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CHRISTIAN PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO RAISE A GODLY SEED

By Alan Yusko

I'm writing this because of all the parents I have seen over the years. Some are godly people who are trying to raise a godly seed unto the Lord. These people should be commended. No one is perfect, but God's people should seek to raise up their children unto the Lord. A child that lives his life committed to the Lord Jesus, in my opinion, is a great blessing and the parents should be commended. Other parents however, seek to raise their children up for the world and the devil. They seek to raise a seed that is Christian in profession of the lips only but belongs to the devil in actions and doctrines.

This tract will look at the Old Testament priest Eli and the two godless children that he raised. The results of raising a godless seed will also be seen in this tract.

A GODLESS SEED

Today many professing Christians seek to raise children who will grow up to reject the Lord. These people place no godly standards or rules in their home. Children are free to seek their own entertainment and godless friends.

I have seen professing Christian parents encourage their children into the things of the devil. The following are some examples:

- Occultism: I have seen parents encourage their children to get involved in the occult. Some parent's buy their children games and videos with occult spells and witchcraft. Other parents let their children read evil occultic books like the Harry Potter series. These parents think nothing of this evil. However, God considers these practices an abomination.

Deut 18
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Occultism is a very serious sin before God and it is not to be taken lightly.

- Rock and roll: Other parents let their children get obsessed in Satan's rock and roll music. The children listen to all the latest secular demonic groups. Rock and roll comes in a package. This demonic package includes: rebellion, worldliness, sexual immorality, drug abuse, the occult, and blasphemy against God.

- Evil movies and godless shows on tv: Other parents let their children watch anything they wish. Immoral movies or TV shows are acceptable to these parents. Children will be influenced in their world outlook and in their morals. However, the influence will be Satanic and not godly.

- Wrong friends. Rather than Christian friends godless parents allow their children to hang out with the wrong crowd. Being 'popular' is important to these parents. Godless peer pressure influences children in the wrong direction away from God.

- Liberal church or no church at all: Some parents are not committed to God. They attend a liberal church while others attend no church at all. Spiritual training and sound Biblical doctrine is not at all important to these parents. Again all this influences the child in a negative direction away from God.

Why do these professing parents do such evil to their children?

- They want their child to fit in and not look like an oddball. The last thing these parents want is for their child to stand up for the Lord Jesus. This would make the child different and suffer rejection.

- The other reason is the parents are phonies themselves and this is passed to their children. They are false professing Christian tares and are on the way to hell. Naturally, these people would raise a godless seed. It is in their nature!

There is a price to pay!

- God is aware and is not pleased when people raise up a godless seed. In fact there is a price to pay. All the professing Christians who let their children get involved with rock and roll, the occult, evil movies, bad friends, and no godly church influence will one day pay a price. Their children will go astray and will result in judgment on the parents and the children.

THE FAMILY OF ELI THE PRIEST

In this tract we will look briefly at the life of Eli the priest. Eli was a priest in the Old Testament days. He too raised a godless seed. He failed to restrain his children or to raise them up to love and serve the Lord. As a result both Eli and his entire family came under the judgment of God.

We will start by getting an inspired description of Eli's two boys.

1 Sam 2
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

What does the term Belial mean. The following is a description of the word from Eastons Bible Dictionary:

Belial
worthlessness, frequently used in the Old Testament as a proper name. It is first used in Deut. 13:13. In the New Testament it is found only in 2 Cor. 6:15, where it is used as a name of Satan, the personification of all that is evil. It is translated "wicked" in Deut. 15:9; Ps. 41:8 (R.V. marg.); 101:3; Prov. 6:12, etc. The expression "son" or "man of Belial" means simply a worthless, lawless person (Judg. 19:22; 20:13; 1 Sam. 1:16; 2:12).

As you can see for God to refer to Eli's sons as 'Belial' is not a complement. God was aware of these two godless boys and why they were that way. This also applies to today. Godless professing Christians who raise up rebellious children for the devil will not escape notice from God.

1 Sam 2
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Eli was aware of all that his evil sons did. He made no effort to stop or correct them. They did much evil before the Lord which included fornicating with women who came to the temple. I might also add that their sin was very public. All Israel was aware of the actions of the sons of Eli and they set a very bad example. His boys also had no conscience. They continued in their evil ways with no concern about God.

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD's people to transgress.
25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

Eli complained to his sons but they would not listen. They had turned so far in their hearts from God over the years that they would not accept any form of advise or correction.

As a result God pronounced a judgment. He not only pronounced judgment on Eli's two sons but on Eli's entire family. God held Eli responsible for his two evil sons and Eli suffered judgment as a result. Below is God's pronouncement of judgment:

1 Sam 2
30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

Eli had a responsibility before God to raise up a Godly seed. Instead he raised two evil boys who did much evil in their 'priestly' positions in Israel. For the sins of the sons of Eli, God said his two boys would die. Because Eli raised evil, god rejecting sons, his whole family came under the judgment of God. Eli being a priest who served in the temple should have raised a Godly seed to the Lord. Instead he raised evil boys and he failed to restrain their evil and lead them in the ways of the Lord. The end result was judgment for the whole family. This is tragic and I have seen example of this happening today!

At a later time this warning of impending judgment is repeated as God talks to Samuel.

1 Sam 3
11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

Notice verse 13. Eli's sons were evil and vile and Eli made no effort to restrain them. Eli could have stopped them from blaspheming God by serving as priests, but he did nothing. Eli complained but continued to let his sons do evil before God and the nation of Israel. As a result the entire family of Eli came under the judgement of God. This also applies to the way Eli raised his children. He failed to restrain them and to lead them in the ways of the Lord.

Next we read the actual fulfillment of the judgment of God on Eli's sons and family. Eli himself also fell under judgment and died.

1 Sam 4
10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

Above we can see the defeat of Israel with the death of the sons of Eli. This fulfilled the prophecy God gave about Eli's sons. Next comes the death of Eli.

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

Now Eli is judged and is dead. Notice that he wasn't shocked by the death of his sons, but instead he was shocked by the news that the ark or God was taken. Part of the root of the problem was that Eli simply did not love his children. Had he loved his children, he would have taken every action necessary to raise up a Godly seed. Eli failed to do this.

I think this is the problem today. Professing Christians who raise up their children for the devil do not love God or their children. If they did then their actions would show otherwise.

Finally an account is given of Eli's daughter in law's death.

19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

When she heard the bad news, Eli's daughter in law went into labor and died. She gave the baby a name: Ichabod, which means the glory of the Lord is departed.

I believe the name Ichabod applies to many churches and familes in these last days. Liberal churches and godless parents who have forsaken God in their actions and doctrine can all be given the name Ichabod.

CONCLUSION

I do not believe a true Christian can lose his salvation. Instead, I believe there are many false Christian tares out there in these last days. They can be seen by their extreme lack of fruit. This would include their doctrines and their actions. If a family does not love the Lord, this can be easily seen in the upbringing of their children and in the church the family attends.

Parents who do all they can to raise up their children for the devil deserve the judgment they will one day receive. Messing with the occult, rock and roll, and evil entertainment has a price to pay. Both the parents and their children will one day perish as they both have chosen a path against the Lord.

In this tract we have seen the example of Eli the priest. His entire family came under the judgment of God because he raised up a godless seed unto the Lord. That should be a warning for parents today who simply do not care about their children's spiritual needs.

I would encourage Christian parents to keep the goal of raising up a godly seed before the Lord. Do not be swayed by all the liberalism and apostasy in these last days. So what if your child grows up and suffers rejection for faith in the Lord Jesus. This is a good and praisworthy thing that should be the joy of a parents heart. Raising a godly seed is a full time ministry and should be treated as such!




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