Sluice Box Adventures

Believing Bible Study in the 21st century

All About The Sureness of Trouble In Life

They each "stepped" into the breech, or hole in a child's life, and gave of their own selves the necessary nourishment and admonishment to bring up that child.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."


The Great Stepper

Old Paths Baptist Mission © 2011 Richard St.James


Preface:

The Great StepperI want to make several things very clear.

First: The Bible is the perfect word of God. In the English language, it is preserved in the Authorized Version of the Bible of 1611 (commonly called the King James Bible).

It is tried! "The word of the Lord is tried" [Psalm18:30]. It is pure! "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" [Psalm 12:6].

Second: The Ideal Biblical Pattern For Marriage Is Set In Genesis Chapters 1 & 2.

One Man - One Woman For Life ... Both Parents ... One Family ... Bringing Up The Children Together!

Third: The Step Parent Relationship Is Less Than The Ideal!

Fourth: The Step Parent/Step Child Relationship Is Biblically Based.


The Two Questions!

QUESTION NUMBER 1:

What do Esther, Joash (the king of Judah), and Timothy in the Bible have in common?

I can come up with at least three things.

1. They believed The Book.

2. They obeyed The Book.

3. They each, in their childhood, grew up in a household where the presence of one or both of the natural parents was missing [implied with Timothy].


QUESTION NUMBER 2:

What do Mordecai, Jehoshabeath and Jehoiada the priest, and Joseph, have in common? I can find at least three things that they have in common.

1. They believed The Book.

2. They obeyed The Book.

3. They each "stepped" into the breech, or hole in a child's life, and gave of their own selves the necessary nourishment and admonishment to bring up that child.


And what is a Stepper?

The definition of STEP according to the Webster 1828 dictionary is: STEP, Sax. steop, from stepan, TO DEPRIVE

Esther became a STEPCHILD to Mordecai because he made a covenant to the LORD to "FOSTER" her. FOSTER: (according to Webster) means: "a nurse or food";

1. To feed; to nourish; to support; to bring up.

2. To cherish; to forward; to promote growth.

3. To cherish; to encourage; to sustain and promote

... Mordecai became a FOSTER-FATHER: "One who takes the place of a father in feeding and educating a child."

Do you see how the Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary shows how tightly inter-related step parent and foster-parent is?

The term STEPCHILD is a child DEPRIVED of its parent. Esther was DEPRIVED. Definition: STEP-CHILD: A child that is deprived of its natural parent.


The Stepper Relationships!

Stepfather is: "A father-in-law; a father by marriage only; {the father of an orphan.}"

Stepmother is: "A mother by marriage only; a mother-in-law; {the mother of an orphan.}"

Stepdaughter is: "A daughter by marriage; {an orphan daughter.}"

Stepson is: "A son-in-law, {an orphan son.}"

Noah Webster added this note:

"In the foregoing explication of step, I have followed Lye. The D. and G. write stief, and the Swedes styf, before the name; a word which does not appear to be connected with any verb signifying to bereave, and the word is not without some difficulties. I have given the explanation, which appears to be most probably correct. If the radical sense of step, a pace, is to part or open, the word coincides with Sax. stepan, to deprive, and in the compounds above, step may imply removal or distance."

If you are a Step Parent, which is not the biblical ideal ... but the very next best,

Then: Make a covenant to the LORD to "FOSTER" your Step Children!

For how ever many years you have with them ... be a GREAT STEPPER.

You: stepped in
... to foster
... to stand in the gap
... to feed
... to nourish
... to support
... to cherish
... to promote
... to encourage
... to sustain ... a child who was not your own natural child

... but to treat the child as if he (or she) was your own child ... no matter the personal cost to yourself ... and no matter the personal sacrifice!


For Step-Children!

Do YOU ... as a Step Daughter ... or as a Step Son ... have these three things in common with Esther, Joash (the king of Judah), and Timothy?

1. They believed The Book.

2. They obeyed The Book.

3. They each in their childhood grew up in a household where the presence of one, or both, the natural parents was missing.

1. Do you believe The Book?

2. Do you obey The Book.

3. Do you honor and appreciate the nurture and admonition of Someone Else who volunteered to step into the breech ... left by your absent natural parent, or parents?


For Step Parents!

Do you as a Step Father, or as a Step Mother have these three things in common with Mordecai, Jehoshabeath and Jehoiada the priest, and Joseph?

1. They believed The Book.

2. They obeyed The Book.

3. They each "stepped" into the breech, or hole in a child's life, and gave of their own selves the necessary nourishment and admonishment to bring up that child. They entered into the fray ... knowing up front ... the holy calling.

1. Do you believe The Book?

2. Do you obey The Book?

3. Are you ... A Great Stepper?

Are you "stepping" into the breech, or hole in a child's life, and giving of your own self ... the necessary nourishment and admonishment to bring up that child.

Have you entered into the fray ... knowing up front ... the holy calling.

 

Next: Divorced and Called To Preach?

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