Tents of Mercy Congregation
Kiryat Yam, Israel
Israel is a family, especially since October 7. We are in an agonizingly shared experience of shock, loss, and grief. Yet also of determination, sacrifice, and solidarity. Each family that lost a loved one in that horrific attack, or lost a fighter in the solid year of battle that continues, or has hoped against hope for the return of a hostage, or had to vacate their home under repeated rocket attacks ― is the entire country in microcosm.
Speaking of families, it is the beginning of a new school year. Attempting to carve out some semblance of “normalcy,” each family is navigating the ever-present threat of this multi-front war intensifying.
Among believers in Yeshua, together with our loyal friends in the nations, there is an increased sense of needing each other. We know that God is calling us to a higher level of united prayer, worship, and mutual faith-strengthening. We are, after all, the House of God, His entire family ― Messiah’s Jewish and Gentile disciples together.
So, where does this concept come from? What does it mean to be a family? And what are the implications for my life, day to day?
I. Family: Where does it Come From?
“In the beginning God created…בראשית ברא אלהים.” All of creation and the entire human family come from God the Father “…of whom the whole family on heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14).
The vocabulary of family is woven into our nature, into our relationships, and throughout the Bible. We are His sons and daughters, created in His image, with an eternal inheritance. In fact, all creation waits for us to enter the fullness of what it means to be His children (Romans 8:21).
In the beginning was family. God created us male and female and told us to multiply.
We were given an unimaginable garden and a simple instruction ― which we didn’t follow! This problem of rebellion has plagued man ever since. God’s Book is one long story of His search for a family through whom He could restore, redeem, and reclaim His whole human family.
After Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sarah
Twenty generations after the first couple, God chose a man and a woman to save mankind ― Abraham and Sarah. Since the world was lost through family, it had to be saved through family.
The turning point was Abraham placing Isaac, the future of his promised family and of world redemption, on the altar. The Almighty’s response was to declare by oath (!) that all the families of the earth would be blessed by Abraham’s radical trust/obedience (Genesis 22:16-18). God then called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, indicating the central place of Abe’s family line in His eternal plan.
That divine oath would be fulfilled in another 28 generations through another family. In Nazareth, Yosef and Miriam (a direct descendant of Abraham ― “the seed of a woman” Gen.3:15) raised Yeshua, Savior of the world, until He began His public ministry.
God’s plan required (and still requires) families. Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and then Yosef and Miriam were His means of creating His everlasting kingdom on earth.
II. What Does It Mean To Be a Family?
The grand plan I just outlined is thrilling. But as a family man with “feet on the ground” I want to know my part. What am I aiming for? How can we reflect the original design and touch other families?
Of the numerous elements we could point to, I’ve chosen three. LOVE, IDENTITY, and MATURITY.
Love. God IS love. His love is at the very root and foundation of our lives as his sons and daughters (Ephesians 3:16-19). In an individual family, love is the sine qua non (that without which it cannot exist). The only way to build a blessed family is (A) to RECEIVE God’s love in abundance, and (B) to GIVE it in abundance. This love is not without discipline. Biblically, discipline is an outworking of love (see Hebrews 12:5-11).
Identity. When children and spouses are well-loved it creates an atmosphere of security. The ability to form and develop healthy relationships in life flows from being secure. As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and spiritual moms and dads, we help lay this groundwork of personal security through loving affirmation, correction, and patient communication. The Lord instructed Israel to teach our children in the home environment “…when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).
Maturity. We love, cuddle, and enjoy our children when they are little. Their gifts are to be discovered and nurtured along the way. Yet if they never mature, we become justifiably concerned. The ultimate goal of family and the fruit of secure identity is mature adults who are able to raise their own families. We can easily apply this to the family of God. Young believers mature to the stage where they can disciple others.
III. How Can We Foster a Healthy Family Day to Day?
I suggest these elements: INTERCESSION, HEALING, and LEGACY.
Intercessory prayer is the privilege and responsibility of everyone who cherishes family. The devil hates what God loves, right? Knowing that God loves family, it’s no wonder that the enemy uses his heaviest artillery against the well-being of each family. How else but on our knees can we respond to the complexity of raising children in the “smart phone” age, relating to inter-generational sensitivities (often multi-cultural), military service, aging, and so much more?
Are you PRAYING regularly for your family and for other families?
Healing. Every family has broken areas. I invite you to pursue the healing of your own family history. Forgiveness is a major key. Also, it is vital to foster open communication ― the freedom to speak of hurts and offenses without defensive reaction. In receiving healing, we are able to bring healing to others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
Legacy. What am I passing on? Both natural families and spiritual families (i.e. congregations!) are the God-given environment to absorb values, priorities, character, and rich faith.
In addition, those without biological family nearby are to find a secure, welcoming, and productive home. “He sets the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6).
More than ever before, we are called to be the “family of God.” May our homes and congregations reflect the reality of “children like olive plants all around your table.”
