A biblical background of the family
The Bible gives us an account of a family, who established it, when and how it was established, and who are the members of a family. We note the following about a family:
- A family is an institution begun by God
- A family was first instituted in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:26-28, 5:1-2)
- A family is composed of a husband (male), wife (female), and children.
The Bible informs us that “male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27) and “He created them male and female and blessed them” (Genesis 5:2).
The above-mentioned information shows that God had a clear picture of a family in mind when he established it. God also had a clear picture in mind of who constitutes a family. One can safely say that, according to the Bible, a family may be defined as an institution that has a husband (male), wife (female) and children. The family, through the wife and the husband, was given a task to increase, multiply, fill the earth and rule creation.
The family before the sin of Adam and Eve
The above definition leads to an understanding that a family was a result of an act of God to establish marriage (Genesis 2:18-25). Therefore, any discussion of a family automatically touches the issue of marriage. According to the Bible, marriage and a family are inseparable. When the Bible speaks about marriage, it automatically speaks about a family because for a family to exist, there first has to be a marriage. Marriage produces a family that should comprise of a husband (male), wife (female), and children born out of the union of a husband and a wife in a marriage.
The family after the sin of Adam and Eve
The fall of Adam and Eve into the sin of disobeying God in the Garden of Eden corrupted the family. The beauty, innocence, and nature of a family took another turn as people began to move away from God, the creator of marriage and a family.
Sin changed that which God had intended a family to be. In the period after the fall of Adam and Eve, a family has taken many forms and shapes.
Presently, there are indications of families which are:
- Monogamous,
- Polygamous,
- Polyandrous,
- Single parent,
- Child-headed,
- Cohabitation (vat en sit) and
- Homosexual (same sex).
The biblical order of a family
Regardless of the sinful conditions we live in, God has not left us without direction on matters of a family. God has revealed his ways of managing a family and the proper life expected within a family. God has assigned the headship of the family to the husband. The headship follows the order described in Ephesians 5:23 and 1 Corinthians 11:3.
1. The role of members of a family
As indicated, a family has a husband (male), wife (female), and children born of the family. The biblical roles of a husband are to lead, manage, provide, and teach (govern, guard, guide, and gird). The biblical roles of a wife are to nurture, build, manage, and teach. The biblical role of children is to obey their parents.
2. Biblical examples of family life and management
- The story of Isaac and Rebecca (Genesis 24:1-66),
- The story of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27:1 – 46),
- The story of Jacob and his family (Genesis 37:1-36),
- The story of Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-2:11),
- The story of the prophet Eli (1 Samuel 12:34; 4:12-22) and
- The story of David and Absalom (2 Samuel 13:1-15:37; 18: 1-33).
3. Guiding our families on the ways of God
- Ensuring that children choose God’s ways,
- Seeking the will of God for our children,
- Praying for our families to live according to the will of God
- The danger of parents’ favouritism,
- The danger of not disciplining children,
- The responsibility of parents to provide for the children,
- The responsibility of husbands towards their wives,
- The responsibility of children to honour and be honest to their parents, and
- The responsibility of shaping and nurturing children.
Originally published in the print edition of DIVINE Magazine, Issue 02.
