Urgent Parenting Lessons From the Old Testament

Some of the most important lessons of parenting come from the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Some Christians might find this idea to be unusual since the New Testament is often emphasized in churches. As a Christian I believe that the birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus Christ brought about a new covenant between God and humans. In this new covenant, Jesus paid for our sins by dying on the cross. We must lead good, moral lives–not to win God’s favor–but because it is the least we can do to honor the sacrifice made by our Lord and Savior. God hates sin, and Jesus’ cruel death is evidence of God’s abhorrence to the evil of this world.

And yet the Old Testament is chocked full of God’s mercy and grace, even as His people disappoint him at every turn. How could he love those people who turn against him when things aren’t going well for them? How about people who murder, blaspheme, are plagued with greed, and worship idols? The miracle of this story is that God did indeed llove the people of the Old Testament, just as he loves us today in spite of our sins.

How could God bless Jacob after he had the audacity to wrestle with an angel? Sampson delighted in his fraternization with the enemy. God still used Sampson to propagate His will, and Sampson used his last breath to destroy the temple that housed his traitorous wife and his captors. King David is the ultimate example, as he returned to God’s love after committing both adultery and murder. Adam and Eve, King Saul, the Babylonians… the list of examples goes on and on.

The only way we could make ever make sense of God’s love for humans is to compare it to a parent’s love for a child. My heart warms to see my own children make heartfelt attempts to please me by obeying my rules, even though my heart aches when they make wrong choices. I never give up on my kids. I want them to succeed; I cheer for them at every turn!

What better way to improve our parenting than by studying God’s relationships with His chosen people? The Old Testament offers many, many, examples of people–both good and evil–in many, many situations. People make their own choices, but they are influenced by their personalities and their circumstances. We can’t completely control our children’s actions, just as God doesn’t choose to completely control our choices. However, by carefully studying Biblical stories we can understand how we might set our children up for success in their lives.

About the author:

Jane Thursday is a freelance writer, a mother of two young children, and an elementary school principal. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership, a master’s degree in school administration, and 6-12 English Language Arts teaching licensure. She has studied public education in the United States, South Africa, the Philippines, and England.

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