A The U.S. Census Burea revealed that America just saw the single largest increase in poverty recorded in our nations history. (2009, 3.7 million more joined the ranks of the poor)
1 Recession, right? (Not entirely) The long term, root-cause of poverty: unwed childbearing.
a Buried in the census report are statistics that show that the collapse of marriage is creating a crisis of poverty.
aa Single-mother families are 5x’s more likely to be poor than married couples w/ kids.
bb Overall, about 70% of poor families w/ children are headed by single parents.
b Teen pregnancy is the big problem, right? Less than 8% of new single moms are minors.
aa The vast majority are ladies in their early 20’s (uneducated, can’t get good jobs, babies go hungry)
bb In the next two years, America will spend $1 trillion a year on programs for the poor.
cc However, if these women married their baby daddies 2/3 OF THEM WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE LIFTED OUT OF POVERTY.
dd Contrary to conventional wisdom, nearly all unwed fathers are employed & makes enough money to feed their families.
2 We do not need another welfare program, relaunch the war on poverty. . . we need the mamma’s to get married to the pappa’s
a Reduce the marriage penalty in welfare programs (Yes)
b Government, society, church need to start yelling from the roof tops that if you get married, your family has a much better opportunity to stay out of the poor house!
c The reason why prosperity comes is because that is exactly how God set the family up!
B For the last two weeks we have studied about a family that God prospered for about the last 2,800 years. Jonadab
1 Promised someone from Jonadab’s family would always serve, be before God.
a He told his kids to refrain from wine, live in tents, tend sheep (over vineyards).
aa He loved the Word
bb He longed for God’s Holiness
cc He Laid the Law down (brushed against last week)
b We know he was asked by Jehu to go to the Smackdown in Samaria (Turn must be hard/sharp)
I A Man’s Place (Set Parameters)
A Jonadab’s promise (Jer. 35.18-19) cam as a result of his parameters that he set for his children.
1 Jer. 35.5-9.
a Jeremiah wasn’t trying to trap them, he was showing the nation what happens when you keep the faith of your father.
b Jonadab receives his promise for two reasons:
aa He set the rules (drinking, tents, shepherds)
bb His descendants kept the rules.
2 Jonadab’s rules weren’t given just “because” but because he wanted them to survive, thrive under the blessing of God.
a Yes these rules . . .
aa Set them apart, different.
bb Hard to follow sometimes, no vines? no homes?
b Meant to create obedience, family traditions, faithfulness, continuity.
3 IL. Growing up I always wondered why my friend got paid to take out the trash? Allowance?
a I allow you to eat you to my food. Sleep in your bed, wear your cloths, use my heat, drink my water, etc.
b I don’t give my boys an allowance to take out the trash.
aa I’ll pay them to memorize scripture, read books.
bb Study & show themselves approved.
c Diligent Christian fathers sets house rules based on Scriptures, like Jonadab did to prepare his family for the destructive culture!
B If children cannot come to see the sweet reasonableness of the rules in their family, they may not follow them into adulthood because they have no foundation in reason. (Why?)
1 Gal. 5.19-21: Why don’t we . . .
a Watch “R” movies? Philippians 4.8
b Drink? Eph. 5.18; Titus 2.11,12
c Use certain words? James 3.9-11; Titus 2.7,8
d Ride with those kids? 1 Cor. 15.33
e Opposed to abortion? Ex. 20.13; Jer. 1.5
f Waiting for the right girl? 1 Cor. 6.18,20
g Kill me if I came home with a tattoo or ear ring or
grow my hair long? Cor. 11.14-15
h Harry Potter? Deut 18.14
2 Cultures change, governments/kingdoms rise & fall, society fluxuates, waves of social transitions but the Word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1.25)
C In Odin, every class shared the same playground so the rules were clearly understood so everybody got it. (No spitting, cussing, hitting, 8+ monkey bars, 10+ to play on the asphalt, no more than one standing on the slide ladder, no tandum swinging. RULES.
1 Mrs. McCullem, Mrs. Crosby would be mingeling through the playground & if she blew her whistle @ you once WARNING, twice YOUR OUT FOR 10 MINUTES, three times you can go room you won’t see the monkey bars for some time.
a What would happen if Mrs. Crosby was taken out of the equation?
b He spit on me! He hit me! She knocked me off the monkey bars! (No one is there to keep people in line with the rules.)
c The biggest, meanest, most antagonistic kid in the yard rules w/o someone enforcing the rules.
2 We have seen this go on all around us.
a Remove Bible, 10 Commandments,
b Nobody preaches on sin anymore. Preacher don’t blow the whistle calling sin, sin. When you do your labeled out of touch or old fashioned. (Pulpits are not alone in the blame)
c We must maintain high biblical & moral standards regardless how much society slouches toward Gomorrah.
II A Mom’s Place (Shared Promise)
A In the few passages we have about Jonadab, we see nothing about his wife (but we know she was there.)
1 One reason is perhaps she had no real impact on the spiritual upbringing of the children. (No interest to see the nation reform, family serving God)
a Many parents find themselves in this very position to being married to a spiritually listless partner (who doesn’t press godliness) or more often, lost. (Sometimes w/o a partner at all)
b The Scriptures do not give a bye to believing moms/dads who are in such a situation.
aa Dad’s lost? Oh, don’t worry about raising your kids to love God?
bb No daddy? Oh, then you get to neglect the spiritual formation of you baby (ies).
c It’s difficult (that’s why it’s important to marry a Christian/equally yoked isn’t a joke.)
2 While I’m here, let’s look at the direction God points to the un-equally yoked family. (1 Cor. 7.12-16, NLT)
a Stay put so your lost partner will see Jesus; Kids will see how believer stays in marriage.
b God hates divorce because loves the family.
3 I believe God will bless/honor/reward the faithfulness of the believing parent while w/holding
a Eunice, Timothy’s mother & Lois (her momma) raised Timothy in the fear & admonition of the Lord even though Timothy’s dad was a pagan.
b Hard? Difficult? Lonely? Yes!
aa Can you raise godly children w/o a godly spouse? You better believe it.
bb Just because your wife/husband isn’t following after Jesus that doesn’t mean you are relieved of your responsibility of raising children in Christ.
B Perhaps the reason we don’t read about Mrs. Jonadab is probably because she was in unity, oneness and agreement with her husbands vision & calling.
1 She reinforced what her husband taught (rules).
a When Jehu pulled up & said, “If your ready to take the nation back for God, get on!” 2 Kings 10.15 NASB, I believe he was able to fulfill his calling, serve the kingdom, leave home because he knew his wife would reinforce what he taught as the spiritual leader of their home. (I couldn’t do what I do w/o my wife! Smokin’ Hot, Smart, Hard Worker, loves the Lord.)
aa When the children heard their momma remind them about their father’s expectations, they receive an overwhelming sense of clarity about life in general.
bb When Jonadab & his wife were married, God made two people into one and they spoke with one voice.
cc When two people are married the bible describes them as being grafted together to form one person (Matt. 19.4-6). (Marriage Math: 1+1=1)
b Jonadab was in a relationship with a virtuous woman that afforded him a positive partnership.
T.S. Proverbs 31, tells us what a woman with virtue looks like.
C Prov. 10.10-12, (v. 13-22, talk about her work ethic)
1 Virtuous women are not made in the 150 yard dash (Marathon)
a Not burning for God for a year or two, but over a lifetime.
b Faithful in season & out of season.
2 She’s a hard worker (not lazy)
a She is compared to a merchant ship, not a complainer.
b v.23, An older lady said, “Yeah, he could sit at the gate with the elders because she’s done all the work!”
c Both parents have a heavy load to pair and she helps lift a godly line. (Sometimes she is the only one doing the lifting)
3 Encourager (v.12)
a Her husbands biggest cheerleader, supporter.
aa Never berate her husband to her friends, her children, her mother.
bb Go to church, get involved in Kingdom work.
b Can’t be a nagger & and an encourager.
Conclusion:
A Kids are gonna see God’s great wisdom, mom & dad becoming partners in a marriage. Daddy (a promise keeper), Mommy (a woman of faith).
1 Prov. 31.27-29
2 In marriage God makes one of two.
a The promise He gave Jonadab also applied to his wife.
b c Jer. 35.19, “ ...thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab (and his wife) shall not lack a man to stand before Me always.”
B Not by accident or by osmosis that Jonadab’s promise fell on his family.
1 Those kids knew that there was a godly father/mother who had dedicated their whole life to raise their kids to love the God of Israel.
a No “Baal” music, “Baal” toys,
b No room for any other God but Yahweh.
c Some body who held their feet to a standard of holiness, path of righteousness, straight way, heavenly highway.
2 John 13.4-15
a
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