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Volume. XIX, No. 48 Family relationships - guidance from the BibleMost of us would like to belong to a happy family. What are your aspirations for your family? Surely not pain, suffering and sickness. There are societal aspirations of an ideal family which is the reason that whenever there are misdeeds committed by the families of political leaders and the monarchies of the world, they make news. A family is a collection of people of a common lineage. A family is also a coalition of sinful people like you and me. God has given us instruction through his Holy word as to what a family should and should not be. If we were to go back to the records of the first families in the book of Genesis, we find many illustrations of problem families and we should strive to avoid some of their pitfalls. We need to be made aware of the realities of sinful families that we may shape our expectations for our own families. Sibling Rivalry Deception to gain inheritance. Jacob seizes the blessing by deception. (Genesis 27: 18-29) Jealousy. “And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” (Genesis 37:4) Lying and Deception Sons mislead their father about the death of their brother Joseph to cover up their evil deed of selling their brother away. (Genesis 37:25-35) Conflicts with Spouse A husband’s fear causes him to place his wife at risk in another man’s household and to ask her to lie. (Genesis 12) Sexual Abuses Desperation and the shame of not being able to marry causes Lot’s two daughters to make their father drunk and commit incest with him. (Genesis 19:31-36) Tamar, a widow turns to prostitution to entice Judah, her father-in-law, to provide for her living. (Genesis 38:11-26) Substance Abuse Lot was drunk with wine when he committed incest with his two daughters. (Genesis 19:32-36) Leah uses an aphrodisiac called mandrake to entice her husband (Genesis 30:14-16) Problem Relationships between Parents and Children Esau’s poor choice of wives causes much grief to his parents Isaac and Rebekah. (Genesis 26:34-35) Retaliation, Anger and Vengeance The family accounts as revealed in Genesis is indeed a sobering record of the plight of the first families. God instituted the family unit when he created Adam and Eve, but alas due to sin and rebellion against God, man brought turbulence into family relationships. We may then ask “is there any hope, can we build a peaceful, healthy and God honouring family?” Family chaos, pain, suffering and deception are not God’s plan and instruction for us. God’s scripture frequently encourages us to build families filled with love, respect, kindness, care and hope Parents are encouraged to raise children in an environment of truth and integrity (Deut 6:2-7) We are offered guidelines for marriage, Wives submitting to their husbands and husbands loving their wives. (Eph 5:21-24, 1 Pet 3:1-7) We are warned of the temptation to sexual immorality. (1 Cor. 6:15-20) The family should be characterized by obedient children. (Eph 6:1-4 and Col. 3:20-21) As an encouragement to us all, let us, while heeding the warnings illustrated in Genesis of dysfunctional families, be blessed by God’s revelation through His word on what we should do for our families. Your Co-Labourer in Christ, |
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