What does Ezekiel 19:3 teach about the impact of parental influence on children? The Text – Ezekiel 19:3 “She reared one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.” Parental Influence Illustrated • “She reared one of her cubs” – The mother lioness (a picture of Judah’s royal line) personally shaped the cub’s early life. • “He became a young lion” – Her nurture produced strength and potential. • “After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men” – What she allowed him to learn determined how he used that strength; unchecked aggression became his defining trait. • The verse presents an unbroken cause-and-effect chain: upbringing → learned behavior → adult character → destructive impact on others. Lessons for Parents Today • What you “rear” in your children will become what they practice; formation is not neutral. • Skills and strengths developed without moral direction can turn harmful. • Early tolerance of small sins can mature into adult patterns of oppression. • A child’s eventual influence on society—life-giving or life-destroying—largely traces back to home discipleship. Supporting Scriptures • Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” • Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – Parents are commanded to teach God’s words “diligently to your children.” • 2 Timothy 1:5 – Timothy’s sincere faith first lived in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. • Psalm 78:4-8 – The next generation must hear of God’s works so they “set their hope in God” and “not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation.” Applications and Takeaways • Intentionally shape both character and competency; strength without virtue destroys. • Guard the influences—media, friends, habits—that are “teaching” your children to “tear prey.” • Model repentance; children imitate not only our victories but how we handle failures. • Prioritize consistent, Scripture-centered instruction; daily conversations form lifelong convictions. • Remember the broader impact: a godly child blesses many, but an ungodly one “devours men.” |
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