SINGLE PARENTING and The Bible

From the beginning, God's ideal was that there be two parents:

At creation God made us male and female and said to "be fruitful and multiply." Genesis 1:28; 2:23-25 

The fourth commandment. (Exodus _______; Ephesians 5:2-3) addresses both fathers and mothers.

Scripture exhorts fathers (regarding their specific responsibilities toward their children: Psalm 103:13; Ephesians 6:4) and praises good mothers. (I Thessalonians 2:7). ALSO CHECK OUT PROV 31:_______

God promises a blessing upon those who listen to their father and mother. (Both are mentioned.) Proverbs 1:3, 5, 8, 9

When men in the Old Testament died before their wives (i.e., Jacob, who lost Rachel after Benjamin was born), they became single parents. 

Eli adopted Samuel when Hannah gave him to the Lord to serve in the temple. Eli's wife is not mentioned as having anything to do with raising Samuel. Hannah saw her son only once a year. (___Samuel_____)

Single parents in the Bible include the widows with children who were helped by the prophets: 1 Kings 17:_____, Elijah; 2 Kings 4:______, Elishah

________ verses on widows in N.T. (?) or O.T.?

God makes special promised to the fatherless, and calls for special treatment of them:
Exodus 22:22 God commands not to afflict them.
Deut 10:18 God has a special love for them.
Deut 14:29; 16:11, 14 included in the blessings of God
Deut 24:17; Psalms 68:5 God forbids taking advantage of the fatherless or widow.
Deut 24:19-21 provision for
Deut 26:12, 13 provision for regularly (tithe)
Deut 27:19 curse if take advantage of

2 Sam 14;5

1 Kings 17:9, etc. God selected widow to minister to prophet - directed him to go to her for provision of lodging

1 Kings 17:20 God allowed tragedy to strike her household. She had already lost her husband; now her son had died. Where was God? A miracle was on the horizon.

Some take advantage of: Job 24:3

God is "a father of the fatherless" Psa 68:5 
He can fill in the gap.


Pro 15:25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow. 
Isa 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 
Isa 1:23 Thy princes [are] rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 
Isa 9:17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one [is] an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still. 
Isa 10:2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may rob the fatherless! 
Isa 47:8 Therefore hear now this, [thou that art] given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I [am], and none else beside me; I shall not sit [as] a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: 
Isa 47:9 But these two [things] shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, [and] for the great abundance of thine enchantments. 
Isa 54:4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 
Jer 7:6 [If] ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 
Jer 15:8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused [him] to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city. 
Jer 18:21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their [blood] by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and [be] widows; and let their men be put to death; [let] their young men [be] slain by the sword in battle. 
Jer 22:3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. 
Jer 49:11 Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive; and let thy widows trust in me. 


Lam 1:1 How doth the city sit solitary, [that was] full of people! [how] is she become as a widow! she [that was] great among the nations, [and] princess among the provinces, [how] is she become tributary! 
Lam 5:3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 
Eze 22:7 In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow. 
Eze 22:25 [There is] a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. 
Eze 44:22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. 
Zec 7:10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. 
Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 

SOME TAKE ADVANTAGE OF:
Mat 23:14, 40 (Luke 20:47) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation... 

Mar 12:42, 43 (Luke 21:2, 3) And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called [unto him] his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 

Luk 2:37 And she [was] a widow of about [84] years, which departed not from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day. 

Luk 4:25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 
Luk 4:26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, [a city] of Sidon, unto a woman [that was] a widow. 

Luk 7:12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 

Luk 18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 
Luk 18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 

Act 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 
Act 9:39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 
Act 9:41 And he gave her [his] hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. 
1Cr 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 
1Ti 5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed. (i.e., respect them)

1Ti 5:4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. 
1Ti 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. 
1Ti 5:9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under [60] years old, having been the wife of one man, 
1Ti 5:11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; 

PROVISION FOR - CHURCH'S RESPONSIBILITY:
1Ti 5:16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed. 

GENUINE RELIGION:
Jam 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.