dominion – Dobra Family Ministry

Household Prayer: investing in Gospel dominion

“For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/2th.3.10.NASB2020

Brothers meditating on several passages based on some comments from the FLF conference. First, “Do not outsource or subcontract the discipline and instruction of your children in the Lord.” by Larry Taunton. A paraphrase, “Education is a product that costs money to develop and distribute. If you want a quality education product delivered in a loving community, then it will have a cost.” And “Money is bullets to be aimed at the enemy in the fight.”

In a time of entitlement, when many want or feel they deserve everything provided for free and often from the government (like ‘school choice’ handouts), I’m meditating on Gen. 3:19, 2 Thess. 3:10, and 1 Tim. 5:8 and praying we heads of households depend on God’s provision and work hard to provide all the tools, resources, and means for our wives and ministry of our children’s education. I pray we not fall into the traps of entitlement and demand a handout “like the nations” (1 Sam. 8:10-20). And whatever our lot, I pray we give all glory and thanks to God the provider of all good gifts! (Psalm 103) May God establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17)

Take dominion. Make disciples. By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20) for “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Rule yourself well, rule your household well, and bring God’s truth and grace into every sphere of life that you enter into until every nation proclaims “Jesus is Lord!” – Amen

Take Dominion

“There is an obvious way to take dominion of the earth, then, and it is simply through obeying God… One simple act of obedience, which Knox fulfilled, is marriage and child-rearing… Those who are committed to raising and nurturing godly families are doing some of the greatest kingdom work imaginable… When you raise godly children, they eventually raise godly children of their own, who raise godly children of their own, and on it goes… God commands us to take dominion of the earth by ruling over it for His glory. He reveals that the best way to take dominion is through the fulfillment of the Great Commission… As we do this, entire nations will eventually be Christianized for Christ… You need to study the Scriptures to learn doctrines. Then, by applying the doctrines, we take dominion. The movement is always from doctrine to dominion.” Resist Tyrants, Obey God: lessons learned from the life and times of John Knox https://press.founders.org/shop/resist-tyrants-obey-god/

“Paul fundamentally admonishes parents—specifically fathers—to raise their own children… The job of raising children does not belong directly to the school, society, church or the youth group. It belongs to parents. According to the Apostle Paul, it doesn’t take a village to raise a child. It takes a dad.” Discipline In The Home https://founders.org/articles/discipline-in-the-home/

“Parenting has consequences. Every word, every habit, every moment — it all shapes the soul of your child.” https://youtu.be/vIThYlPNKws?si=lq0yLNawd96AMDSH

“By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”” Genesis 3:19 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.3.19.NASB2020

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/1ti.5.8.NASB2020

“Bless the Lord, my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits… Bless the Lord, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, my soul!” Psalm 103:1-2, 22 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/psa.103.1-22.NASB2020

“May the kindness of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/psa.90.17.NASB2020

“And he said, “This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and put them in his chariots for himself and among his horsemen… He will also take your daughters and use them as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. And he will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and his servants. He will also take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and use them for his work. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.” Yet the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”” 1 Samuel 8:10-20 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/1sa.8.10-20.NASB2020

THE GOOD NEWS

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV

There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV

It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV

Household Prayer: Why education and community

“… God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” Genesis 1:26-28 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.1.26-28.NASB2020

Brothers, a thought from the FLF conference: What is the “why” of education and fellowship? What is the vision? Just achieving a Christian education program, or a deep fellowship of community living in the church is not the goal, but the means.

In the classical conversations communities the goal or vision is “to know God and make Him known.” The classical Christian education and community are a means to that end.

Christian education and Community in the church are the means to build a culture that expands outside the home and church under the Lordship of Christ. A particular, local, and shared great commission and creation mandate vision to disciple the nations, take dominion and fill the earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that we labor for a generational vision for the next 500 or more years.

By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), we get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20) for “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

“Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. For by it the people of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible… who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” Hebrews 11:1-3, 33-34 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/heb.11.1-34.NASB2020

“… God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” Genesis 1:26-28 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.1.26-28.NASB2020

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/gen.2.15.NKJV

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” Matthew 28:18-20 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/mat.28.18-20.NASB2020

Household Prayer: A Culture Building Strategy

““You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mat.5.14-16.LSB

Brothers, today I’m thinking about strategy. Are we being pushed and pulled by life, or do we have a strategy to lead our families through life. As the worldly culture around us becomes wicked and hostile, I pray we rely on God’s word to develop a strategy. I pray we are actively building a Godly culture. I pray it starts in our homes and extends into our churches and communities. I pray that we leave an inheritance of Godly culture for our children’s children (Jeremiah 29:5-7, Matthew 5:14-16).

A Puritan Strategy: “A Model of Christian Charity”

Let’s learn from Puritan John Winthrop in their covenant “A Model of Christian Charity” that was the foundation of one of the American Colonies that would become the United States of America.

“In 1630, the Puritans [came to America], with their leader John Winthrop setting forth the terms of their covenant in “A Model of Christian Charity,” which he wrote while sailing across the Atlantic on the ship Arabella. It explained:

Herein are four things to be propounded: first, the persons; secondly, the work; thirdly, the end; fourthly, the means…’” The Founders’ Bible, NASB 1995, Copyright 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers https://thefoundersbible.com/

First: The Persons

First, for the persons. We are a company professing ourselves fellow members of Christ…

We are each heads of households, church members, and community members and are called to lead, serve, and influence each of those spheres God has placed us in.

Second: The Work

Secondly, for the work… [It is] to seek out a place of cohabitation and consortship [fellowship] under a due form of government, both civil and ecclesiastical…

What is important when the church (we believers) is a despised minority, when the culture around us is increasingly wicked and hostile?

A culture in which we can cultivate Christian households, churches, and communities that are flourishing, faith centered, and independent communities shining a light to the world!

Unwavering worship and affection to Yahweh, community and hospitality among believers, independence from the hostile systems, and holding firm, confident, hopeful, and joyful to the convictions of the faith.

It may be tempting to feel defeated and retreat, but even in exile God’s people are called to be hopeful and joyful as they seek fruitfulness, expansion, and dominion by building houses, planting gardens, getting married, and having children (Jer. 29:5-7).

If we find ourselves longing for the ideal culture of yesterday, then we need to be building the culture we long for among ourselves.

Third: The End

Thirdly, the end is to improve our lives to do more service to the Lord, the comfort and increase of the body of Christ (whereof we are members), that ourselves and posterity may be the better preserved from the common corruptions of this evil world to serve the Lord, and work out our salvation under the power and purity of His holy ordinances.

The type of culture and community worth loving and fighting for! A culture and community like a city on a hill whose light shines before men, pointing to Jesus! (Matt. 5:14-16, John 8:12)

The Spartan’s were far from God, but there is “nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9-10), so when an unbelieving people have a good idea or philosophy it can often be found to originate, knowingly or unknowingly, from the wisdom of God. Such as, “[The Spartans] loved what they were fighting for… They weren’t fueled by hatred for what they were fighting, but rather fueled by love of what they were fighting for–their culture, their family, their homeland [Neh. 4:13-23]. This is why some would say that the opposite of fear is love.” Warrior Poet Profile | The Spartan Warriors https://warriorpoetsupplyco.com/blog/warrior-poet-profile-the-spartan-warriors/

“that I had men stand in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I had the people stand by families with their swords, spears, and bows. Then I saw their fear. And I arose and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “Do not fear them; remember the Lord who is great and fearsome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”” Nehemiah 4:13-14 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/neh.4.13-14.LSB

Fourth: The Means

Fourthly, for the means… We must love brotherly without dissimulation [Rom 12:9], we must love one another with a pure heart fervently [1 Pet 1:22]. We must bear one another’s burdens [Gal 6:2]. We must not look only on our own things but also on the things of our brethren [Phil 2:4]… We are entered into covenant with Him for this work-we have taken out a commission. The Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles… but if we shall neglect the observation of these articles… the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us, be revenged of such a [sinful] people, and make us know the price of the breach of such a covenant. Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck and to provide for our posterity is to follow the counsel of Micah to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God [Mic 6:8]… For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill [Matt 5:14]. The eyes of all people are upon us so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world [Deut 28:37]…’

“arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God.”

There is a spiritual and physical aspect. Like King David’s message to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22:19, “David urges Solomon, ‘set your heart and your mind to seek the Lord your God’ and to ‘arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God.’ David’s message still hits home today, urging us to dedicate ourselves to seeking God and advancing His kingdom.” John G. “Jay” Johnston, D.Min, National Prayer Director and Chaplain, Family Research Council Prayer Post, June 25, 2024

Leading ourselves in seeking God. (Mark 12:29-30, Matt. 6:33)

Leading our households as an independent governing sphere under God (Mark 10:6-9, Jeremiah 29:5-7, Eph. 5:1-6:9, 1 Timothy 3:4-5).

Leading our families into the household of households, the local church, to worship Yahweh (Acts 10:2, Heb. 10:25, Acts 2:42).

Leading our households in intentional community fellowship and hospitality (1 Peter 2:9-10,4:9, Romans 12:10,13).

Leading with firm confidence and joy in the convictions of the faith (Matt. 5:14-16, Eph. 5:1-21, 1 Peter 1:13-16).

By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20) for “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10) Rule yourself well, rule your household well, and bring God’s truth and grace into every sphere of life that you enter into until every nation proclaims “Jesus is Lord!” – Amen

“Our Forefathers forged a covenant; our Founders laid the foundation. Christ has ever been the True Cornerstone, for it is from Him that our freedom flows. Those who have followed have built upon those values, many wisely, some foolishly, but thankfully a glorious nation emerged. Its people have climbed that mountain and lit a beacon of freedom that has shone brightly for lo these many generations. For ourselves, and for posterity, with all the eyes of the world upon us, let us not stumble now. We cannot, must not, and will not let that light go out.” The Founders’ Bible, NASB 1995, Copyright 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers https://thefoundersbible.com/

Household Prayer: Sowing and Cultivating Christian Culture

““You are the salt of the earth… “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:13-14 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.13-14.NKJV

Brothers I’m praying about sowing and cultivating distinctly Christian culture in our homes, churches, and communities. Flowing from our love and worship of God, from the redemptive power of the gospel in our lives, and the joyful labor of subduing, ruling, working, and keeping as husbands and fathers. (Gen 1:26-28, 2:15) I pray, Oh LORD, that by faith our sowing would cast a bright light of Your glory in the world. (Matt. 7:20)

Any idea that consistent Christianity must undermine or diminish concern for the tasks of civilization should be dismissed once and for all.”—J.I. Packer and Thomas Howard, “Christianity: The True Humanism”

Matthew 5:13-14 (NASB)
[13] “You are the salt of the earth…
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden

“Our Christian faith is to affect all areas of our life in obvious, overt ways (Mt. 5:13–16)… culture is the concrete expression of a society’s religious and philosophical commitments; it flows out of the heart—as it were—of the society which produces it (Prov. 4:23).” Plowing in Hope: Towards a Biblical Theology of Culture by David Bruce Hegeman

Proverbs 4:23 (NASB)
[23] Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.

“If I knew the world was going to end tomorrow, I would plant a tree today.” —Martin Luther

A Biblical theology of culture

“man’s “cultural mandate”—the call to rule, fill, and transform the earth—was established before the Fall and exists independently of man’s need for redemption… we may properly call culture (along with the other “pre-redemptive” institutions of marriage and worship) normative for mankind…

culture is, at its foundation, about building and not about conflict. Doing culture from a positive, earth-transformational perspective will help us build a more comprehensive, radical, holistic culture in line with the principles of Scripture, and it will provide us with less opportunity to compromise with the anti-biblical values and beliefs embedded in the pagan, unbelieving cultures we might encounter. …

The human race was called to fill, rule, work, and keep the earth before the Fall—before sin and evil had ever entered the hearts, thoughts, and actions of men and women. Man’s culturative activities must therefore be seen as a normative, good, and holy calling received from a loving and holy God. Marriage, work, the development of the earth’s resources, and a careful stewardship of nature must all be seen as intrinsic to who we are. It is clear from the rest of Scripture that our culturative calling was never rescinded after the Fall (e.g., Gen. 4; 9: 1–2)…

As the Word of God, Scripture is over culture and offers an infallible, perfect standard by which all cultures are to be judged and evaluated.”
Plowing in Hope: Towards a Biblical Theology of Culture by David Bruce Hegeman https://a.co/7jpUp3f

““To affirm and bask in the goodness of the world, to praise God for the wonders of creation, to practice responsible stewardship of this small planet, and to honor its Maker by using its resources wisely for the welfare of the race and the enriching of human life are all integral aspects of the work that Christians are called to do. Any idea that consistent Christianity must undermine or diminish concern for the tasks of civilization should be dismissed once and for all.”
J.I. Packer and Thomas Howard, “Christianity: The True Humanism” quoted in “Plowing in Hope: Towards a Biblical Theology of Culture” by David Bruce Hegeman https://a.co/bq8q9J8

Household Prayer: Rule Well, Bring Order

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” Genesis 1:28 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/gen.1.28.NKJV

Brothers today I’m praying for order. Many times when I find myself discontent or ineffective in life (work, family, ministry), it is often because I have not ruled myself or my areas of responsibility well and things have gotten out of order (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15). So I am praying that we rule well under the Lordship of Jesus and bring our souls, minds, and life into order. Rule yourself well, rule your household well, and bring God’s truth and grace into every sphere of life that you enter into until every nation proclaims “Jesus is Lord!” (Matt. 28:18-20) – Amen

Take dominion, subdue and rule, work and keep. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15) Go and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:18-20) These summarize the mission God has given us.

Happy birthday Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Also, “Today — Feb 4th, 1906 — marks the birthday of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the greatest Christians of the modern era. He understood that faith without ACTION is no real faith.” https://ericmetaxas.com/books/bonhoeffer/

“He had theologically redefined the Christian life as something active, not reactive. It had nothing to do with avoiding sin or with merely talking or teaching or believing theological notions or principles or rules or tenets. It had everything to do with living one’s whole life in obedience to God’s call through action. It did not merely require a mind, but a body too. It was God’s call to be fully human, to live as human beings obedient to the one who had made us, which was the fulfillment of our destiny. It was not a cramped, compromised, circumspect life, but a life lived in a kind of wild, joyful, full-throated freedom—that was what it was to obey God.” Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas https://a.co/9b6VdVe

Creation Mandate – Dominion

In “Genesis 2:15, we learn how man is to fulfill his calling: ‘The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.’ … Work. To work is to labor to make things grow… Keep. To keep is to protect and to sustain progress already achieved… God calls us to bear His image in the real world, in this garden that has become corrupted by sin but is being redeemed by the power of God’s grace in Christ. He calls us to do this by being leaders and servants in the ultimate cause of displaying God’s glory and bearing the fruit of God’s love in real relationships… Our calling in life really is this simple (although not therefore easy): We are to devote ourselves to working/building and keeping/protecting everything placed into our charge.” The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men by Richard D. Phillips https://a.co/hPkBUjb

Household Prayer: Rule Well

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” … God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” … God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis 1:26, 28, 31 NASB1995

Well brothers, the school season is almost at an end. I hope and pray it was a joy and a blessing for you as it was for me. I have enjoyed weekly scripture meditation and prayer for you and our community. Until next season starts I pray we love, enjoy, instruct, and disciple our families well. I pray we rule well in our households. Genesis 1:26,28,31; Eph. 6:4

“Dominion is a fact – human beings simply have it. It’s God’s doing. We can’t abdicate. Human beings possess power over all the creatures of the world… But dominion isn’t arbitrary power, at least not originally. In the Christian faith human dominion is subject to God’s dominion. And it is informed by God’s Law – his moral standard, his holiness.” (In the House of Tom Bombadil by C.R. Wiley)

“The reason that God creates man on the earth, according to Genesis, is for productive, representative rulership. This is what it means to exercise dominion: to fruitfully order the world in God’s stead…” (It’s good to be a man: A handbook for Godly masculinity by Michael Foster and Dominic Bnonn Tennant)

“Families are the nurseries of all societies; and the first combinations of mankind. Well-ordered families naturally produce a good order in other societies… Every serious Christian is concerned, that he may be serviceable in the world… but are you not a member of some family? If that family may be your means, O Christian, become a well-regulated family, in that point you will become serviceable; I had almost said, incomprehensibly serviceable.” A Family Well Ordered by Cotton Mather (1699) modern English translation by Patrick Doucette

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.18.19.KJV

“You May here observe a most comfortable connection, between, He will, and they shall. Says the Lord, He will Command his children, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. It seems, if every one that is owner of a family, would faithfully command, and manage those that belong unto him, through the blessing of God; they would generally keep His way, and His law… ‘If parents did their duties as they ought, the Word publically preached would not be the ordinary means of regeneration in the Church, but only without the Church, among infidels: God would so pour out His grace upon the children of His people, and hear prayers for them, and bless endeavors for their holy education, that we should see the promises made good unto our seed.’” A Family Well Ordered by Cotton Mather (1699) modern English translation by Patrick Doucette