A Call Back to the Family Bible
Many years ago, country singer George Jones recorded the song “Family Bible,” a nostalgic reminder of evenings when families gathered to read God’s Word together. The song paints a picture of a home where Scripture shaped hearts, guided decisions, and knit families together.
But how many families still read the Bible together today?
God designed the family to function almost like a small church—where the husband leads with love, the wife supports with respect, and children grow under the steady rhythm of God’s Word. This is exactly what Paul was teaching in Ephesians 5.
The Biblical Pattern for the Home
Wives and Husbands in God’s Design
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”
— Ephesians 5:22
Paul continues:
- “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body.”
— Ephesians 5:23 - “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
— Ephesians 5:24
But notice how much more Paul says to husbands:
- “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.”
— Ephesians 5:25 - “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”
— Ephesians 5:26 - “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”
— Ephesians 5:28 - “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.”
— Ephesians 5:29
Paul’s message is clear:
The husband is called to lead like Christ—with sacrifice, tenderness, protection, and spiritual responsibility. The wife is called to respond with respect, trust, and partnership.
This is not domination.
This is mutual devotion under the loving authority of Christ.
A World in Trouble
Later in the song “Family Bible,” the lyrics say:
“This old world of ours is full of troubles
But this world would oh, so better be
If we’d find more Bibles on the table
And mothers singing ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me.’”
That line rings true today.
Instead of fathers reading the Bible and mothers supporting them in teaching the Word, many homes are fractured, distracted, or spiritually silent. Families rush in different directions, and the table—once a place of connection—often sits empty.
What Research Shows About Family Time
Modern studies confirm what Scripture has taught all along:
Children who regularly eat meals with their families are:
- More likely to succeed academically
- Less likely to engage in risky behaviors
- More emotionally stable
- More connected to their parents
- More confident and secure
(Research from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and multiple family‑development studies.)
And when families add Bible reading, prayer, and spiritual conversation, the impact is even greater.
Scripture affirms this pattern:
- “These words… thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children… when thou sittest in thine house.”
— Deuteronomy 6:6–7 - “A father to the fatherless… sets the solitary in families.”
— Psalm 68:5–6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go.”
— Proverbs 22:6 - “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
— Joshua 24:15
God always intended the home to be the first place where faith is taught, lived, and passed down.
A Call Back to the Table—and the Bible
Imagine the difference if more homes returned to:
- Fathers leading with Scripture
- Mothers supporting with grace and song
- Children growing up hearing God’s Word daily
- Families gathering around the table instead of scattering
The world truly would be better.
And it can begin with something as simple as opening the Bible together tonight.
🎶Facts about the song
- Artist: George Jones, a legendary figure in country music known for his rich voice and emotional delivery.
- Songwriters: The song was written by Walt Breeland, Paul Buskirk, and Claude Gray. It has been covered by various artists, but George Jones’s rendition is one of the most recognized versions.
📖“Family Bible”
There’s A Fam’ly Bible on the table
Each page is torn and hard to read
But The Fam’ly Bible on the table
Will ever be my key to memories.
At the close of day when work was over
And when the evening meal was done
Dad would read to us from The Fam’ly Bible
And we’d count our many blessings one by one.
[Chorus:]
I can see us sittin’ ’round the table
When from The Fam’ly Bible Dad would read
I can hear my mother softly singing
Rock of Ages, Rock of Ages cleft for me.
This old world of ours is full of troubles
But this world would oh, so better be
If we’d find more Bibles on the table
And mothers singing Rock of Ages cleft for me.
[Chorus:]
I can see us sittin’ ’round the table
When from The Fam’ly Bible Dad would read
I can hear my mother softly singing
Rock of Ages, Rock of Ages cleft for me…
