“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
The above text is known well and often cited at weddings because this is when a new family is begins. God instituted marriage between a man and a woman so that children could be born and the family consisting of Mum, Dad and the children can reflect something of the glory of God in this family setting.
But as we know, that of all people groups in our world being attacked and belittled, it is the family unit that God has instituted for the flourishing of society.
This attack hits out against biblical marriage between a man and a woman, against the biblical roles of Father and Mother, and against the place of obedience and submissiveness of children in the home. God’s design for families is being rejected culturally and even politically.
There is a reaction to this by some secular and sad to say, many Christian parents.
The reaction is to go to the other extreme and idolize the family. In other words, ‘family first’ is the response to these attacks.
But this extreme unbiblical response is nothing other than idolatry. Because when the family is set up as the first priority in life, the Lord becomes a mere second. Jesus said, to His disciples: “He who loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me, he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of me.” (Mtt. 10:37)
I love how Voddie Baucham put it: “The family is wonderful, but unless we understand the family in the context of the triune God who is magnifying and manifesting His glory in the world and painting the picture of it through this union that we call the family, then we are selling it short and we are not seeing it for what it really is and we are limiting our capacity to enjoy it and our capacity to glorify God through it as well.” [Grace Quotes]