A mother blurted out this question: \u201cHow much do you think should I get paid as a caregiver for my son?\u201d Confused, the person she was talking to asked for clarification, and this was her response: \u201cWell, my adult son still lives with me and does not really have a good paycheck. I am saddled with bills and need more money to help pay for them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Psalm 127:3<\/a> says, \u201cBehold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.\u201d Two words stand out to describe the value of children: heritage<\/em> and reward<\/em>. First, the word heritage<\/em> denotes an inheritance or a portion of value. Second, the word reward<\/em> means something given in recognition of a service or an achievement. And the giver of this heritage and reward, our children, is the Lord\u2014a blessing indeed!<\/p>\n The Israelites experienced a baby boom\u2014God\u2019s inheritance and reward to His people\u2014so much that they became a threat to the Egyptians. And no matter how badly the Egyptians treated the Israelites, God divinely increased them. And to put a stop to this population explosion and bring their numbers down, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill any male child born by throwing them into the Nile. But the midwives disobeyed Pharaoh for they were God-fearing women\u2014and God dealt well with them by rewarding them with their own families. \u201cAnd the people multiplied and grew very strong\u201d (Read Exodus 1<\/a>). By the time they left Egypt for the great exodus, there were \u201csix hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children\u201d (12:37).\u00a0<\/p>\n Deuteronomy 28<\/a> opens with the blessings that the Lord provides. It shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that the verses included the gift of children to the Israelites. Moses said, \u201cAnd if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth\u2026Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb\u2026And the LORD shall make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb\u2026\u201d (vv.1, 4a, 11ab).\u00a0<\/p>\n Going back to the very beginning, the creation, God gave the first multiplication assignment to Adam and Eve. He said, \u201cBe fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it\u2026\u201d (Genesis 1:28<\/a>). We read it next after God destroyed the Earth, when He commanded Noah and his sons to \u201cbe fruitful and multiply and fill the earth\u201d (Genesis 9:1<\/a>). To Abraham, God promised, \u201cYou shall be the father of a multitude of nations\u2026I will make you exceedingly fruitful\u2026\u201d (Genesis 17:4<\/a>,6).\u00a0<\/p>\n Perhaps one of the most prolific fathers was Jacob, Abraham\u2019s grandson, with his 12 sons\u2014shepherds by profession. Out of Jacob came the 12 tribes, God\u2019s chosen people, the fulfilment of God\u2019s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They tasted and saw God\u2019s goodness as He led them to the promised land, Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey and fruits\u2014grapes, pomegranates, and figs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fashioned after His image, God\u2019s people became producers of humankind\u2014the blessing!\u00a0<\/p>\n In biblical times\u2014and way beyond those times\u2014it was customary to keep living with your family as a community. It made sense when Moses was teaching the Israelites how to love God with all of their heart, soul, and might, and how important it was for the parents to teach this to their children. He said, \u201c[You] shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise\u201d (Deuteronomy 6:7<\/a>). They were together 24\/7.<\/p>\n As children turned to adults, they owned their own habitations but lived in very close proximity. They had fellowship and shared meals. This was proven by Esau asking his brother Jacob to serve him his red lentil stew (Genesis 25:30<\/a>). And when Isaac was weak and dying, Isaac requested his son Esau to prepare the delicious food that he loved\u2014and Esau didn\u2019t hesitate to go out to the field and hunt game to prepare it (Genesis 27:3-4<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n When three of his oldest brothers followed Saul to fight the Philistines, David was ordered by his father Jesse to run an important errand for him. \u201cTake to your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp for your brothers\u201d (1 Samuel 17:17<\/a>).<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t hard for the fathers to turn over the reins to their sons. They didn\u2019t have to force them to learn their trades. It was expected that they would take over and handle the business and family affairs. They grew up in it, with hands-on experience. Brothers Simon and Andrew and brothers James and John were all fishermen like their fathers until Jesus called them (Matthew 4:18-22<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\nThe Blessing of a Family<\/h2>\n
Family Is the Most Important Community<\/h2>\n