Webster defined a prophet as “an interpreter; one that explains or communicates sentiments.” He also described a prophet as “a person illuminated, inspired, or instructed by God to announce future events.”
In the Hebrew Scriptures we can observe that prophets were people God chose to carry his message, and thus were endowed by the Holy Spirit, that is, God moving on the face of the earth, to carry out God’s special purpose. Prophetic utterance and the presence of the Holy Spirit were always somehow connected.
So what does this have to do with patriarchy? In my last journal entry I noted that patriarchs are anointed and appointed to serve in the pattern of prophet, priest, and king in their respective homes. That is how dominion is properly exercised and our masculine energies are properly focused. In terms of prophecy we understand that God expects us to teach his law to our children. In fact, in the Hebrew language the words law and parent are related. Law was to be transmitted from one generation to the next by parents.
Genesis chapter 18 gives us an interesting parallel. Three visitors come to Abraham to announce that his elderly wife Sarah will give birth in old age. They then look off in the distance to Sodom and the Lord asks if he should not tell Abraham what he is about to do, since he is becoming the father of a great nation. He justifies letting Abraham in on his plans by reasoning, “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Gen. 18:19). Patriarchy, prophecy, and law all come together.
The fundamental basis for patriarch as prophet is in Deuteronomy chapter 6. God commands the Israelites to remember and keep his law when they pass into the promised land. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut.6:4, 5). This “statement of faith” (called the schema) is recited by every observant Hebrew man every day. Then God ties it into patriarchal responsibility:
Teach them diligently is an interesting word thought in Hebrew. It means to sharpen, or impress deeply. Men were to deeply impress God’s commands into the hearts of their children.
The same word used to describe the process of sharpening arrows, and the parallel to Psalm 127:3-5 is unmistakable:
Notice the instruction is done by fathers when you sit in your house. In Jewish thought the home is the sanctuary of the Lord, and the kitchen table is its altar. It was given, understood, and expected, that this kind of instruction would be done at home, and while the family goes about its business. There is no other way to explain this, and we have no excuse for explaining it away or excusing ourselves from its obvious application.
Look at these other Scriptures tying fatherhood to biblical instruction: Ex. 12:26, 27; Ex. 13:8; Ps. 34:11; 1 Thess. 2:11; and Eph. 6:4. The Proverbs are full of instructions from father to son, and as a representative sample see Proverbs chapter 4.
The biblical testimony is strong. We have no excuse for not training our children, for not being the prophet of our home.
OK, so how do we go about it? Here are some suggestions:
Discipleship. This is the time honored way established by Scripture. Children learn by watching, doing, working closely with Dad. Jesus used the method with his disciples, but it was not new to him.
Direct influence. We can use our place as father and the credibility we gain from our own personal righteousness to deeply influence our children.
Exhortation. Reading and teaching from the Scriptures. Keeps us up-to-date and on our toes if we have the responsibility of teaching our children.
Prophet of the home, this is not the Sunday school teacher’s job. It is your job, and you will stand before God and account for how you filled the role of prophet in your home.
In the Hebrew Scriptures we can observe that prophets were people God chose to carry his message, and thus were endowed by the Holy Spirit, that is, God moving on the face of the earth, to carry out God’s special purpose. Prophetic utterance and the presence of the Holy Spirit were always somehow connected.
So what does this have to do with patriarchy? In my last journal entry I noted that patriarchs are anointed and appointed to serve in the pattern of prophet, priest, and king in their respective homes. That is how dominion is properly exercised and our masculine energies are properly focused. In terms of prophecy we understand that God expects us to teach his law to our children. In fact, in the Hebrew language the words law and parent are related. Law was to be transmitted from one generation to the next by parents.
Genesis chapter 18 gives us an interesting parallel. Three visitors come to Abraham to announce that his elderly wife Sarah will give birth in old age. They then look off in the distance to Sodom and the Lord asks if he should not tell Abraham what he is about to do, since he is becoming the father of a great nation. He justifies letting Abraham in on his plans by reasoning, “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Gen. 18:19). Patriarchy, prophecy, and law all come together.
The fundamental basis for patriarch as prophet is in Deuteronomy chapter 6. God commands the Israelites to remember and keep his law when they pass into the promised land. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut.6:4, 5). This “statement of faith” (called the schema) is recited by every observant Hebrew man every day. Then God ties it into patriarchal responsibility:
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deut. 6:6-9).These words were given as Moses called an assembly of men, fathers, patriarchs, to receive the instruction of the Lord for a future in a promised land. They were to love God with all they had, and do their best to teach their children to do the same.
Teach them diligently is an interesting word thought in Hebrew. It means to sharpen, or impress deeply. Men were to deeply impress God’s commands into the hearts of their children.
The same word used to describe the process of sharpening arrows, and the parallel to Psalm 127:3-5 is unmistakable:
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,By our prophetic input our children are sharpened and readied to be sent off into a future for which they are prepared because of our faithfulness.
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Notice the instruction is done by fathers when you sit in your house. In Jewish thought the home is the sanctuary of the Lord, and the kitchen table is its altar. It was given, understood, and expected, that this kind of instruction would be done at home, and while the family goes about its business. There is no other way to explain this, and we have no excuse for explaining it away or excusing ourselves from its obvious application.
Look at these other Scriptures tying fatherhood to biblical instruction: Ex. 12:26, 27; Ex. 13:8; Ps. 34:11; 1 Thess. 2:11; and Eph. 6:4. The Proverbs are full of instructions from father to son, and as a representative sample see Proverbs chapter 4.
The biblical testimony is strong. We have no excuse for not training our children, for not being the prophet of our home.
OK, so how do we go about it? Here are some suggestions:
Discipleship. This is the time honored way established by Scripture. Children learn by watching, doing, working closely with Dad. Jesus used the method with his disciples, but it was not new to him.
Direct influence. We can use our place as father and the credibility we gain from our own personal righteousness to deeply influence our children.
Exhortation. Reading and teaching from the Scriptures. Keeps us up-to-date and on our toes if we have the responsibility of teaching our children.
Prophet of the home, this is not the Sunday school teacher’s job. It is your job, and you will stand before God and account for how you filled the role of prophet in your home.
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