Tuesday, July 04, 2006

EDUCATING CHILDREN - Whose Responsibility Is It? - Part 2

So we’ve chosen our own path, we’ve developed our own model for educational success, and now, "Houston, we have a problem!" But it is not a new problem! It is actually quite old, and it is a problem that has gone on long enough that we are finally beginning to reap the dreadful harvest of what we have sown. This same thing has occurred over and over throughout history, and because we do not look to the past for advice, we are destined to repeat its mistakes.

It all began in the garden with man’s first rebellion, and it continues today, and as with all things, one of the best examples of man’s plight can be found in the pages of Scripture. We read about it in the opening chapters of the book of Judges. This same exact thing happened to the children of Israel following the days of Joshua. The fathers and mothers of Joshua’s day had forgotten their real responsibility; they had failed to pass on the things of primary importance - the things of God. They had failed in giving God His rightful first place in everything, including their children’s education, and as a result, after they were gone, their children reaped a harvest of God’s anger. In Judges chapter 2 verses 8-12 the Bible says:

"And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger."

The same thing that happened during the days that followed the death of Joshua, and his generation, is happening all over again today in this nation. Another generation is being raised up that knows little or nothing about the Lord and even less about what He desires His people to be, and it is all because so called "Christian parents" have not fulfilled their God given responsibility. Children are not being properly educated; they have not been taught the ways of the Lord, and as a result, we are reaping a harvest of God’s anger.

In his book Christian Education for the Real World, Dr. Henry Morris stated:
"As far as the Bible is concerned, the function of transmitting truth and educating the young belongs to the home and church... As with so many other divine ordinances, however, man has sadly corrupted God's plan, especially in these latter days, until finally the educational activities of mankind, as formalized in vast systems of public education, have become a chief instrument for turning man [children] away from the truth..."

But while we cannot expect the world to follow God’s Word, we should expect Christians to do so, but as Dr. Morris put it, many have "sadly corrupted God’s plan." And because of that, I want to sound the alarm, to make the call, to wake the sleeping Christian parents, and help them turn away from the world’s way of doing things and return to God’s way, and God’s Word.

In future posts, I would like to take a serious look at these accusations, and with scripture as my guide, try to determine who is really responsible for the education of children. I want to look at how education has changed throughout history in hopes of gaining a better understanding of where it went wrong and exactly how to get it back on the right path. I also want to offer time tested, Bible based, alternatives to the current system of education, alternatives that not only honor God, but alternatives that also produce better educated students, doing so with the hope that future generations of Christian parents will return to a system of educating its children that will both honor God, and produce well educated, God fearing citizens who are willing to stand their spiritual ground and fight the good fight of faith. Children are our greatest legacy, and only with God’s help, can we leave a godly legacy! So with this as my goal, please look with me at the question of who bares the responsibility of educating our children.

God Bless!
Dave Scarbrough...

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