The prince and the princess: How to effect the culture war through your home.

Esther 1:19-22King James Version (KJV)

19 If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

20 And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.

21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:

22 For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.

1 Timothy 5:17King James Version (KJV)

17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

OK, you ask? What do these scriptures have to do with the title of this post? 

Bear with me and you will see, dear reader. 

The key phrases we will look at in the Esther passage are, "every man," and "should bear rule." 

In the Hebrew, the word translated as "man" here, means literally, "man, male, (in contrast to woman, female)." The phrase "in his own house" tells us we are referring to a married man. Indeed, the context of the passage lets us know we are referring to a married man. 

Why is this important? 

Simple: our modern culture (even some in the church) has bought into the idea that there are many types of families to choose from. There are "co-habiting" families (a nice way of saying shacked up without marriage)," homosexual families", and "straight families." 

Of course, we know that sin is sin- regardless of what spin we, as a culture, wish to put on it. The only biblical model for a family is one man and one woman, with kids (as God allows). 

But, even in "straight families," there is this popular myth that God places no distinction between male and female. Here's the scripture they like to use to justify a modern family: 

Galatians 3:27-29 King James Version (KJV)

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

They swoop in and say, "See! There's no more male or female in God! We're all equal now! So the roles in a family are what we decide they need to be. The roles in the church are what we decide they are to be. You can have gay families because there's no more male or female in God. You can have women lead and men are house-husbands because there's no more male or female in God!" 

First of all, this passage is not referring to the God-given roles of our genders. It's referring to salvation. ANYBODY can be born again! You don't have to be a specific gender, race, economic level, etc. Even a homosexual can be born again- if they repent of their homosexuality and obey God's plan of salvation. 

Secondly, if this passage were talking about how we run our homes and churches, then there are a lot of verses that this verse would contradict. In fact, if there is a contradiction between this verse, and what other sections of scripture teach about the home and the church, then the Bible is wrong and we should not listen to it. 

But, we know the Bible is not wrong. The problem is that people will swoop in, take a verse out of context, and throw it around to try and prove their pet false doctrine- in this case, that there are no specific roles (or job descriptions) that men and women and children must follow. It's all up to us! 

No, it is not.

There are many examples. In fact, I have a very long Bible study on this very subject. If you would like to see it, leave me your email in the comments of this post or message me on Facebook. I'll be glad to send it to you.

For the sake of brevity, we're going to focus on Titus 2:

  2 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Verse 3-5 says:

 that godly older women should teach younger women to be sober (serious) to love (agape- unconditionally) their husbands and children, to be discreet (self-controlled), chaste (pure and clean), Keepers AT home (not keepers OF the home. Caring for the house. Working AT home, A housewife, in other words), good, obedient to their own husbands (to obey, be under subjection to).

So the wife's job, contrary to popular opinion is to be a housewife and mother. She can work out of the home, as the wife in proverbs 31 shows, but her main job is to be a good wife and mother. Her job is not to lead a corporation, make the money for the family, etc. A woman's job is in the home. This is God's design in BOTH Testaments.

By inference (because it says "likewise"), the older men are to teach the younger men that:

The man's job is to be sober-minded (self-controlled), showing a pattern of good works (which means "die" of good vocation. In other words, he's supposed to have a pattern of the hard work of being the breadwinner for the family), his doctrine is to be uncorrupt, grave, and sincere (incorruptible and sound, honor and purity, and sincerity). His speech is to be godly and filled with truth. 

And all this completely flies in the face of the modern family. A gay family is wrong and ungodly. A woman-led family is wrong and ungodly. A shacked up family is wrong and ungodly. A "50-50" family is wrong and ungodly.

And what about children?

Ephesians 6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

So, the husband is to follow and obey God and lead his family. The wife is to obey God first, her husband second and lead the children. The children are to obey God first and their parents second. 

This is God's plan for the home. 

Scripture calls God's people King's and priests (Revelations 1:6). Therefore our children are little princes and princesses. 

If we order our homes the correct way, our children will think the right way. If they think the right way, they will act the right way. (As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7). Their right actions and thoughts will bleed over into their homes when they marry. As they run their homes godly, their kids will copy the same pattern. And so on, and so on, till the Lord returns. 

Yes, we are to teach and preach the word. Yes, we are to try and affect our culture in other ways. But, the home is over half the battle. We can win the war. Quietly. One home at a time.