Train up a child in the way ....

Hebrews 11 teaches of the faith of Moses' parents. It says by faith--they made that ark and by faith they were not afraid of the king's command. It was their clear cut choice as parents. Parents are to move by faith and their faith is to rise above their fear.

Now, you can say that Moses' mom and dad made a clear cut choice. They moved Moses to the brink of the Nile--placed him in that ark--pitched and slimed it--they were choosing to live by faith and not by site.

Then the very next verse starts talking about Moses! Just like Amram and Jocobed made a choice by faith---Moses had to make several choices by faith! He choose affliction with the people of God rather than affiliation with the people of Egypt! He chose reproach over riches! Looking at this--Moses was sending Pharoah a message that went something like this--"Pharoah! My worst day spent serving Jesus is better than my best day serving you!"

But its clear! Moses' parents faith didn't guarantee Moses' faith! Parents make choices based on faith--but when children "come to years" they, too, are faced with choices of their own!!

Now, Moses stood a better chance at succeeding--because his parents succeeded--but that didn't guarantee Moses' would make clear cut choices--but aren't you glad he did!!

Deuteronomy 30: 19 says, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. That I this day have set before yoiu life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

Your buddy,
Brother David

 

Proverbs 22:6---Intersting verse! The phrase, "The way he should go," literally means, "according to the mouth of his ways".

The way to mold a child is to work with the appetites he has and form them into God honoring attributes. If we do this, then they "Even when he is old he will not depart from it".

Forcing a particular personality or characteristic upon a child will ineveitably cause harm either for the parent who becomes frustrated with the child or on the child who becomes frustrated.

So train up a child in the way he would go...

Rob

[ September 16, 2003, 06:13 AM: Message edited by: Deacon ]

 

Amen, Deacon Rob! Amen!
Blackbird

 

I think it's also important to note that proverbs were not meant to be personal promises. They are general rules, observations of the wise man on the way things generally work in this life.

There are no gaurantees when it comes to children, but the wise will use wise childtraining methods and will usually succeed--implanting wisdom in their children.

In Christ,

Tim

 

I don't read Hebrew, but I've been told that there is no word for "should" in this verse. The passage, then, could mean that if a parent allows a child to go his own way (willful, unruly, etc.), the child will continue in that behavior as an adult. This statement would connect well with 22:15, "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." I don't know if this is the definitive explanation, but it is a possibility.

 

Too often I have heard parents of wayward children quote this verse and wonder how long wil it take before they come back.

Proverbs are principles not promises.

Judas was with Jesus and he went astray and killed himself.

 

Correct. Also, we focus on the child in the proverb where the focus is on the parental role to train. That's the teaching there: parents, train your children. They'll be much better off than if you leave them to fend for themselves or if you spend your time being their buddy instead of mom or dad.

 

Rev. Billy Sunday, the great evangelist believed that proverbs 22 taught that if you raised your child right, then they will turn out right because God will never let them stray from godly teaching.

Until his son died in an automobile accident due to drunk driving (his son was a heavy drinker and was thought to be a "wife beater.")

He said that he learned a valuable lesson from this, Train up the child in the way he shall go means, to Billy Sunday, that if you instill Godly conviction in them then they will grow into adulthood with that conviction in the back of their minds always. Their life choices are still their own, all men are accountable for themselves, but at least you have given a testimony of conviction to them that they may fall upon.

 

I don’t see Proverbs 22:6 as promising Christian parents that their children will be among the chosen, that's up to the LORD and His good will. I see the proverbs as practical wisdom from Solomon.

In the book, “Benjamin Franklin, an American Life”, (Simon and Schuster, 2003), Walter Issacson illustrates the principle of raising up a child in the way he should go.

Benjamin Franklin was the youngest son of a youngest son, five generations back. Being the youngest son usually meant that the “family business” was not an available option since smaller towns generally didn’t have the ability to support more than one tradesman of any type. The younger brothers were either sent away from the family as they became older or apprenticed to other professions. The plan for young Benjamin was to enter the ministry (Benjamin was the tenth son of his father Josiah, it would be as a sort of tithe to God). His father could be proud of a son in the ministry.

But plans changed. Josiah may have seen characteristics in Benjamin that indicated that the Puritan clergy would be an inappropriate place for him. As a minister Benjamin may have brought dishonor upon his father but being wise his father changed his plans. “Benjamin was skeptical, puckish, curious, irreverent…. Anecdotes about his youthful intellect and impish nature abound but there are none that show him as pious or faithful.”

After a number of different choices were tried, Josiah eventually had Benjamin enter into apprenticeship in the developing field of printing, allowing Benjamin’s unique personality (his energy, curiosity, skepticism, and inventiveness) to be channeled into a field that was better suited for him.

Rather than forcing the child into paths that were unsuited to his personality, the father wisely placed his son in a position to excel. And Benjamin Franklin did not dishonor his father. …Even when he was old he did not depart from it.

Rob