John 3:16 reads, “For Yahweh so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Yahweh knew that something had to be done for the children of this world because everyone was sinning and animal sacrifices and burnt offerings were not enough. Yahweh never desired those things in the first place, only obedience to His commandments.

1 John 5:3 reads, “For this is the love of Yahweh, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

Yahweh sent his Son Yahshua the Messiah to be an example for us and to show us how to please and obey Yahweh. Yahshua was, is, and will always be perfect. He was sent here on this earth to teach us His Father’s ways.

Isaiah 55:8-9 reads, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Yahweh. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Just as Yahshua pleased His Father in heaven, we are to please our parents here on the earth. The fifth commandment states that we are to honor our father and mother; that our days may be long upon the land which Yahweh your Elohim gives thee. Yahweh’s word reveals the way of life that Yahweh expects of us. He is very precise in His expectations of His people.

All parents have or should have very high expectations of their own children. Those of us that are of the faith and know what Yahweh demands from us are blessed and thankful that we have been given the chance to prove ourselves worthy of His grace and mercy. We as parents have certain duties we must fulfill according to Yahweh.

Deut. 6:2 reads, “That you might fear Yahweh your Elohim, to keep all his statutes and his commandments......” and Deut. 6:4-7 reads, “Hear O Israel: Yahweh our Elohim is one Yahweh: And thou shalt love Yahweh thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Proverbs 22:6 reads, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he shall not depart from it.”

We as parents should be teaching our children Yahweh’s commands and desiring the fruit of the Spirit which are found in Galations 5:22-23:

“......Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance..........”

Along with training our children to live by every word of Yahweh, we as parents must also follow Yahweh’s instruction on how to discipline and instruct our children and their behavior. How can we expect them to show love unless we show them or exhibit self-control unless we teach them or express gentleness unless we nurture them with care?

Yahweh’s word is for us to read, memorize, follow, live by, and write in our hearts. There are so many verses in both the old and the new covenants that Yahweh gave us to help us in raising our children to be obedient to Him and learn of His ways. In Psalms 58:3 we read that, “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.” From the moment we are born, we have the influence of everything around us, pulling us in different directions. As babies, we have our parents to make decisions for us and direct us on the right path. As we grow and mature, we find ourselves making our own decisions and mistakes along the way. We need direction, instruction, and guidance not only from our earthly parents but from our Heavenly Father Yahweh.

I encourage you to look up each of these verses:

Proverbs 3:5-6and 11, 1:7, 4:14-15, 9:10-11, 10:17, 16:9, 20:11, 22:6, 28:7,9,13-14, and 29:15,17 and 2 Timothy 3:15-16.

We are told in Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in Yahweh: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise) that it may be well with thee, and you may live long upon the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of Yahweh.” In Colossians 3:20-21 we are told the same thing, “Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing unto Yahweh. Fathers, provoke not your children lest they be discouraged.”

Those of us who have children know that they are not completely obedient 100% of the time. But with patience and guidance from Yahweh we can teach or train our children to be kind, loving, giving, and self-controlling individuals. We are to correct wrong behavior with the “rod and reproof” and reinforce positive behavior.

I have recently read a book and I want to share some things with you that I feel go along with scripture. “The strongest chord of discipline is not found in the rod; rather, it is the weaving together of the strings of mutual love, respect, honor, loyalty, admiration, and caring. It is the difference in being “led by the spirit” and being “under the works of the law.” The law gives us direction, but only the spirit of grace gives us power. If you will cultivate fellowship with your child, you will have such cooperative compliance that you will forget where you last left the rod.” {taken from page 32 from the book “To Train Up A Child” by Michael and Debi Pearl.}

“He that spareth his rod hates his son; but he that loves him chastens him betimes,” in Proverbs 13:24 seems to have people doing the exact opposite these days , “Spare the rod and spoil the child” which explains why parents have no control or respect from their children. To understand this verse in Proverbs one must understand these things first: {taken from pg.35-36 of the book To Train Up A Child}

1. the authority of Yahweh’sWord

2. the nature of love

3. his or her own feelings

4. the charactor of Yahweh, or,

5. the needs of the child.

The wise Elohim who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not......(Mark10:14),” also said, Proverbs 19:18, 13:24, 22:15, 23:13-14, 29:15, 29:17. Please look up each verse and read and study carefully for our children’s sake.

Yahweh created mankind, including little children, and He knows what is best for them. Yahweh has told us in His Word to employ the rod in training up a child . To refrain from doing so is to say you know better than Yahweh himself.

When Israel did not follow Yahweh and worship Him in the ways He wanted, then Yahweh either punished them or sent prophets to intervene and direct them back on the right path. Sometimes it took many lessons before they learned, but Yahweh always gave Israel and others a choice: 1) Choose Yahweh, choose life and worship only Him and receive blessings or 2) Choose death, follow not Yahweh and receive cursings, plagues, disease, sadness, and even death. 2 Tim3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of Yahweh, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of Yahweh may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Psalms 9:16 says, ”Yahweh is known by the judgement which He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.”

Psalms147:11 says, “Yahweh takes pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.” An excellent example of loving your children but loving Yahweh more is Abraham and Isaac in Gen 22:12. Fearing and loving Yahweh go hand in hand, See Deut. 4:9-10.

Love and discipline for our children must go hand in hand also. There is no place for anger with the rod, which can lead to other things. Yahweh is love but He is also many other things, like holy, just, judgement, and truth. Please read Deut.6:2 and 8:6 and Heb 12: 6-8. (pg. 38 in TTUC)

We want our children to grow up receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and showing from their hearts the fruit of the Spirit. This will be a hard road to go on if we let them tend to themselves when they are young and unlearned in the word. They will be left for the world to learn of the world’s ways, desires, and enticements and pleasures which are only temporary. See Proverbs29:15 and Titus2:2-5 and 11-14. We must not pick and choose which scriptures we want to follow and which ones don’t fit our lifestyles or parenting skills that we received from our own upbringing. There is no better time than right now to star following Yahweh and His instructions on how to handle and love the children He blessed us with.

As was stated at the beginning of this article, Yahshua wa sent to be an example and He followed Yahweh’s every word. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with Yahweh, and the word was Yahweh.” When Yahshua was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, Yahshua fought back with Yahweh’s Word and did not give in to Satan’s temptations. This account is found in Matthew 4:1-11.

We must not only teach our children to live by every word of Yahweh but instruct them with it and hope that some day they will teach it and use it on their children. We must show love to Yahweh first and fulfill the duties that we are given with the blessings of our children. Yahweh has put these children in our care and it is up to us to guide them into Yahshua’s loving hands that lead to righteousness. Proverbs 2:20.

HalleluYah!