Luke 1:17 "and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."
This verse lets me off the hook in many ways! God is directing His comments to the fathers. Why? He wants a people prepared. Or am I really off the hook?
This passage is directed to the children of Israel "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God," as found in verse 16. Are we not the spiritual seed of Abraham? Are we not heirs in the Jewish Messiah? This, I believe, totally includes the "disciples" of Jesus...that would be us.
I am coming under the conviction that yes, we mothers are going to be called into account for how we manage our homes and train our children, yet to what end are we doing this most sacred work? I have been pondering this all morning; why didn't God include mothers in this passage? Of course, I have some thoughts about this..so, here are some of them.
Do I think that God really has a familial hierarchy?
Jesus->husband->mother->children. I mean, do I really and truly believe this? If I do, am I living exactly what God has to say about such a powerful matter?
Could I, being the mother, be left out because I am to be training my son to honor and respect his father in order to ready him for his father's godly and manly training?
Or in my dissatifaction of what I see on a daily basis cause me to be prideful and undermine my husband and his meager efforts? Am I my husband's worst enemy? (Proverbs 31:12 is suddenly ringing and clanging in my ear. " She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.")
If I am not training my son to honor, respect and obey his earthly father....well, you already know the rest. He will not honor, respect and obey his Heavenly Father. So, maybe we mothers are not off the hook with this verse at all!
If we do not train our children to be prepared for their fathers training...even if it is just in tiny increments spaced out over way to much time in most mothers opinions...then we are setting our families and those families who might be observing us for "utter destruction."
Malachi 4:6 says "And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."
I know that I am always shouting verse to the mountain tops to my husband and all that can hear, but I do play a part in these verses? I do believe that God has, in His Divine Wisdom, put into place a familial hierarchy, therefore, I am as Isaiah...I am a man of unclean lips. As Peter, declaring that I am a sinful man! And even Job who says he is a worm. God have mercy...
I am reaping several hardships because of me not honoring, respecting and obeying my husband. On the flip side, I am also reaping several hardships because I did honor, respect and obey. I don't believe that God said everything would be perfect if I honored my husband. Just take a gander at Sarah...she honored and obeyed and ended up in Pharoah's house, but God protected her. I do believe He will protect me, too.
I am included in these verses, because my husband is my head. If he goes down then so do I and our children. Utter destruction is a good motivator to repent and ask for forgiveness.
"Father, forgive this self-centered prideful woman. Please cleanse me from the stench of undermining my husband. Please create in my heart a proper love and respect towards him. I want this for Your Glory and to be in obedience, so "utter destruction" in the sphere that You Yourself have placed me...cannot be laid at my feet. Allow my feet to run the race You have set before me with endurance and with in the familial hierarchy that You have ordained."
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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