Two Sons
This story helps to understand the issues regarding the covenants. There were two sons. One, a thoughtful child, loved and trusted his parents and learned to appreciate their values. The other, didn’t have a good relationship with his parents. He didn’t trust them. He was stubborn and willful. Would their parents, of necessity, need to deal with them differently? Of course!
The compliant child simply needed to be nurtured, given security, love, proper doses of guidance, and at times, discipline. He didn’t need to be badgered into compliance, for his heart was in the right place. Trust in the wisdom of his parents created a desire to follow their guidance. The new covenant attitudes he experienced from his parents created the environment for a healthy cooperation. Their love and understanding touched his heart and presented an appropriate role model for him.
The willful child, on the other hand, needed well-defined rules and tough enforcement, an old covenant. Sure, this was in an understanding environment, but there was the necessity for firmness. He needed to be under law if there is any hope for him.
In this situation, the right and wrong didn’t change. It was the covenant, or atmosphere in which those laws were experienced that changed. The nature of the covenant used depended on whether or not the child had faith in their parents.
Copyright 2014, Patrick Fagenstrom
This story helps to understand the issues regarding the covenants. There were two sons. One, a thoughtful child, loved and trusted his parents and learned to appreciate their values. The other, didn’t have a good relationship with his parents. He didn’t trust them. He was stubborn and willful. Would their parents, of necessity, need to deal with them differently? Of course!
The compliant child simply needed to be nurtured, given security, love, proper doses of guidance, and at times, discipline. He didn’t need to be badgered into compliance, for his heart was in the right place. Trust in the wisdom of his parents created a desire to follow their guidance. The new covenant attitudes he experienced from his parents created the environment for a healthy cooperation. Their love and understanding touched his heart and presented an appropriate role model for him.
The willful child, on the other hand, needed well-defined rules and tough enforcement, an old covenant. Sure, this was in an understanding environment, but there was the necessity for firmness. He needed to be under law if there is any hope for him.
In this situation, the right and wrong didn’t change. It was the covenant, or atmosphere in which those laws were experienced that changed. The nature of the covenant used depended on whether or not the child had faith in their parents.
Copyright 2014, Patrick Fagenstrom