Applying the Old Testament in Parenting

One of the common things that people struggle with is how to apply certain parts of the Old Testament to their daily lives (I might as well give a shameless plug to a book written by my Senior Pastor which addresses this). In contrast, applying any of the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and most of the parables in the Gospels is fairly straightforward. But how do you respond in faith to a passage around a genealogy, a census, or measurements and specifications of a place and articles of worship?

Recently having read through 1 and 2Samuel, I've adopted some of the Old Testament language and admonishment in my everyday interactions with my kids. Daniel is highly protective of the little world he has created on top of his train table, where I've helped him construct a system of intersecting and overlapping trains and tracks with bridges and overpasses. One of his biggest challenges is keeping his little sister Sophia from wrecking it, who can't seem to keep herself from moving tracks out of place or pulling train cars apart.

Now Daniel often neglects his duties as a good big brother and good son by either failing to keep the basement floor clear of small toys which cause great pain when Sarah and I step on them while trying to get the laundry, or by being rough with Sophia in terms of not sharing toys with her or making sure she has other things to play with.

So recently after Daniel again neglected to clean the Matchbox cars which had been strewn on the floor for three days straight, I told him, channeling the Old Testament prophets, "Daniel, because you have neglected to follow my decrees to clean up the floor and have become a stiff-necked boy, I will deliver your train table into the hands of Sophia. She shall strike with my judgment your steam engines, bridges and switching tracks. But turn back, repent and clean up the floor, and maybe I'll help you rebuild your tracks. Thus sayeth your Dad." And then I let Sophia waddle over and play with Daniel's trains as he screamed bloody murder. Don't worry, she didn't mess things up too much.

I thought it was sort of funny, and ultimately Daniel cleaned up the basement and we rebuilt his little train universe. Did Daniel find it amusing initially? No - all there was from him was weeping and gnashing of teeth.