Ends and means
2007-11-19Of late, there’s a move afoot to return to a Christian understanding of family. In particular, men are embracing their responsibilities to their wives and children by loving, nurturing, and protecting them. This is a good thing.
At the same time, I’m concerned that this movement could easily get tunnel vision. So, I offer this quick thought.
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)
These verses spawned the label for a certain subset of family reformation: “quiverful”. But these same verses also make a critical point.
Family is a means, not an end.
I have seen families so caught up in the “return to home” that they have turned inward and turned their families inward. Rather than engaging the culture where they live, they have retreated to remote locations to protect their children from the “world”.
This is not what children are for. Children are for warfare. They are for storming the gates of the enemy, for launching in salvoes against the forces of darkness, for siege warfare and conquest.
What good is a quiver of arrows if it’s tucked into your bedroll, safely back at camp?
Very good points Seth! These are words we need to take to heart. I would like to make one point, however. Children are for warfare - when they are grown. We don’t send children out to storm the gates. Too often, our children are seen as agents of evangelism. I guess some have forgotten the Children’s Crusade.
Just some random thoughts on the arrow metaphor. Arrows are just sticks we pick up off the ground or off the tree and immediately put into our bows. They are forged and crafted in a time of peace, before the battle, not in the midst of the battle. Now, since our battle is ongoing, I still don’t think - purely from a arrow/war metaphor, that any historical battle included the crafting of the arrows, or any weapons, on the battlefield. See what I’m saying?
I’m not taking a stance either way, just presenting a defense of the other side by pointing out the breakdown of the analogy.
Adding to what Joshua said (and Joshua is missing a “not” between “are” and “just” in his second sentence if I read him right) and to rephrase your question, “What good is a quiver of arrows that has been fired off before the tips are sharp?”
The second half of your argument here proves a bit too much.
I know precisely what you mean! There is a ditch on both sides of the road and I have certainly seen families who have turned inward and become an island unto themselves. They take the family to the exclusion of anything else, not the least of which is Christ’s Church! In fact I have seen families stay home and “worship” as a family on the Lord’s Day, forsaking the assembling.
Now, of course we don’t just send our young children out into the world and hope they do okay. And no, of course we don’t send them off into a Church environment that is damaging to them. And yes, there is a great need today for Father’s to train their children.
So I for one acknowledge the great need for a modern reformation and do believe we are seeing the stirrings of a modern reformation. But I do also believe we should be aware of the dangers on both sides and not be naive!
Hello, all!
“Children are for warfare - when they are grown.”
This seems to be a reasonable summary of the position being taken by the various commenters (except T.J.). So, I have a simple question: where in Psalm 127 does it talk about *grown* children? I’ll put it forward in other ways. Where in Ephesians 6 does Paul limit the call to Christian warfare to adults? Where in Matthew 16 does Jesus limit his call to “deny [yourself] and pick up [your] cross” to adults?
On the flip side, what of Psalm 8:2? “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.”
Or what of the example of the Israelite girl in 2 Kings 5? “Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy. (2 Kings 5:2-3)”
If we baptize our children into the Church, that makes them disciples. As such, they are Christian soldiers on the front lines with the rest of us.
At this point, I could soften my statements by looking at other passages. But I’m not going to. Suffice it to say that I’m aware of the differences in responsibility given to different disciples, which is why (for example) I wouldn’t advocate sending your children to the public schools. But I’m writing to people who already know this, so why preach to the choir?
Seth,
I don’t have time to go over all the verses you list, but the Hebrew words used for children in Psalm 127:3-4 refer to men actually (not trying to jump into a gender war - but it is what the text says), specifically champions, very mighty soldiers. I will try to get to the others later, but my arrows at home are arrows in production - come mighty warriors!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
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