Such was the training of Moses in the lowly cabin home in Goshen; of Samuel, by the faithful Hannah; of David, in the hill dwelling at Bethlehem; of Daniel, before the scenes of the captivity separated him from the home of his fathers. Such, too, was the early life of Christ at Nazareth; such the training by which the child Timothy learned from the lips of his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15), the truths of Holy Writ. 593 Further provision was made for the instruction of the young, by the establishment of the schools of the prophets. If a youth desired to search deeper into the truths of the word of God and to seek wisdom from above, that he might become a teacher in Israel, these schools were open to him. The schools of the prophets were founded by Samuel to serve as a barrier against the widespread corruption, to provide for the moral and spiritual welfare of the youth, and to promote the future prosperity of the nation by furnishing it with men qualified to act in the fear of God as leaders and counselors. In the accomplishment of this object Samuel gathered companies of young men who were pious, intelligent, and studious. These were called the sons of the prophets. As they communed with God and studied His word and His works, wisdom from above was added to their natural endowments. The instructors were men not only well versed in divine truth, but those who had themselves enjoyed communion with God and had received the special endowment of His Spirit. They enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people, both for learning and piety.

Det var denne undervisning, Moses fik i sit fattige hjem i Gosen. Således blev Samuel undervist af den trofaste Hanna, Daniel fik denne undervisning i hjemmet mellem Betlehems høje, og det samme gjaldt Daniel, før han blev ført i fangenskab og skilt fra sit fædrenehjem. Kristus blev undervist efter de samme retningslinjer som barn i Nazaret, og det var også på denne måde, at barnet Timoteus lærte den hellige skrifts sandheder af sin mormoder Lois og sin moder Eunike (2. Tim. 1, 5; 3, 15).