How does Jeremiah 9:20 connect with Proverbs 22:6 on teaching children? Setting the Scene: Two Commands to Teach • Jeremiah 9:20 – “Now, O women, hear the word of the LORD; open your ears to the words of His mouth. Teach your daughters a lament, and each woman her neighbor a dirge.” • Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” What Jeremiah 9:20 Shows about Teaching • The context is national sin and approaching judgment. • Mothers are singled out to pass on truth: even the painful truth that sin brings grief. • The command is urgent and verbal—“Teach your daughters.” Instruction is not optional; it is a direct responsibility. • The lesson (lament) is specific: children must grasp the reality of sin’s consequences. What Proverbs 22:6 Emphasizes about Teaching • Training is proactive, setting a child on a lifelong course before habits harden. • “The way he should go” is God’s way, not merely personal preference. • The promise is long-range: early formation anchors future choices. How the Two Passages Interlock • Both verses speak to parents, stressing personal, hands-on instruction. • Jeremiah highlights the need to teach in crisis; Proverbs highlights the need to teach in calm. • Together they reveal a full picture: – Teach truth early (Proverbs 22:6) – Teach truth even when it is difficult or sobering (Jeremiah 9:20) • Jeremiah shows what happens when the Proverbs path is ignored—lament replaces blessing. • The same God commands both, proving that consistent parental teaching is part of His unchanging plan. Supporting Scriptures that Echo the Pattern • Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – Parents are to talk of God’s words “when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road.” • Psalm 78:4-7 – Each generation is to make known God’s works “so that a future generation… might put their confidence in God.” • Ephesians 6:4 – Fathers are called to bring children up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Practical Takeaways for Today • Begin instruction early, weaving God’s Word into everyday life. • Do not shy away from teaching hard lessons—children must see both grace and judgment. • Use life’s crises as teachable moments, showing how Scripture speaks to every situation. • Model what you teach; children are watching both words and actions. • Trust the promise: faithful, Scripture-saturated training takes root and endures. |
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