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December 1, 2003, Vol.2, No.23. Instructing Children Dennis Jalbert Although I am not much more than a child myself, I have chosen to speak on children. Many children today are disobedient and defiant but when I turn to the Bible, I see that God teaches parents how to correctly raise their children. Children are to be obedient (Ephesians 6:1), honor older men (Leviticus 19:32, I Peter 5:5), treat their elders as fathers (1 Timothy 5:1) and to listen to their father’s instructions (Proverbs 4:1-2). These verses tell me not only that children can be obedient but that they must be obedient. This task is not solely up to the child though because they do not learn these things on their own. Parents are to instruct their young ones. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). God requires parents to continually teach their children about Him every chance they get. In a recent survey only twenty-five percent of teenagers were able to answer when the United States declared its independence. Nineteen percent missed the answer and fifty-six percent could not even give a rough guess. Parents are not only responsible for their child’s education, but more importantly, for their salvation. This process starts when a child is young. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). This is proven in 2 Chronicles 20:31-32 when the Bible states, "And he (Jehoshaphat) walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord." Parents must also set the right example before their offspring. The primary way children learn is by example. They imitate people who they respect. Paul tells us to, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). If the children are imitating the parents and the parents are imitating Christ, then the children will become like Christ! However, if parents fail to do these things, they will soon relate to Eli and his inability to control his sons. Eli was a good man, the judge of Israel, and the high priest, but he failed to raise his children properly. When his sons became corrupt (1 Sam. 2:12-17), he rebuked them for their sins (1 Sam. 2:22-25), but "he did not restrain them" (1 Sam. 3:13). In the next verse, God tells Samuel that there will never be a sacrifice that will take Eli’s sin away. Parents should never let this become their fate. In conclusion, we can see that all children are commanded by God to obey, honor and respect their parents and elders. The parents are commanded to continually teach their children so that they will grow up to be Godly men and women. Parents are also to be an example of Christ in everything they do so that their children will follow in their footsteps to be better Christians, unlike Eli’s wicked sons.
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