Wise Families
I. Introduction
A. God has established three human institutions in the world
1. Marriage and the home – Genesis 2:18-25
2. Human government – Genesis 9:1-6, Daniel 4:17-25, Romans 13:1-7
3. The church – Acts 2, 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:14-15
B. Of these three, the home is the most basic
1. As the home goes, so go the church and the nation.
2. Within the home, the key family elements must live to God’s standard.
3. Husbands, wives and children must live in accord in order to have a godly home.
II. Wise People in the Home
A. Wise Husbands
1. Choose your spouse carefully – Exodus 34:13-16, Deuteronomy 7:3
2. Love your wife and only your wife – Proverbs 5:15-23
a) Drink water from your own cistern (15).
b) Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of your youth (18).
3. Be thankful for godly spouses – Proverbs 18:22, 19:14
a) He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from Lord (18:22).
b) Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers but a prudent wife is from the Lord (19:14).
4. Establishes his house on godly wisdom – Proverbs 24:3-4 “Through wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established. By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant.”
5. Places emphasis on instruction – Deuteronomy 6:7
B. Wise Wives
1. Faithful to husbands – Proverbs 12:4 – “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.”
2. Builder of the home – Proverbs 14:1 – “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.”
3. Discrete – Proverbs 11:22 – “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.”
4. Virtuous - Proverbs 31:10-31
a) Displays character – (10-12)
b) Works – (13-22)
c) Generous – (20)
d) Confident about the future – (25)
e) Teaches her children – (26)
f) Fears the Lord – (30)
C. Wise Children
1. Follow Godly Example – The first lessons are learned at home
a) Godly mothers – 31:28 (Her children rise up and call her blessed).
b) Godly fathers – 20:7 (Walks in his integrity).
c) Those who fear the Lord provide refuge for their children – 14:26 “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence and his children will have a place of refuge.”
2. Follow Godly Instruction
a) Hear the instruction of your father – 1:8, 6:20
b) Not listening to instruction will lead to a lack of knowledge – 19:27
c) The Bible should be the basic textbook of the home
d) Parents should instill a respect for the Lord and His word – 15:16
3. Seek the counsel of God
a) Proverbs 7:2 – “Keep my commands and live and my law as the apple of your eye.”
b) Proverbs 4:4 – “Let your heart retain my words, keep my commandments and live.”
III. Wise Discipline in the Home
A. Love must be the basis
1. Love without disciple is incomplete and discipline without love is irrelevant.
2. Love is needed and appreciated in the home – 15:17
3. Love covers all sins – 10:12
B. Discipline in a loving way
1. Parents must not be afraid to disciple
a) Proverbs 3:11-12 – “…do not despise the chastening of the Lord not detest his correction. For whom the Lord loves he corrects just as a father the son in whom he delights.”
b) Proverbs 13:24 – “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”
c) Proverbs 19:18 – “Chasten your child while there is hope…”
2. Children are to accept discipline – Proverbs 13:1, 15:5
a) Discipline removes foolishness – 22:15
b) Discipline saves souls – 23:13-14, 19:18
c) Discipline imparts wisdom – 29:15
d) Discipline brings delight – 29:17
IV. Wise Living Conditions in the Home
A. Sufficient Material Provision
1. We are to provide for our own – Proverbs 27:23-24 (Know the state of your flock
and attend to your own herd.)
2. A good man leaves an inheritance for to his children – Proverbs 13:22
4. We are to be disciplined with our financial resources – Proverbs 13:18
5. We are to be good financial planners – Proverbs 16:3 (Commit you works to the Lord and your plans will be established.)
6. We are to have a good work ethic – Proverbs 6:6-11, 19:15 (Laziness casts one into a deep sleep and an idle person will suffer hunger.)
7. Proverbs 10:3 – “The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish.”
B. Serene Climate
1. Proverbs 17:1 – “Better is a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting
with strife.”
2. Proverbs 21:19 – “Better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious
and angry woman.”
3. Our homes need to be havens of peace not fields of battle!
C. Stable Emotional Conditions
1. Love is a key ingredient in the home. (Proverbs 12:10)
2. Listening to one another (Proverbs 10:19)
4. Laugh together – Proverbs 17:22 (A merry heart does good, like medicine.)
5. Limit children’s activities – (Proverbs 29:15 - The child left to himself brings shame to his mother.)
D. Strong Learning Environment
1. Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he
will not depart.”
2. The home is place where fathers are to teach their kids. – Proverbs 5:1
3. We are to teach that which builds our homes
a) Strong moral values – Proverbs 2:10-15
b) Responsibility – Proverbs 6:6, 10:4-5
c) Wise friends – Proverbs 18:24
d) Good choices – Proverbs 16:25
4. In our teaching remember the words of Proverbs 30:5-6 – “Every word of God is
pure. He is a shield to those that put their trust in Him. Do not as to His words, lest He rebuke you.”
V. Conclusion
A. Do we have a wise family?
1. Are all the members living godly lives?
2. Are we practicing godly discipline in our homes?
3. Have we provided the right type of atmosphere in our homes?
B. Along with the wise man the psalmists exhorts to have wise families
1. Psalm 127:1 – “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”
2. Psalm 101:2 – “I will walk within my house with a perfect house.”
3. 2 Kings 20:15 – “What have they seen in your house?”
