Grandchildren – Proverbs 17:6

The queen of England, Queen Victoria, married in 1840 and had nine children.  From those nine children came 44 grandchildren.  Could you remember all the names and birthdates of 44 grandchildren?  I’m not sure I could.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their fathers. (Proverbs 17:6, ESV)

This proverb could easily trigger shame, sorrow or envy in some.  The apostle Paul was not married and so never had any children or, of course, grandchildren.  Some of us have not had fathers who blessed us in any way, indeed may have been a curse in our lives.  Some want to have children but can’t.  Some have children who don’t want to have children of their own or can’t have children.

The object of this wise saying is not to stir up pain but to recognize that this is what it should be, all things being equal, for every family.  Every child should be able to glory in his father and mother.  Fathers and mothers should live long enough lives, because wisdom has preserved them from the deadly paths of ungodliness, to see their children have children.

Families should be a cause for rejoicing.  If our family is not such a cause then we know how critical it is to help others have such families or, if that is not possible, to become family for them.  And then a proverb might be spoken that says adopted children are the crown of the childless and the glory of the abandoned is their adopted family.