Banah, Ben, Bath, and Beith

 

“Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.”

– Psalms 127:1-2

This verse has so much to say about why families fail.  This was written by King Solomon, which God’s word says was the wisest man to have ever lived.  Yet in all his wisdom, Solomon disobeyed God and choose many wives that were idol worshippers.  King Solomon endured problems in his family due to his cursed marriages, and it cost him his kingdom (1 Kings 11).

At first glance it would seem that Solomon was talking of construction, and security.  But in fact, he’s talking about family.  The word “build” comes from the Hebrew word “banah”, which is also the root word for son (“ben”), daughter (“bath”) and house (“beith”).  It is the sons and daughters that build up a family, the home, as much as wood and nails build a house.

The blessing of God upon our sons and daughters will build a strong house from strong children who will bring honor to their family.  In this world, satan has a trap around every corner for our kids.  He starts early with social media, video games, television shows, music, and all sorts of ways to take over their minds and corrupt them into a neutralized view of sin.  If he can make sin acceptable, make it “politically correct”, their guard is down, and the door to temptations is left wide open. 

Friends, keep your kids close to God because He is your guard against all the evil of the world.  His word will teach them the truth about sin.  They will not find that truth anywhere else.  If your house, your family unit, will sustain the temptations that will come in later years, your children have to be strong men and women of God.  They must be empowered to make good decisions and see sin as the trap that it is. 

I’ve often quoted what a good friend told me one time.  “God is the best babysitter you can ever have, because He is with your children when you cannot be.”  God has to be your watchman or you will spend many sleepless nights in a failing home.