CW 760: Oh, Blest the House
Family is a gift from God and was part of his perfect design for this world. At Creation, God created all of the animals: male and female. He then tasked Adam to name all of the animals and as Adam was doing this, he noticed that there was not a helper suitable for him. God was pleased with Adam’s reasoning and created for him a wife. God intended marriage to be a life-long union between one man and one woman. God’s plan was for this couple to be united as one flesh and have children who they would then instruct in the knowledge of the Lord.
This was God’s perfect plan, but when Adam and Eve fell into sin, they corrupted all of creation including God’s institutions of marriage and family. Satan is constantly seeking to undermine the family. We see the institutions of marriage and family under constant assault in our world today. In our readings for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, we give thanks to God for our families. We stand convicted by his law that we have not always been faithful in our callings as husbands, wives, or children. We give thanks that our Savior gathers us in his arms as dearly beloved children and forgives all our sins. Oh, Blest the House reminds us of the amazing blessing of a Christian home that is centered and gathered around the Word of God.
Verse 1: Oh, blest the house, whate’er befall, where Jesus Christ is all in all! A home that is not wholly his—how sad and poor and dark it is!
Jesus Christ is the light of the world. His amazing love motivates us to show love to others. This is true in our families as well. The Word of God should be the center of our family lives. We should strive to gather together around the Word of God in devotion and prayer. We should go to church and worship together as a family. It is only by being reminded of the amazing forgiveness that Christ has shown us that we can show love and forgiveness in our own families.
Verse 2: Oh, blest that house where faith is found and all in hope and love abound; they trust their God and serve him still and do in all his holy will.
A Christian house is a wonderful blessing from God! One of the most solemn duties we have as parents is to raise our children in the Christian faith. We do this by teaching our children the truths of God’s Word. We do this by modeling Christian behavior in our words and actions. We forgive our children when they sin against us, and we ask for their forgiveness when we sin against them. We make church and the reading of God’s Word a regular part of our family life. All of these things are good and pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
Verse 3: Oh, blest the parents who give heed unto their children’s foremost need and weary not of care or cost. May none to them and heav’n be lost!
No one ever said raising children was going to be easy. This verse reminds us that there are many costs and struggles associated with raising children. By nature, we are all selfish and want to put our own needs first. It can be a struggle when we need to make decisions that put our child's needs before our own. When we face those difficult decisions, we can look to the example of our dear Savior. He did not consider the cost when he offered his own life to save us. As parents, we want what is best for our children. As Christian parents, we mirror the selfless love of our Savior and put the needs of our children first. We also remember that the greatest need of our children is not sports or having the newest and best toys. The greatest need our children have is to regularly hear the Word of God.
Verse 4: Blest such a house, it prospers well; in peace and joy the parents dwell, and in their children’s lives is shown how richly God can bless his own.
In Ephesians 6 the Apostle Paul gives godly advice for parents and children. Paul writes, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with a promise: ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live a long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Unfortunately, because we are sinners, we do not follow these commands of God well. In fact, as both parents and children, we sin against God and each other all the time. This is why we need to return to the cross of Christ again and again. It is only there that we receive the certainty that our sins are forgiven. It is there that we see the love of Christ and offer forgiveness to one another.
Verse 5: Then here will I and mine today a solemn promise make and say: though all the world forsake his Word, I and my house will serve the Lord!
The final verse of our hymn echoes the words of Joshua 24:15, “But as for me and my household—we will serve the Lord!” We are under constant assault by Satan, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Families that are rooted in the Word of God and regularly attend worship are a bastion against these assaults. Fathers and mothers have a solemn obligation to raise their children in the Word of God.
Oh, Blest the House reminds us of the amazing blessing that God has given us in our families. Children are a gift from God. God wants us to raise our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. He emphasizes this in Deuteronomy 6, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Let us make the most of the amazing blessing of our families as we read and study God’s Word together.