| Family Altar - Does this annoy our children? |
by Mrs. Sharon White
{This article appeared in the February 2001 issue of the Puritan Light, and Home School Digest, Volume 12 #3.}
“They are made for eternity. Every child thou hast hath a precious and immortal soul, that must be for ever either in heaven or hell, according as it is prepared in this present state - and perhaps it must remove to that world of spirits very shortly.” - Reverend Matthew Henry, 1704.
A few months ago I heard a radio talk show where the host was interviewing the pastor of a very large congregation. The pastor was explaining how to teach children about God. He said that sitting down with them for a time of Bible reading was the “worst thing you can do.” His reason was that children get annoyed and irritated by this “family altar.” The better way, in his opinion, to train up children for God, was to “live out” the Bible in every day life and show them by your actions how to be Godly.
Somehow, this was hard for me to swallow. How can one “live out” the Bible without reading it? Why on earth would children be annoyed by hearing the loving words of our Heavenly Father? I believe the problem is the approach, the motivation and the atmosphere of the home.
When parents live in sin every day and refuse to give up their lustful behavior, how can children happily sit under their instruction? How could they even accept what their parents teach when they are Pharisees or Hypocrites. This is so obvious, but we have to be what we expect our children to be.
I can imagine the attempt of parents to begin this family altar and the children are not cooperative in the least bit. Their hard hearts are not comfortable in the presence of Mom and Dad because. . .the very nature of home life does not revolve around our Lord.
“These works at first will be very difficult, while sin is in any strength.” Richard Baxter. Yet how can things be changed? How can we get our children to respond? Soften your hearts, humble yourselves in their sight. Let them know that you are not perfect and are open to their thoughts, their cares, their opinions. Hear their counsel, for children are far wiser than we give them credit for.
Oh, dear Father, give us a grieving, loving heart for our children and melt our cold hearts. Give us your divine love and sorrow for their souls so that we can reach them with compassion instead of hard, empty rules.
“They have an everlasting inheritance of happiness to attain; and it is that which you must bring them up for. They have an endless misery to escape; and it is that which you must diligently teach them. . . It is in your hands to do them the greatest kindness or cruelty in all the world.” R. Baxter.
Observant Jews have this mastered. They have daily prayers and Scripture readings in the Synagogue and at home. This is done morning and evening. They have always been committed to Elohim (God). And those who have become Messianic, the ones who have accepted the Messiah, continue on with their devout lives which center around the worship of Yahshua (Jesus).
It is not enough for us to have our private time with God (though this is mostly ignored as well). We must share this love and law with our children. How can we be so selfish as to keep God to ourselves? It should pour forth from our lips, it should shine, unconcealed, from our hearts; it should be in our every thoughts and this, this, is the true way to lead our children to the Throne.
“God is to be worshipped every where, in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself.” - Westminster Confession of Faith, 1500’s.
I am sure we have all been urged to take up this great task. Many books have been written on the subject, many resolutions have been made, but to our utter shame, even in my own home, we have forsaken this incredible command, preferring rather to live in ease and pleasure.
“The reformation must begin.” - Rev. Matthew Henry.
“You must read the Scriptures to your families, in a solemn manner, requiring their attendance on your reading, and their attention to it: and inquiring sometimes whether they understand what you read.” - Rev. Matthew Henry.
If we would just begin. Just start. Gather the children round the table, or the rocking chair and plead with them your love for God. Describe the beauty of the Psalms, enjoin them to delight in the blessedness of God’s Holy Law. It can all start right now, it is all up to you.
I was reading in Genesis to my children. (My oldest is almost 13). They were not in the mood to hear the Bible, but I continued to read anyway. But as I went, I stopped and commented, laughed, explained and soon the bored heads of my dear beloved children, were lifted and entranced by the story I told. It was about when Jacob was traveling with his family and Dinah, his daughter, went out to visit the neighbors, where they had camped. She got into such trouble! There was a young man who wanted her for a wife and defiled her. Her vigilante brothers soon slew the entire village, which brought great fear into Jacob’s heart, and they had to flee. Oh, what lessons here! What incredible discussions which can go on and on! We just have to begin! Just open that precious Bible and read!
What about this neglect of training our children? Is this too inconvenient? “If you neglect their souls, and breed them in ignorance, worldliness, ungodliness, and sin, you betray them to the devil, the enemy of souls, even as truly as if you sold them to him; and you sell them to be slaves of Satan; you betray them to him that will deceive them and abuse them in this life, and torment them in the next.” - Richard Baxter, 1600’s.
Nobody does family altar anymore. “Don’t we all go to church and isn’t that good enough?” These thoughts are in complete rebellion against God’s clear command to teach our children diligently in the way they should go. He tells us “here a little and there a little” “precept must be upon precept.” This diligent teaching is done daily, moment by moment, and all this exhausting instruction is absorbed into the souls of our children.
“What monsters then of inhumanity are you, that read in Scriptures which is the way to hell, and who they be that God will deliver up to Satan, to be tormented by him; and yet will bring up your children in that very way, and will not take pains to save them from it!” - R. Baxter.
Our country has seen so much pain in the last few years. The massacre at Columbine High School, the rage of teen gang members killing other teens, and one horrible incident which comes to my memory is from right here in New England. A young man who murdered his girlfriend out of hatred while a group of friends stood nearby, motionless with terror. Oh, what regret will play in his mind for his entire life This is all the degeneration of our culture. This all began when we refused to train our children in the Holy Scriptures.
“If you seriously believe that there are such joys or torments for your children (and yourselves) as soon as death remove you hence, is it possible that you should take this for the least of their concernments, and make it the least and last of your cares?” R. Baxter.
Why do we continue to sit idly by with our eyes glazed over with blindness while ignoring what is going on around us? We cannot prevent our children from becoming the most evil monster in the world unless we get out of our lazy, slothful routines and, God help us!, turn to our children to teach them diligently of the ways of God. Why do we let the world and Satan have them? Do we not fear that we will reap what we have sown? Are we sowing worldliness and corruption into their hearts by our neglect?
Judgment will soon reign upon our homes and America will not be unscathed. It was at Sodom and Gomorrah where evil was the predominant religion. We are not far from this! In Genesis 18 and 19 we read of this terrifying story. The Lord said, “I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me. . “ What cry is he talking about? Look back in Genesis 4:10 where God says, “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” This is the cry from the earth which reaches the ears of God. The cry of sin and defilement! It is also spoken of in Revelation 6:10, where the “the souls that were slain for the word of God” said, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
Do we see that if we refuse to teach our children and they evoke terror and murder on earth that we are to blame! The promise given to parents is this: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This is for those who train, diligently, line upon line, precept upon precept and ‘when thou walkest by the way!’ This is not for careless training!
Woe unto us for our neglect! May God help us all to change our wicked ways and do His work before the end comes! “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
The angels said, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee. . escape to the mountains, lest thou be consumed.”
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