The home is not just about brick and mortar – it’s a place of security, love, and family. The Bible says quite a lot about the home – both directly and indirectly. The lessons about the home from the Bible cut across society and are invaluable for both believers and non-believers. The following are some of the important Bible lessons about the Home.
Building a God-Centered Home
Several scriptures demonstrate the importance of letting God be the architect of your home. One of the commonest scriptures on this is the words of the Psalmist below.
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain (Psalm 127:1).
This scripture underscores the importance of involving God when building a home. As the Psalmist admonishes, building a home without involving God is in vain. It is God who offers true security for the home.
Proverbs 24:3-4 expands on this, stating that, “by wisdom, a house is built, and through understanding it is established.” True stability comes from building a foundation of faith and godly principles
A good illustration of this is given in the book of Job when the devil testified how God had built a hedge of protection around Job and his family.
Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land (Job 1:10).
This hedge didn’t just appear magically – it was there because Job involved God in raising his family. As Pastor Jack Afford once put it, if your circumstances find you in God, you will find God in your circumstances. When disaster struck the household of Job, Job found help in God and enjoyed restoration.
Finding Refuge in God
Multiple scriptures portray god as our refuge. For instance, Psalms 14:1 reminds us that God is our ever-present help in the time of need. In Psalm 91: the Bible declares, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
There is no denying that our homes are often riddled with all kinds of challenges. During the darkest moments, we can turn to God for refuge because he promises to always be our help.
When God appeared to Father Abraham, one of the promises he gave him was security for his home. He started by promising him that he would bless those who bless him and curse anyone who curses him (Gen 12:3). However, a few chapters later, he reiterated his commitment to keeping Abraham’s home safe when he said;
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward (Genesis 15:1).
In the previous chapter, his nephew had been attacked and it makes sense that Abraham would start wondering if he was next in line. God came to reassure him that he would be his shield from any attack.
Our eternal dwelling place
The home should always be a reminder of the eternal home that we are looking forward to. As the song says, “This world is not my home, I am just passing by…” The Bible speaks of a future home beyond our earthly lives. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 describes our earthly bodies as tents, temporary dwellings. That’s because our true and lasting home awaits us in heaven, a place “not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
When Jesus was on earth, he kept reminding his followers of the eternal home. He taught a lot about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. When he was just about to die, he reminded his disciples that he was going to make mansions for them in heaven. Check it out;
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2).
As the writer of Hebrews notes, this city in heaven is what Abraham was looking forward to for it is a city not built by human hands (Hebrews 11:10).
Wisdom for the home
The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears hers down with her own hands (Proverbs 14:1).
The scripture above makes it clear that a home is built with wisdom. Most people would assume that all you need to build a home is money but not quite so. Money can buy things but it takes wisdom to be a steward of things. The wise man Solomon reminds women to be wise because, through wisdom, they will build their homes. It takes wisdom to put up a strong family and it takes wisdom to sustain it. On the contrary, foolishness can wreck a home.
Prophet Isaiah says the following about wisdom;
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure (Isaiah 33:6).
To put it in context, wisdom can help you build a stable home.
Serving the Lord in the home
The family institution is meant to be the starting point of the church. The family is a metaphor for God’s greater family and it should therefore a place where God is reverenced and worshipped. Joshua demonstrated this before Israel when he said the following words;
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).
Joshua was the leader of Israel but he was making it clear that it was incumbent upon each household to choose whom they would serve. Even today, it is not enough to be part of a Christian community (e.g. a local church) – it is important to also serve God with your family.
Conclusion
In summary, the home should always be looked at as the starting point of ministry. It is the origin of the church and it should be a picture of God’s larger family. This may explain why there are so many scriptures on the subject.
