As I mentioned in my first post, patriarchy refers to the rule of the father, applying guidance and direction to the home for which he is responsible. The father rules from covenantal commitment to those under his charge.
I am intrigued with the metaphor Paul uses in Eph. 5:25-33. A husband loves his wife [and children] as Christ loved the church, and gave his life for her. This is loaded with meaning that cuts me to the core.
Jesus loved the church, the gathering of God, the new nation he would call to himself, to the point that he assumed responsibility for our sins. He bore the responsibility of what Adam did in the garden, and paid the price for it. He did it from covenantal commitment. He didn’t sin, but he took responsibility for it and bore the consequences of it.
Therefore, as priest of the home, a husband bears the same responsibility. While each one is responsible for individual sins, the covenantal head of the home is responsible for the collective sins of the household, and has the duty of confessing them before God and seeking forgiveness. If my children act out and cause shame, it is my responsibility to intercede for them on their behalf, even though they bear personal responsibility.
A priest acts as intercessor between the people for which he is responsible and God. So he goes to God on behalf of the people, and he goes to the people on behalf of God. He is go between.
Hence the teaching role. The patriarchal head teaches his wife and children the application of Scripture so that they know how to conduct their lives in a way that honors the Lord and does not bring reproach on the household.
The patriarchal head is responsible for education and what the children learn. If the family home schools he has greater control, and even though the mother may do most of the actual instruction, he is responsible for content. If he sends them to school his responsibility is not diminished, but the fulfilment of it is more complicated because he cannot control content and he must monitor continually what his children are learning.
The long and short of it is that we fathers will stand before God to account for how our families turned out, and how we handled our priestly duties. We cannot guarantee that all will go well, so we like Job, intercede for those under our authority, and ask forgiveness for failures within our families and guidance for correcting and restoring. It is the covenant commitment we have made.
God give us grace for this priestly responsibility.
I am intrigued with the metaphor Paul uses in Eph. 5:25-33. A husband loves his wife [and children] as Christ loved the church, and gave his life for her. This is loaded with meaning that cuts me to the core.
Jesus loved the church, the gathering of God, the new nation he would call to himself, to the point that he assumed responsibility for our sins. He bore the responsibility of what Adam did in the garden, and paid the price for it. He did it from covenantal commitment. He didn’t sin, but he took responsibility for it and bore the consequences of it.
Therefore, as priest of the home, a husband bears the same responsibility. While each one is responsible for individual sins, the covenantal head of the home is responsible for the collective sins of the household, and has the duty of confessing them before God and seeking forgiveness. If my children act out and cause shame, it is my responsibility to intercede for them on their behalf, even though they bear personal responsibility.
A priest acts as intercessor between the people for which he is responsible and God. So he goes to God on behalf of the people, and he goes to the people on behalf of God. He is go between.
Hence the teaching role. The patriarchal head teaches his wife and children the application of Scripture so that they know how to conduct their lives in a way that honors the Lord and does not bring reproach on the household.
The patriarchal head is responsible for education and what the children learn. If the family home schools he has greater control, and even though the mother may do most of the actual instruction, he is responsible for content. If he sends them to school his responsibility is not diminished, but the fulfilment of it is more complicated because he cannot control content and he must monitor continually what his children are learning.
The long and short of it is that we fathers will stand before God to account for how our families turned out, and how we handled our priestly duties. We cannot guarantee that all will go well, so we like Job, intercede for those under our authority, and ask forgiveness for failures within our families and guidance for correcting and restoring. It is the covenant commitment we have made.
God give us grace for this priestly responsibility.
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