Ecclesiastes 8:1b A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. (Also Proverbs 5:18)

Psalm 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Psalm 128:1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

MEMORY VERSE: Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. –Psalm 16:11

CENTRAL THOUGHT: God’s plan for the home is that there would be joy and happiness within. The husband and wife would have joy in each other; they would be joyful as parents of children; and the very presence of God in the home would be the source of that joy.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Ecclesiastes 8:1 “The boldness of his face shall be changed”: some scholars feel the word boldness, which means strong, has a negative connotation–impudence or harshness or sternness, so as to suggest, “ A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.”—New American Standard Bible. Others read it, “The wisdom of a man shall illuminate his face; and the strength of his countenance shall be doubled,” meaning, “He shall speak with full confidence and conviction.” Wisdom will do both; bring softness and graciousness into a stern face, and give more confidence and strength to a man’s convictions.

9:9 “Live joyfully”: the gladness of heart that springs from a sense of the Divine
favor. (Proverbs 17:22)—Matthew Henry. “All the days of the life of thy vanity”: Not for just a short while, but faithfully through all of life, which itself is brief and fleeting.

Psalm 113:9 “Joyful”: glad; merry-hearted; rejoicing. 127:3 “Heritage”: possession; portion; share; inheritance.

LESSON BACKGROUND

Today’s lesson again portrays the happiness of the wise man who seeks God and trusts in the Lord. In other lessons we see that he gives himself for his wife as her preserver and defender, he loves her as his own self, and his words to her are gracious and kind. Here, a wise man’s wisdom makes his countenance and bearing luminous and cheerful, changed from being harsh and stern; he lives joyfully with his wife and family.

Likewise, a godly wife and mother is pictured with the quality of joy added to the qualities of meekness, submission, reverence, wisdom and kindness, which we studied previously.

Although God’s commands and standards were strict and firm against evil and false gods, the religion of Jehovah was a joyful one. Singing and praise has accompanied the worship of God down through the ages. David portrayed the godly being a people of joy; all through the day and even upon their beds, the joyful praises of God were to be heard in their homes. When the law was rediscovered and read to the people in Ezra’s day, he encouraged them not to sorrow about it, but to rejoice, adding that “the joy of the Lord” was their strength.

In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples that His Word was given to them that their joy might be full. Singing, praise and rejoicing was the outward expression of hearts filled with living water out of the wells of salvation.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. The Secret: What gives strength for the many tasks involved in maintaining a godly home?
2. The Source: According to our memory verse, what is the source of joy in our hearts, in our homes, and in the congregation?
3. The Daily Living: Share practical suggestions for how joy can be implemented into day to day life in the home.

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

The little-known, underrated secret to the success of the home is joy. Many times we diligently plod along, faithful to the “duties,” obedient to all the “standards,” embracing the form of righteousness, but lacking in this essential component. Yet joy is the one thing which can make all the difference.

We’re not talking about a surface happiness. “Everybody look happy, now—people are watching us.” The Scriptures speak of daily living, of inner qualities. It’s not that we let go of the standards and dismiss the boundaries; but, true joy is the motivation for those high standards, giving ease and energy for their application.

Let us not overlook the importance of good, wholesome laughter and fun in a family. Family trips, birthdays, games, meals, worship times—all are times where we can secure the loyalty of our children by giving them warm memories of all the fun they had at home.

Joy is a choice. Joy is deliberate. We can present the rules of the home with a sour face or a cheerful one. Chores and jobs can be coerced at the constant threat of punishment or transformed into fun and games. God is our source; He can give us creative ideas for how to incorporate joy into our daily lives.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

In visiting many different homes over the years, you can pretty much sum up the environments of the home into three categories: the toxic home, the refrigerator home and the cozy home.

The Toxic Home: Once you enter the toxic home, you automatically feel the stress and hostility of the family unit. Words spoken are laced with anger and sarcasm. Members of the home, as well as visiting friends, do not feel cherished or loved in this environment. Sadly, there is a lot of emotional damage in this type of home.

The Refrigerator Home: Loving words, actions, or deeds are sparse or non-existent in the refrigerator home. Parents are demanding or domineering with lots of rules and no positive relationships. Children cannot wait to become of age so they can flee this cold environment, and rarely do they return; there is just simply no warmth to draw them back.

The Cozy Home: The minute you walk through the door of a cozy home, the members of the family make you feel cherished, wanted and loved. It is as though the host or hostess has “rolled out the red carpet” just for you. Conversation flows easily and the memories made will last a lifetime. The children of the cozy home grow up and leave this happy place to build their own nests, but they will always love migrating back. A joyful and happy family is a little piece of heaven on this side. These are the heart ties that keep the members of the family, as well as visiting friends, returning again and again.

So what kind of home do you have?

–Sis. LaDawna Adams