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Preparing sons and protecting daughters
The most important decision is the one that concerns your
eternal destiny. The second most important decision is one
that concerns your entire life-time – marriage.
Marriage is not a just a matter of picking and
choosing who you like or responding to someone who likes
you. God is the Creator of marriage. He has revealed to us
in the Holy Scriptures the definition of marriage, His
precepts concerning the formation and structure of the
family.
Marriage is a covenant commitment between a man and
a woman to God and His Word, His principles and His precepts
and His laws that govern marriage.
Bible injunctions for Parents
1. God commands parents (fathers in particular) to be
ready and responsible (Num. 30:1-16).
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Fathers cannot not act. The principle of abdications is that
the father, by his silence, shows his approval.
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Fathers have the God-given authority to nullify a
vow/promise that his children make.
2. The father’s authority extends over the daughter’s
romantic interest (Deut. 22:13-21).
3. The father has the authority over the daughter in
the area of marriage (Exod. 22:16-17). The biblical pattern
is that sons marry, and daughters are given in marriage
(Matt. 24:39; Ps. 78:63).
Every man marries another man’s daughter, and if he
is a godly person, he is going to respect the authority of
the father of the girl whom he is going to marry.
Applications
1. Parents (especially fathers) are to be involved in
the children’s lives. The office of the father is often
despised by popular culture because fathers have been
derelict in their duties.
2. The father’s authority even in the area of marriage
is to be respected. The father’s authority cannot be
bypassed without dire consequences from God.
3. The father is the protector of the daughter’s sexual
purity (Deut. 22).
4. Sexual intimacy between a man and a woman is a
sacred act protected by the covenant of marriage. It is
reserved only for married people. Before marriage, no lady
and man should put themselves at risk by trespassing into
this sacred act (1 Cor. 6:18; 1 Thess. 4:3-5).
5. Parents, like our heavenly Father, have the
responsibility to protect our children from temptation
(Matt. 6:13).
6. A daughter is under the father’s authority and
protection until she comes under the husband’s protection in
a covenant marriage.
7. A son must take into account the authority of the
girl’s father. If a young man encourages a lady to disobey
her father, watch out!
8. While the father has the authority over the
daughter, a godly father will also take into account his
daughter’s interests and opinions. A godly father is going
to listen and direct the daughter in the path of
righteousness. |
