Learning
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2 (NRSV)
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
STORY
A In Adam’s Fall: We sinned all.
B Heaven to find; The Bible Mind.
C Christ crucify’d; For sinners dy’d….
Z Zacchaeus he Did climb the Tree Our Lord to See.
Thus, the New England Primer taught the alphabet to its young charges. In addition to presenting the “Alphabet Lessons for Youth,” the entire textbook used biblical references for instruction including a catechism of 107 questions, prayers, creeds, and religious songs. The purpose of the Primer was threefold: to teach reading, to foster Christian character, and to obtain from the children a coveted conversion experience.
The word “primer” comes from the Latin word “primarium” which means first. After being introduced to the Bible the New England Primer should be a child’s first choice – the primary source – of education. The New England Primer complimented both concepts of academic education and religious indoctrination. It was often referred to as the “Little Bible” of New England.
The Massachusetts Legislature passed the “Old Deluder Act” in 1647, which mandated that every town would establish a grammar school in order to thwart “one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of Scripture.” To facilitate this process the New England Primer was first published in 1690 by Benjamin Harris of Boston. It became the standard classroom textbook in New England as well as all along the eastern seaboard. Copies of the New England Primer were still being used in some schools in the early 1900s.
DEVOTION
New Englanders understood the importance of a biblical education and the reality of Satan’s temptations. For the Puritans there was no dismissing the fact that satanic powers have engulfed creation, and it is only with a knowledge of the scriptures that one can confront and combat and overcome the wiles of Satan and live for Christ. Sadly, too many people today, with modernistic and progressive thinking, dismiss the idea that we live in the shadow of the salient and dark forces of Satan. The elders of Massachusetts, by putting forth the New England Primer, understood that education created a protective shield from the evil darts flung at us from Satan.
It is time that we restore the intention of the New England Primer to our lives. This does not have to be the 1690 edition, though it should be a new edition for our time and our place. Included with the educational opportunities provided by the church we need to personally select books that challenge us academically and spiritually. These are books that allow us to grow in our faith, increase our knowledge, and move us forward in Christian service. We need to select books written by biblical scholars, church leaders, and theologians who present an authentic understanding of the gospel message.
We need to avoid most populist authors and read and study such distinguish authors as Martin Luther, John Wesley, Joachim Jeremias, Norman Perrin, Henri J M Nouwen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Walter Rauschenbusch, William Temple, NT Wright, Fred Craddock, Elizabeth Achtemeier, Walter Brueggemann, Rudolf Bultman, Jurgen Moltmann, Barbara Brown Taylor, and William Willimon.
One of the best presentations we have as to why we must educate our youth is outlined in Psalm One. The instructions contained in the psalm should be entertained by every adult. In the psalm the elders are teaching youth how to live a righteous life. They are instructing the youth on how to avoid sin and live a godly life.
According to the psalm, students must decide to live between one of two ways: one way leads to self-destruction; the other way leads to self-fulfillment. The opening line reads: “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.” With this instruction the elders are sharing with their pupils that the path to a sorrowful life is subtle. First the youth walk with unrighteous teachers, then they will stand with them, and eventually they will sit with them. As they sit in council with the false prophets they are suddenly and unexpectedly snared in the web of their folly. To avoid this journey into sin a youth must study, with “delight,” the scriptures both day and night.
The youth who live by the scriptures will have a spiritually blessed life. This is expressed in the psalm when it reads, “They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.” Trees are frequently mentioned in the Bible and always have the same symbolic meaning. Trees that are planted by streams of water will always have a regular supply of nourishment. The leaves on these trees will never wither and these trees will always bear good fruit; that is, the youth will be productive servants of the Lord. Bering good fruit in the Bible always refers to doing good things – fruitful things – in the name of the Lord.
This will not be the case for those youth who “sit in the seat of scoffers.” The wicked are like “chaff that the wind drives away.” Biblically chaff is always symbolic of judgement. Chaff is the loose outer covering on wheat that must be separated in the threshing process of harvesting the grain. In biblical times grain was threshed, trampled, crushed, or beaten on outdoor threshing floors to separate out the inedible parts of the grain called chaff. The lightweight chaff would then be thrown into the air and carried away by the wind, or sometimes it would be burned as fuel. Chaff is always a symbol for separating good from evil or showing the difference between God’s treatment of the godly versus the judgment of the wicked. In the teachings of the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, chaff are individuals who are wicked and ungodly. The chaff will be separated from the godly and consigned to a horrible fate on judgment, as the scripture reads, “for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
We can choose to live our lives in one of two ways. It is hoped that we will all choose the way of life. To guide us in this decision-making process the church does provides an educational program for all ages. The sermon is both inspirational and instructive, though it is not a substitute for formal study. This is why it is imperative that everyone attends Sunday school. This provides a structured environment and affords the opportunity for dialogue. The same holds true for belonging to a small group, where the atmosphere is more informal. A small group atmosphere promotes even more in-depth dialogue. A small group is also a safer place to ask those difficult questions that you find too embarrassing to articulate elsewhere. Though, at the top of the list is time set aside for private daily devotions and study. It is encouraged that individuals read the Bible daily and have an enlightening religious book to read.