Sometimes this journey of home education is not just "The Road Less Traveled", it’s a roller coaster of ups, downs, and sharp turns. As we follow and teach Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™, education based on biblical principles, we try to present the Freedom & Simplicity™ of home education in the Spirit, grounded on the Word. Well, my nicely laid out chart for our Freedom & Simplicity™ in Bible course is, of course, completely grounded on the Word. But following the direction of the Spirit within that sometimes leads to an adventurous ride.
We just completed this term, which for our Bible course covered the PIPEline period of the Patriarchs to the Law, Abraham to Moses. On my chart it had a few nicely termed titles for the themes of each week, but as I studied to prepare to teach, I saw how God had orchestrated it to come together. A clear theme of Covenant was being laid through each week, each lesson.
The first week we studied Abraham. We studied the giving and the promise of the covenant – initiated by God, the sign of the covenant – circumcision, faithful to the covenant – the test of sacrifice.
The second week studied Isaac, heir of the covenant. We studied human covenants under God’s – and those under covenant in a covenant household, the servant sent for the Bride, the marriage covenant.
The third week we studied Jacob, unworthy of the covenant. The unlikely choice for the covenant, wrestling to enter the covenant, servant of the covenant.
The fourth week we studied Joseph, learning to walk faithful to the covenant. We studied his knowing the call but being proud – pride comes before a fall, his faithfulness through his humbling – God’s means of refining, and God lifting him up – and Joseph seeing "God meant it all for good."
The fifth week we studied Moses, re-instater of the covenant. We studied Moses’ confronted by the covenant – and his excuses, his failure to bring his son up in the covenant, and God’s power through the covenant.
The sixth week we studied Israel and symbols/representations of the covenant. We studied the passover – and its relation to salvation, the crossing of the Red Sea – and its relation to baptism, and the manna and water in the wilderness – and its relation to communion.
The best laid plans are those directed and brought together by God Himself, the author and finisher of our faith. As I studied His Word, He was faithful to lay out our plans in such as AWESOME way.
We didn’t just study these stories in and of themselves, reading, researching, and recording what we found. But we studied through them in relation to what God had for US in them, reasoning, relating, and releasing the application to our lives, and how God wanted us to grow through studying this. It is amazing, but I still continue to be amazed at how home education in the Spirit, grounded on the Word brings such Freedom & Simplicity™.
