Parents have a God-given responsibility to train their children. Solomon writes, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:16). “Training” involves instruction and demonstration. Such training should be done with love and understanding. Paul admonishes fathers, saying, “do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord’ (Eph. 6:4). This is a sadly neglected essential in our time.
Children who are growing up without parental supervision and discipline are adding to the alarming crime statistics in America. Our children need food, clothing and shelter; but they also need guidance, discipline and love. An Old Testament priest by the name of Eli is an example of a parent who did not provide these basic needs. First Samuel 3:13 simply says that he did not rebuke (restrain) his sons. The results were catastrophic for the entire nation. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were wicked men who used the priesthood for selfish pleasure. Because they lived their lives without regard to rules, God said He would “judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves…” (1 Sam. 3:13). As a result, Hophni and Phineas died in battle with the Philistines, along with 30,000 men of Israel when they foolishly carried the ark of the covenant into battle, thinking God would be compelled to fight on their behalf. When Eli heard the news that his sons had been killed and the ark of the covenant had fallen into enemy hands, he fell backward from his seat and broke his neck.
A sad epilogue to this narrative is that Samuel, the man chosen by God to replace Eli, and one of God’s greatest servants, made the same mistake with his sons. Samuel’s sons also became corrupt as indicated by Israel’s demand for a king because Samuel’s sons did not walk in his ways (1 Sam. 8:4-9). Part of our duty to God as parents is our responsibility to provide training for our children. Neglect of this responsibility comes as a very high cost.