There are many learning environments, but not all learning is the same. Not all teaching is the same either. There is a special learning experience that goes beyond teaching, and into something more: impartation. It goes beyond the sharing of information, and involves a giving of an actual portion of one's self that contains experiential knowledge. This is done, especially, within the relationship between parent and child.
In scripture, fatherhood and sonship hold tremendous importance. Individuals are identified by who their father and grandfather were. Even in the Hebrew names given in the mentions of fathers and grandfathers, we can see the spiritual impartation that has passed through the generations. For example, the prophet Jeremiah's name means "whom Jehovah has appointed". His father is listed as Helkiah, meaning "my portion is Jehovah".
We see a great example of the impartation of experiential knowledge of God from parent to child in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs is recognized as a book of Godly wisdom, written by King Solomon, whose reputation throughout history is one of great wisdom. The first thing Solomon does is identify himself as a son, in this case, the son of David:
"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel..." Prov, 1:1
Solomon is also specifically imparting his experience of God to his son:
"My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother;
Prov.1: 8
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding....then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God." Prov. 2:1-5 (excerpt)
As we can see from the verses above, the impartation comes not only from the father, but from the mother as well. Chapter 31 of Proverbs, for example, is an impartation to Solomon from his mother.
Solomon's intent was to pass down to his son what he had learned from his father and mother, and from his own experiences with God. In amazing revelation, he is imparting to his son that wisdom is not a quality or thing, but it is a person, and this person is to be found above everything else:
"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom..." Prov. 4:5
So great is the impartation from Solomon to his son (and consequently to all of us), that the Person of Wisdom, actually begins to speak directly to us, revealing, or imparting truths from eternity (Prov. 8:12-36). Wisdom tells us here, "...whoever finds me finds life"
(v. 35). Wisdom imparts all of these things to us in this chapter, referring to us as "my children" (v. 32 NKJV).
This is also how God imparts to us: as a Father to His son, or child. The power of it is not just a teaching of truth, but a giving of a part of the Father to us, His children. Jesus described the impartation this way:
"For I have given to them the words which You have given to Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You...all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them...Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as we are...You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us...I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one..." Jn. 17:8-23 (excerpt)
The words that Jesus gave to His disciples, and to us, as we read in the above verses, were not just a teaching, but an impartation from Him, and from His Father within Him, a giving of Himself, even as His Father gave to Jesus from Himself.
The Apostle Paul wanted to make clear to us that we are sons, and receive impartation from our heavenly Father as sons:
"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Gal. 4:6-7
The LORD commands parents to teach their children His precepts:
"You shall teach (exercise in, train diligently and skilfully) them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days, and the days of your children may be multiplied..." Deut. 11:19-21 (excerpt)
As these verses tell us, impartation of Godly knowledge from parent to child is so powerful that it can extend both the parent's and child's life. One of His great commandments tells us to "honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you" (Ex. 20:12). The word "Honor" used here is the Hebrew word kabad, which is the root word of kabode, meaning the awesome glory and honor that belong to God. He has imparted His own glory to fathers and mothers. Fathers and mothers, in turn, impart this same glory knowledge of God to their children. Fatherhood and motherhood is more than just a biological process, but a spiritual impartation of the experiential knowledge of God that can extend life and purpose.
We can see the great difference between teaching and impartation. We can also understand the importance of sharing, or imparting, our experiential Godly knowledge with our children. It becomes easy to see why the forces of evil have worked so hard to destroy relationships between parents and children, especially between fathers and children, in families today. "Fatherhood" has become marginalized, and this started generations ago. Our focus should not be only about spending "quality time" with our children and grandchildren, but about impartation, which has become a forgotten practice in many households. We can see the cumulative effects of this neglect in our society today. I am going to have to do much better in this with my family than I am doing now.
Our children's Godly education at church, synagogue, and some schools is important in every way, but impartation is a powerful and essential spiritual truth that takes place in the home between both parents and their children, and between grandparents and their grandchildren. Many "old timers", for example, tell of the powerful experience of learning to pray or praise from their grandmothers. I know someone who has continually had his son with him, even from an early age, when he has followed the leading of the Holy Spirit on excursions of intercession and ministry. He has imparted a special experiential knowledge of God to his son, and, hopefully, his son, following this example, will impart these things to his own children when they are born. Also, let us not be neglectful- impartation is not only to sons. We have these examples to show us that Jesus imparted His great experiential knowledge to women as well:
"...whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." Jn. 4:14
"But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Jn. 4:23-24
"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jn. 11:25-26
Impartation from parent to child is such a vital spiritual precept, that God prophesies that He will send an earthshaking miracle in order to restore it:
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." Mal. 4:5-6
Godly impartation between parent and child can save the whole earth from being cursed!
God's people can no longer afford to ignore this powerful provision that God has made for our children, and our land.
Our Father does not just teach, but imparts to His children.
"Ancient Words"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vmTkXNpwzs
"Days of Elijah" (American Marines singing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZ_IlP9c5A
Scientific Study-Gazing into child's eyes while speaking synchronizes both brain waves:
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/staring-baby-eyes-brain-waves-sync
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