Princely Nurture of Children

From the Dutch Hall of Fame--the Berkhof, De Jong, et al Crowd

“We assume that our covenant children have been adopted into the family of the King of Kings--as such they must be given a princely, royal education.”

From Y. P. De Jong and his, God's Covenant with Man

A princely, royal education?

My guess, Y.P. DeJong, did not intend to accent princely and royal as specific points of methodology for our educational nurture of children. But the royal motif fits suitably.

Just as Israel had her centerpiece of worship regulating all of life, and just as that worship was founded on the regiment and nurture of liturgics---I am speaking of the practice of the royal-priestly life and duties of Aaron and his sons---so all of life today moves and has its being in the shadow of priestly nurture, training and modeling.

Tabernacle privilege and parenting are partners. In what way?

First, Aaron and the sons of the Levitical trade, with worship and life, were word and deed oriented. As to the word, Aaron was the assistant of Moses, to be his mouthpiece, with his royal word orientation; and as to deed, Aaron and his sons handled (or mishandled) the censor, oil and other tabernacle, priestly practices. In miniature, the royal-priestly model of tabernacle life and work of the Old Testament was all-of-life encompassing. Words and deeds sandwiched with worship make for a life lived to the glory of God. Worship and work, worship and family, worship and civil matters, and on and on. Father Aaron and his sons provided this method of nurture.

Second, all of the tribes of Jacob camped around the perimeter of the tabernacle, and Numbers 2 tells us: they faced the worship of God. Things were centered on the Lord's presence and His morning-afternoon-evening services of worship. Therefore, every Israelite, with his and her eyes, ears and hands, took cues from Aaron and his sons. It reinforced Deuteronomy 6: nurture and education was an every day, all day devotion, and a matter for all of life. Whether rising up, lying down, walking along the way or busy at the household chores, children were enveloped for instruction and tutelage. Aaron showed the way.

De Jong may have meant simply loftiness and excellence by his comment about princely and royal education for covenant children, but they mark out a robust charter for our worship-based, promise-grounded and all-of-life nurture for our homes. Being children of the King of Kings necessitates training based on tabernacle life. Aaron homeschooled his sons, such royal and priestly training provides the platform for our high calling for today. It's more of the God's Kids, God's Way thing.

HT: the quote above from the Bergeron family, a Classical Conversations family.

G. Mark Sumpter