A Picture Prophecy

He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents.

MALACHI 4:6

THE OLD TESTAMENT BEGINS WITH A FAMILY IN DYSFUNCTION. In the very first human family, Adam blames his wife, Eve, for their fall into sin and Cain kills his brother, Abel (Genesis 3–4).

The story of family dysfunction continues almost as a constant thread: Noah curses his middle son (Genesis 9:24–27); Abraham agrees to his son’s exile (16:6); Lot’s daughters commit incest with him (19:30–38); Jacob and Esau fight for the firstborn blessing (27:1–40); Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery (37:12–36); and don’t even get me started about David and his family!

Doesn’t it astonish you how, even in the Bible, family dysfunction gets passed down from generation to generation? After all, these are our spiritual ancestors—and yet, who among us would choose to have our families turn out like theirs?

But at the end of this grand story, in the very last verse of the Old Testament, we finally see what God is up to. He is sending a prophet who will bring our families back together: “He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents” (Malachi 4:6).

The story that begins with a broken family ends with the promise of reunited families who have recovered their glory, their purpose, and their fulfillment. Admittedly, there’s a pretty big “or else” at the end of this verse: “or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” God’s intentions are clear: though the Old Testament begins with a family in dysfunction, and the narrative continues to exhibit dysfunctional families, God has in mind a plan to bring families together. If families resist this plan—if they live only for themselves, if they ignore or rebel against God’s perfect design—the land will be cursed and the dysfunction will continue.

But if God’s people are obedient, if they submit to God’s work, parents will look to their children, and children will look to their parents. The parents will sacrifice for their children, and they’ll remain faithful to their promise of marriage, because they know that a major purpose of marriage is to produce godly offspring. They’ll realize godly kids are best raised in a stable, commitment-keeping environment, so they will work through their own marital challenges; they will want to give their kids the best chance to grow up as godly offspring. And in return, children will honor the message passed down to them from their parents, and they’ll live in such a way that they’ll pass this purpose down to their own children.

In our families, God invites us to present to the world a picture of the gospel message. My family is about so much more than me; it’s about far more than whether my needs are getting met, my happiness is increasing, or my comfort is being accommodated. It’s about preaching a truth by living it out. It’s a mission, a calling, a heavy but glorious responsibility.

With each child comes a truly profound and awesome spiritual call. How will we respond? Will we pretend the call doesn’t pertain to us, or will we soberly and humbly respond as Mary, the mother of Jesus, did when she approached parenting with the most perfect declaration imaginable: “I am the Lord’s servant. . . . May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).

Do we have this attitude toward parenting—that we are the Lord’s servant, eager to do as he bids? Are we humbly passionate and ready to faithfully fulfill our charge, raising a family that will point others to God and turn many from their sin? We need a daily reminder of this ultimate “why” of marriage and family life, lest we lose sight of the goal and lose motivation to keep making the right choices and sacrifices. It’s so easy to coast, to just let the days slip by as we neglect the high call and hard work of sacred parenting.

In a Christmas morning devotion, I shared with my family about the faithful Rekabites, who served God when the rest of the Israelites wandered away. Though most in their neighborhoods and country had abandoned God, this faithful family stood true to a legacy of faith—and God noticed. In one of the most glorious promises in all of Scripture, God tells Jehonadab that he “will never fail to have a descendant to serve me” (Jeremiah 35:19).

What more soul-filling promise could a parent ever receive? That’s the charge I gave to my son and two daughters: let’s be a family that passes down our faith from generation to generation. Regardless of the spiritual climate in our culture, may we be a family that stays true to our spiritual heritage. May there always be a servant of God traced to our line until Jesus comes back. Let’s do our part to keep the gospel message alive.

Parenting isn’t just about changing diapers or trying to lure teens into a meaningful conversation; it’s about a high and holy calling to raise children who honor and serve God. We are to be a family that invites the presence of Jesus into our hearts and homes, and in doing so we have the certain hope that he will invite our presence into his eternal home. Even more glorious, we live by the promise that perhaps he will, by his grace, also invite our descendants, down to the tenth or even twentieth generation. This is what, in Luther’s words, “makes all suffering and labor worthwhile.”^a

Human history began with a wreck of a family—but it needn’t end that way. By God’s grace, we are invited to write a future history with the power and grace and guidance and comfort of the Messiah’s Holy Spirit.

As we end this journey of looking at the spiritual side of parenting, let’s consider what picture our families are giving to the world, and then join with God to more fully express the glory of his redemption.

Here’s my last shot: Let’s remember that parenting isn’t about us—about our fulfillment, our joy, or even our pain; it’s about God. It’s about serving our Lord and being faithful to the calling he has laid at our feet, thereby proclaiming to the world God’s merciful and glorious plan of redemption. Every decision we make as a family should be based on this call and this purpose. No, it’s not an easy task. In fact, it may well be the most difficult task we ever undertake—but that’s its glory. When you first became a parent, you may not have realized everything parenting involved, but now that we have a more complete picture, may we all pray, as Mary did, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Let’s finish strong and well, and let’s wait for our reward.

Heavenly Father, you have called us into the sacred journey of parenting. Help us to keep the end goal in mind: that family life is about proclaiming your truth to a broken world. Thank you for giving us such purpose and meaning. In Jesus’ name, amen.