Arrows in the Hand of a Mighty Man

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man who hath his quiver full of them...
Psalms 127:4, 5

The holy Scriptures teach that children are a blessing from the Lord. Psalms 127:3 states that, "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Proverbs 17:6 adds, "Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers." If we realize the value of the children that God gives to us, we will take every precaution to insure that they are cared for in both a spiritual and physical way. The scriptures also teach that God expects us to care for those things that he gives to us. In the Bible, it is referred to as being "good stewards". This principle is illustrated in Matthew 25:14-30. From the book of Mark, we know that Jesus recognized the value of children.
Mark 10:13-16
13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked thosethat brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for such is the Kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not recieve the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Jesus used this to state the attitude and demeanor that one is to have when he or she is entering into the kingdom, however, there were also real, physical children in question here also. We must give Jesus' statement about our children the weight it deserves. Children are the basis for the Kingdom in a very different way also. They are the future of any local Church on the earth, and the means by which the Gospel will be taught to the world after the older members of the Church have long since returned to the Lord.

The responsibility for teaching children belongs to partents. Parents are charged to "train up a child in the way he should go in Proverbs 22:6. From Deuteronomy 6:6-7 we know that God thought that Children could and should learn what the scriptures teach. It says, "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." From these passages as well as from numerous examples (Joseph and mary teaching Jesus and taking him to worship, Lois and Eunice teaching Timothy, etc.) We know that parents are to rear children to revere the Lord.

We know that children are the responsibility of their parents, but we also know that the Church has a responsibility to the children present also. From passages such as Joshua 8:34-35 we know that Children are to be present at religious services. It says, "There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the Women and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them."

There are other examples of this in places such as follow:
2 Chronicles 20
Ezra 8
Nehemiah 12
Matthew 21

Parents should love their children as they are a gift from God. AThose who are members of the local church should likewise love the children as they are the future of the Church. This, then, is a challenge for those who read this and are members of the Lord's Church: The next time you are disturbed during a prayer by a child's crying or fussing, ask yourself, "Is the future of the Church worth putting up with an occasional distraction during worship?" The next time you find yourself exasperated by the endless questions or boundless energy of a child, ask yourself, "Is the future of the Church worth having patience for this child?" The answers to these should be obvious, after all, Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for such is the Kingdom of God."

May God bless you in your study of his Word.

By Mance Jay Davis Jr. February 20, 1997