What is the Purpose and Value of Children,

and How Should I Reflect These Values?

WCFS Clinic Biblical Foundations for Family Life

November 2, 2005  Essay by: Tim Cox

Introduction

There are three main things that I see about children when I read the Bible. The first is that God created marriage between a man and a woman, because He is seeking godly seed. The second thing I see is what the purpose of children is, how God created them for a special purpose. The third is that there are different roles and duties of each family member, what the role of the father and mother is, and what the duties of children are. With that being said, I will start with what God's purpose is for marriage.

God's Purpose for Marriage between a Man and a Woman

Introduction

God created marriage for many purposes, but I only have two that I think are bigger purposes. God's main purpose for marriage is so that He can have a godly seed. His second big purpose is so that people be fruitful and multiply, and be able to subdue the earth, and have dominion over it. The only way to have seed, and to be fruitful and multiply is by marriage, which I will further discuss.

Seeking Godly seed. God's main purpose for marriage is to find godly seed. Malachi 2:15 says that, didn't He make one? ...And why one? Because He seeks godly seed. He has all these mansions and all this wealth, and He wants as many sons and daughters as He can get, for an inheritance. He brings two seperate human beings together, one man and one woman, and He makes them one unit to fulfill His purposes. God designed us so that there has to be a man and a woman, who come together in a marriage agreement, to have children. You can't have children with two men, or two women, it just can't happen. Another reason that there has to be a man and a woman in a marriage, is that you can't raise godly seed with two men, or two women. There has to be one man, who is the head of the household and protector of his wife's and children's feelings and emotions; and one woman, who is the comforter and caretaker of her husband and children. That is the only way to raise godly seed. What is godly seed? It says in 1 John 3:10 that this is how the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever doesn't practice righteousness is not of God, neither is the person who doesn't love his brother. Because from the beginning, God has commanded us to "love one another" just like he has loved us. In 3 John verse 14, John says that he has no greater joy than to hear that his children walk in truth. God has no greater joy than when we walk in truth.

Multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. The second big purpose for marriage is so that the earth will be populated and had dominion over by man. When God made man, He blessed Adam and Eve, and told them to 'be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion' over the fish, and the birds, and everything that moves on the earth. (Genesis 1:28) When a man and a woman join together into one unit by marriage, and have children, they fullfill the command to be fruitful and multiply, and to replenish the earth. By fullfilling the command, they fullfill God's purpose for marriage.

The Purpose of Children

Introduction

God made children for several special purposes. Two of those purposes are, first: to bring glory to God, and second: they are signs of God's blessing.

Children bring glory to God. The first and main purpose that God made children for, is to bring glory to Him. One of the ways they bring glory to God, is how they are created and born. In Psalms 139:13-15, David praises God for how He made him. He says, "You [God] formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mothers womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made". Then in verse 15, he says "My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." Children show God's skillful and wonderful handiwork. Another way that children bring glory to God is that sometimes, God will make woman barren for a while, so that He can do a great work to show that that child was specially chosen by God for something great. There are many examples of this, like, how the prophet Samual's mother Hannah, was barren until God saw fit for her to have Samual; and the mother of Samson, the man that had incredible, out-of-this-world strength, was also barren until God saw fit. There were also woman who were barren, that had children when they were normally too old to have children, like Sarah, Abraham's wife, who was ninety-some when she had Isaac. There was also Elizabeth, the mother of John the baptist, who was considerably aged when she had John, another man that God had special plans for.

Children are a sign of God's blessing. Another purpose that God made children for is to be a sign of God's blessing, as well as being a heritage from the Lord. It says in Psalms 128 verses 3b-4, that your children will be like [healthy] olive plants all around your table. This is how the man who fears the Lord will be blessed. In Psalms 127:3a, it says that "children are a heritage from the Lord". Then in verse 4, it says that the children of ones youth is like arrows in the hand of a warrior, and happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.

The Roles and Duties of the Different Members of the Family

Introduction

There are different roles and duties for each member of the family. What is the role of fathers? What is the role of mothers? What are the duties of the children? These are three areas that I will discuss.

The role of fathers. There are many roles of the father. one of them is to work to provide food for his family. The father is commanded to work to provide for his family, but it's so easy to get consumed in his work, that he can become seperated from his family. There has to be a balance between working for the family, and spending time with the family. Another role of the father is that he's responsible for the training of his children, and the nurture and admonition of his family. In Galations 4, it talks about how the father apoints tutors to teach his children, because he is the master of all. In Ephesians 6:4 fathers are told not to provoke their children to wrath, but to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Then in Colosians 3:21 it says again to not provoke their children, "lest they be discouraged".

The mothers role. Woman are designed by God to rule with their husbands over all creation, and more specifically in their own homes, but she must not usurp her husbands authority. She also rules with her husband over her children as a authority. Another role of the woman is to have children. Woman were designed and commanded by God to have children. In 1 Timothy 2:14b-15, it says that the woman was the one that was decieved, and so fell into transgression, but she will be able to be saved in childbearing.

The duties of the child. There are many roles of children, but the main one is to obey their parents. In Proverbs, it says to obey your parents so that you will live a long life. In Ephesians 6:1 it tells children to obey their parents, for this is right. Then in Colosians 3:20, it says to obey your parents, for it is well pleasing to the Lord. Another dutie is to love. In 1 John 3:18 it says, "little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." Children must love God, their parents, their siblings, and freinds, not with words, but for real, for truth. 

Conclusion

There are three main things that I see about children when I read the Bible. The first is that God created marriage between a man and a woman, because He is seeking godly seed. The second thing, is what the purpose of children is, and how God created them for a special purpose. The third is that there are different roles and duties of each family member, what the role of the father and mother is, and what the duties of children are.