As
a parent, the end of leadership and control seems to be the absolute
ignoring of one's child to any commands, wishes, or even civil
conversation. Any communication becomes largely shouts and threats.
The parent or leader has no way to begin to repair any breakdown in
the division. Disobedience in any form or fashion becomes the
miller's grindstone reducing parent and child to powder, carried away
by the slightest wind of daily challenge. Haunting images begin to
beat on the heart and mind of the parent further grinding away self
esteem. On a human level it appears Satan has gotten the ultimate
final victory.
Example
(1) But when the disobedience is directed toward our all-powerful
God, the final victory is always in His hands and wishes. He teaches
us this lesson, and many others, in the lives of His nation of
Israel.
We
just saw God had carried out His promise (of death) to all those Jews
that disobeyed His command to go to Babylon, and instead went to
Egypt. God never fails on His promises – either in peace,
provision, or punishment.
And
now those totally defiant ones who chose to remain in Jerusalem were
warned back in Jeremiah 21:5-9. The extent of the famine in the city
(blockaded by the Babylonian enemy) was that parents would actually
eat their own children. Jeremiah 19:8-9. In spite of the warning,
they did it anyway. In Lamentations 4:1-10, the prophecy came
terribly true.
Example
(2) of the terrible result of parent-child disobedience begins in the
well-known Ten Commandments of Exodus 20. A description of them opens
the first 3 verses of Ephesians 6. “Children, obey your parents in
the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is
the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee,
and thou mayest live long on the earth.” I'm thinking the “mayest
live long” refers to the Old Testament command regarding totally
defiant children stated in Deuteronomy 21:18-21. They were to be
stoned to death.
The
key to see here is the two-step level of authority simply stated in
the Ephesians 6 verse: “Children, obey your parents in the
Lord...”. More specifically the phrase “in the Lord”.
Children
are to see their final responsibility is to “the Lord...” They
are to obey their parents because it is the Lord's command, that
carries terrible results for disobedience.
The
parents must see their roles as parents can only be effective if they
saturate their whole leadership “in the Lord”. When parents daily
feed on all scripture WITH THEIR CHILDREN, the truth is daily
reinforced that children are finally responsible, through their
parents, to the Lord.
Above obedience, we'll next look at Full of Joy - Real Joy.
