Bible Stories

The modern family differs very strikingly from families in ancient times. We talk today about the ‘nuclear’ family — the somewhat isolated unit of mother, father and children. The historical reasons for this are quite well-known.

Before the Industrial Revolution, families were fairly close- knit, with the extended family of grandparents, parents and children, cousins and aunts, all living within a reasonable distance of each other. This is still a common pattern in agricultural societies. But the rise of modern industries gradually brought a change. Men and women went in search of jobs; the industrial cities, big centres of employment, attracted the homeless and jobless; the invention of the railway and the motor car increased mobility.

Today Mr and Mrs Average Family may enjoy four or five moves in a working lifetime. They will build up many important friendships along the way, while at the same time finding a gradual estrangement from their ‘home’ community and wider family.

It is not just parents who have found themselves adrift from their original moorings; today’s children feel cut off or estranged from their parents. We call this `the generation gap’. Again, the reasons for this are fairly clear. Families rarely seek their relaxation together; the teenager seeks his amusements and friendships among his own age- group, and competing interests come into the family.

This division between the generations was not to be found in the Hebrew family. The tribe, the community, was the social context for the individual and his family. Great respect was given to the senior members of the family or clan, because they represented the traditions of the tribe. As `elders’ they taught the customs, folklore and religion of the group. Their experience of life and of their God was something they shared with others. Within the family children were definitely ’seen and not heard’. Respect for their seniors was drummed into them from infancy.

Children were expected to ‘honour’ their parents and parents were exhorted to encourage their children, bringing them up to be responsible citizens and to love God. Yet this did not result in an oppressive society. There was a delightful informality and warmth in the ancient Israelite family which saw in the network of human relationships, grandparents, parents, children, aunts and uncles and cousins, a secure refuge in a threatening and insecure world.

Two special things stand out in the biblical picture of the family:

The clan structure ensured that all groups were given a place in the family. As far as we can tell from the Old Testament, the generations were happily integrated, on the basis of the ‘honour’ that each had for the others.

The fifth commandment ordered: ‘Honour your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God has given you.’ This was the Bible’s standard, although like all commandments it was not always obeyed. Jacob deceived his blind father Isaac to cheat Esau of the inheritance; Absalom revolted against his father, King David, and tried to depose him; Joseph’s brothers behaved in a most unbrotherly manner by selling him into slavery. But such incidents were seen as aberrations; mutual respect was still the cement of the clan.

Jewish spirituality centred on the home. The synagogue did not develop until quite late in Jewish history, and even when this became an important part of Jewish life it did not displace the family as the focus of religious life. Neither did the Temple and its sacrifices challenge the place of the home as the centre of Israel’s faith.

To this day the central religious event in Judaism is the Passover, which is essentially a family event as relatives and friends gather to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. Father conducts the service with its elaborate symbolism and each member of the family plays his part in it.

The New Testament also places attention on the importance of the family. Although it lays a greater stress on the church as the centre for fellowship, teaching and service it teaches that the relationship between parents and children is of fundamental importance. Children are to obey their parents. Parents are to be loving and encouraging, rather than repressive. It is their duty to discipline and instruct their children, showing by example the reality of faith.

The Western idea of faith as a private, individual affair is, therefore, quite unknown to Old and New Testament writers. Perhaps modern Christians can learn from the Bible that to be a member of a family is to have spiritual responsibilities towards our relatives. This is especially relevant to parents, because of the clear biblical teaching to bring up one’s children to love and fear God.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
The Family in Bible

• Question the Mays of God, God and Evil, Painful War
• The Bible's Witness
• How Artists have seen Jesus? Did they know what Jesus look like?
• Christian... Names and Titles of Jesus Christ
• Christian Miracle and God