well remember my own mother reading the Bible to us at the breakfast table and emphasizing its importance. Then, after supper, my father would take over and read the Word of God. As I got older, I saw another side of my father that I did not know about before. He worked for a prosperous farmer, and in my teenage years, in the summer, I was also hired to work with him. We took only a half hour for lunch, but my father ate quickly, in order to have time to read, not only his Bible, but also from a book of ministry. When I was with him, he read aloud so that I would get the benefit of it. This made a deep impression on me as a young man and motivated me to do the same thing.
Also, when we read the Scriptures to our children, several things are very important. First of all, it must be clear to them that it is for our enjoyment, and not merely a duty to be performed. It should be a relaxing time, when the family can enjoy the Word of God together, just as they enjoy fellowship over a meal.
Read All of It
Second, an older brother, long now with the Lord, used to tell us, “Do not hesitate to read with your children any part of the Word of God. It warns us and lays bare the wickedness of man’s natural heart, but never does it stir up the flesh in us or provoke evil thoughts in our minds.” This is good advice, for parents may sometimes be tempted to skip over certain passages of God’s Word that bring out the sordid details of sin and speak of things that we may consider unnecessary for our young children to hear. Let us remember that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:1616All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16)). It is far better for children to hear these things in the context of God’s Word (within the limits of what their age group can understand) than to have them learn these things from the world when they go to school or, later, in the workplace.
Finally, and most essential, the Word of God should be brought down to their level and explained to them in a way that they can understand. Of course, there are parts of the Bible that young children may not grasp immediately, but when we “fill the waterpots with water” (John 2:77Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. (John 2:7)), we can count on the Lord to turn it into wine later.
The Death of a Son
I would suggest that we see an illustration of the importance of this, in type, in the life of Elisha. The Shunamite woman of 2 Kings 4 had been very good to Elisha, even to the point of building him a special room in her home, in which he stayed whenever he passed that way. As a result, the Lord had given her a son. But later, while the son was out on the farm with his father, he suddenly took sick and died later that day. His mother immediately laid him on the bed of Elisha, in his room, and then rode to Mt. Carmel to meet with him.
Elisha instructed his servant Gehazi to take his (Elisha’s) staff and to lay it on the face of the child. Gehazi did as he was asked, but he had to return and report that “there was neither voice, nor hearing” (2 Kings 4:3131And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. (2 Kings 4:31)). The staff was good and it belonged to Elisha, but it was rigid and unbending; it did not bring life to the child. As an application, the staff may represent to us the Word of God brought before a child, but in a way that is not adapted to his age and understanding. Likewise, when we consider his subsequent behavior in the next chapter, it is doubtful whether Gehazi had the spiritual insight and godly care that was necessary in this situation.
The Way of Imparting Life
When Elisha comes to the child and finds him dead, he does something different. First of all, he “prayed unto the Lord.” Then he “lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child: and the flesh of the child waxed warm” (2 Kings 4:33-3433He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. 34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. (2 Kings 4:33‑34)). He adapted himself to the size of the child, bringing before us the need for adults to come down to a child’s level, mentally and spiritually. He did not use a staff, but rather his own body. In a similar way, Paul could tell the Corinthians, “Ye are ... Christ’s epistle ... written ... not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:22Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: (2 Corinthians 3:2)-3 JnD). As a result, life was returning, but it was a process. So it is often with the salvation of young children. Again, it is recorded that Elisha “returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him” (2 Kings 4:3535Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. (2 Kings 4:35)). This interval speaks of further exercise before the Lord, and again Elisha feels led to come down to the child’s level and bend over him (JND trans.). This time there is very distinctive evidence of life, for “the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes” (vs. 35).
Early Signs of Life
It is interesting and instructive to notice that the real sign of life was the child’s sneezing seven times. It might seem like an unusual evidence of life, but nevertheless, it is clear and definite. Dead bodies do not sneeze! So it is often when children first come to the Lord. At first there may not be a clear oral confession of Christ as Savior; rather, they may say or do something, perhaps in a slightly unusual way, but what they say or do tells us clearly that they now have new life in Christ. In our story, Elisha delivers the child to his mother, as it was her responsibility to continue her work of bringing him up for the Lord.
Again, I would suggest that this incident shows us that real exercise is needed in bringing the Word of God before our children, and a real effort must be made to bring the Scriptures down to their level, explaining them in a way that will help them to understand. However, in all these things, we must remember that while we have our responsibility to bring the Word of God before our children in the right way, ultimately it is not our faithfulness that brings blessing to them, but rather the sovereign grace of God. If there is any blessing in our children’s lives, we cannot take credit for it. It is the grace of God that both saves and keeps, and to Him must be all the praise.
W. J. Prost