CHILD,
CHILDREN
of
the
blessing,
the
necessary
accompaniment
of
fruit-fulness—
'
replenish
the
earth,
and
subdue
it;
and
have
dominion';
for
fatherhood
involved
expansion
of
property
and
increase
in
importance
and
wealth.
2.
The
filial
relationship.—
The
position
of
children
was"
one
of
complete
subordination
to
their
parents.
Gn
22
Jb
11",
and
the
sacrifices
to
Molech
of
children
by
their
parents
(Lv
18"
202-=,
2
K
23i»,
Jer
32'=)
indicate
that
the
father
had
powers
of
life
and
death
over
his
children;
these
powers
are
limited
in
Dt
2V^-''.
Reverence
and
obedience
on
the
part
of
children
towards
their
parents
were
strongly
enjoined
(Ex
201^,
Lv
19',
Dt
27",
Pr
V
etc.).
Any
one
smiting
or
cursing
his
father
or
mother
is
to
be
put
to
death
(Ex
21"-
").
Any
one
who
is
disrespectful
to
his
parents
is
accursed
(Dt
17").
Irreverence
on
the
part
of
children
towards
an
older
person
is
visited
by
a
signal
instance
of
Divine
judgment
(2
K
2^-
^).
Several
passages
in
the
Book
of
Proverbs
urge
care,
even
to
severity,
in
the
upbringing
of
children
(Pr
3«
IS^*
15=
22»
29"
etc.).
The
outcome
of
this
dependence
of
children
upon
their
parents,
and
of
their
subordination
to
them,
was
an
intensely
strong
sense
of
the
closeness
of
the
filial
bond
,
and
a
horror
of
any
violation
of
it.
A
son
who
could
bring
himself
to
defy
his
father
and
break
away
from
his
home
life
was
indeed
no
longer
worthy
to
be
called
a
son
(Lk
15").
The
disobedience
of
Israel
is
bewailed
in
penitence
by
the
prophet
because
it
appears
to
him
like
the
most
heinous
crime,
the
rebellion
of
children
against
a
loving
father:
'
Surely
they
are
my
people,
children
that
will
not
err.
...
In
his
love
and
in
his
pity
he
re-deemed
them,
.
.
.
and
he
bare
them
and
carried
them
all
the
days
of
old.
But
they
rebelled'
(Is
638-1").
in
this
connexion
some
of
the
sentences
in
our
Lord's
charge
to
the
Twelve
must
have
fallen
upon
startled
ears
(Mt
lO^'-
as-'s).
Children
were
expected
to
follow
in
the
footsteps
of
their
parents
and
to
resemble
them.
Hence
such
expressions
as
'
Abraham's
children,'
which
carried
the
notion
of
resemblance
in
character.
Hence
also
the
figurative
use
of
the
word
'children':
'children
of
transgression'
'children
of
disobedience.'
Phrases
like
these
are
closely
connected
with
others
in
which
the
words
'children'
or
'sons'
are
used
in
a
spiritual
sense
conveying
the
ideas
of
love
and
trust
and
obedience.
St.
Peter
speaks
of
'Mark,
my
son.'
In
touching
anxiety
for
their
spiritual
welfare,
St.
Paul,
writing
to
the
Galatians,
addresses
them:
'My
little
children';
and
St.
John,
in
his
Epistles,
is
fond
of
the
same
expression.
3.
The
feeling
for
childhood.
—
Tenderness
towards
child
life,
appreciation
of
the
simplicity,
the
helplessness,
of
children,
affection
of
parents
tor
their
children,
and
children
for
their
parents:
all
these
are
features
of
the
Bible
which
the
most
superficial
reader
cannot
fail
to
observe.
There
are
many
touching
and
vivid
examples
of
and
relerences
to
parental
love.
All
the
sons
and
daughters
of
Jacob
rose
up
to
comfort
him
tor
the
loss
of
Joseph,
but
he
refused
to
be
comiorted
(Gn
37").
'If
I
be
bereaved
of
my
children,
I
am
bereaved'
(43"),
is
his
despairing
cry
when
Benjamin
also
is
taken
from
him
—
Benjamin,
'a
chUd
of
his
old
age,
a
little
one
.
.
.
and
his
father
loveth
him'
(44>»).
Hannah
dedicated
her
little
son
to
the
service
of
the
Lord
in
gratitude
for
his
birth;
and
then
year
by
year
'made
a
little
robe
and
brought
it
to
him'
(1
S
2'!').
David
fasted
and
lay
all
night
upon
the
ground
praying
for
the
life
of
his
sick
child
(2
S
12").
The
brief
account
of
the
death
of
the
Shunammite's
boy
is
a
passage
of
restrained
and
pathetic
beauty
(2
K
4'8'').
Isaiah's
feeling
for
the
weakness
and
helplessness
of
children
is
displayed
in
the
mention
of
the
words
first
articulated
by
his
own
son
(Is
8')
;
and
in
his
description
of
the
time
when
the
earth
should
be
full
of
the
knowledge
of
the
Lord,
and
little
children,
still
dependent
for
life
and
protection
upon
their
mother's
care,
should,
without
fear
of
harm
on
her
part,
be
allowed
to
play
among
CHILDREN
(SONS)
OF
GOD
wild
beasts
and
handle
the
asp
and
the
adder
(11'-').
Zechariah
dreams
of
the
happy
time
when
Jerusalem
shall
be
full
of
boys
and
girls
playing
in
the
streets
(Zee
8>).
The
beauty
of
a
child's
humble
simplicity
is
acknowledged
by
the
Psalmist,
who
likens
his
own
soul
to
a
weaned
child
with
its
mother
(Ps
131');
unconsciously
anticipating
the
spirit
of
One,
greater
than
he,
who
said
that
only
those
who
became
as
Uttle
children
should
in
any
wise
enter
the
Kingdom
of
heaven
(Mt
18'),
and
who
gave
thanks
to
His
Father
tor
revealing
the
things
of
God
to
'babes'
(Mt
11").
E.
G.
EOMANES.
CHILDREN
(SONS)
OF
GOD.—
There
are
a
few
pas-sages
in
the
OT
in
which
the
term
'
sons
of
God
'
is
applied
to
angelic
beings
(Gn
6i-«,
Job
1«
2'
38';
cf.
Dn
3«
RV).
Once
the
judges
of
Israel
are
referred
to
as
'gods,'
perhaps
as
appointed
by
God
and
vested
with
His
authority
(but
the
passage
is
very
obscure;
may
the
words
be
ironical?),
and,
in
parallel
phrase,
as
'sons
of
the
Most
High'
(Ps
826,
cf.
Jn
W;
also,
Ps
29>,
89»
RVm).
With
these
exceptions,
the
term,
with
the
correlative
one
of
'
Father,'
designates
the
relation
of
men
to
God
and
of
God
to
men,
with
varying
fulness
of
meaning.
It
is
obvious
that
the
use
of
such
a
figure
has
wide
possibilities.
To
call
God
'Father'
may
imply
little
more
than
that
He
is
creator
and
ruler
of
men
(cf.
'Zeus,
father
of
gods
and
men');
or
it
may
connote
some
phase
of
His
providence
towards
a
favoured
indi-vidual
or
nation;
or,
again,
it
may
assert
that
a
father's
love
at
its
highest
is
the
truest
symbol
we
can
frame
of
God's
essential
nature
and
God's
disposition
towards
all
men.
Similarly,
men
may
conceivably
be
styled
'
children
of
God
'
from
mere
dependence,
from
special
privilege,
from
moral
likeness,
or
finally
from
a
full
and
willing
response
to
the
Divine
Fatherhood
in
filial
love,
trust,
and
obedience.
It
is,
therefore,
not
sur-prising
that
the
Scripture
tacts
present
a
varying
and
progressive
conception
of
God
as
Father
and
of
men
as
His
children.
I.
In
the
OT.
—
The
most
characteristic
use
of
the
figure
is
in
connexion
with
God's
providential
dealings
with
His
people
Israel.
That
favoured
nation
as
a
whole
is
His
'son,'
He
their
'Father':
it
is
because
this
tie
is
violated
by
Israel's
ingratitude
and
apostasy
that
the
prophets
rebuke
and
appeal,
while
here,
too,
lies
the
hope
of
final
restoration.
Thus
Hosea
declares
that
God
loved
Israel
and
called
His
'son'
out
of
Egypt
(Hos
11',
cf.
Ex
4*2
'Israel
is
my
son,
my
firstborn');
and,
in
spite
of
the
Divine
rejection
of
the
Northern
King-dom
(Hos
1'
Lo-ammi,
'not
my
people'),
prophesies
that
It
shall
still
be
said
to
them
'
ye
are
the
sons
of
the
living
God'
(1'°).
So
too
Isaiah:
'I
have
nourished
and
brought
up
children,
and
they
have
rebelled
against
me
.
.
.
Israel
doth
not
know,
my
people
doth
not
consider'
(I''-
').
In
Deuteronomy
the
same
figure
is
used
(1"
8=
14i-
'),
and
in
the
Song
of
Moses
(Dt
32)
receives
striking
development..
God
is
the
'Father'
of
Israel,
whom
He
begat
by
deUvering
them
from
Egypt,
nourished
in
the
wilderness
and
established
(vv.»-
!»-"•
18);
the
people
are
His
'sons
and
daughters,'
His
'children'
(vv."-
^o).
Yet
they
are
warned
that
this
sonship
has
moral
implications,
and
may
be
forfeited
by
neglect
of
them
(v.'
'
they
havejdealt
corruptly
with
him,
they
are
not
his
children');
and
the
hint
is
given
of
the
bringing
in
of
the
Gentiles
through
a
sonship
based,
not
on
national
privilege
but
on
faith
and
obedi-ence
(V.21,
cf.
Ro
10>2.
13.
i»).
Thus
the
relation
is
not
merely
formal
but
ethical,
and
on
both
sides.
The
Divine
Fatherhood
towards
Israel
is
manifested
in
protecting
and
redeeming
love:
it
involves
the
Divine
faithfulness,
to
which
His
people
may
make
appeal
in
their
extremity
(Jer
31»-
i'-'",
Is
43»
63"
648-12).
The
fact
of
Israel's
sonship
carries
with
it
the
obligation
of
filial
response:
'
a
son
honoureth
his
father
...
if
then
I
be
a
Father,
where
is
mine
