Parental Responsibility - Deuteronomy

Ok, I have to admit up front that I've really been seeking knowledge and understanding into how the Lord desires parents to raise godly offspring.  (I'll definitely be writing more about that in days to come because the Lord has been so faithful in teaching me so much!)  Anyway, it's quite likely that this quest has shaped my view about Deuteronomy's theme...  It is possible that the next time I read this book I may see a totally different theme emerge, but maybe that's true with each of the books I've read and written about so far.  I mean, the word of God IS living and active and DOES cut into our lives in amazing ways that teach, reprove, correct, and train us.  So I am convinced that reading through Deuteronomy has indeed taught me one of the major ways that the Lord desires to use parents in raising their children to know Him.

All that said, I feel like the recurring theme throughout Deuteronomy is Moses impressing upon the Israelites the importance of them obeying the law (out of their fear of the Lord) and teaching their children to obey it (out of their (the children's) fear of the Lord).  

Yes, there are certainly many other important things that happen in Deuteronomy:

• Leadership is transferred from Moses to Joshua (Deut. 3:28)
• Ten Commandments are recounted to the Israelites (Deut. 5:6-21)
• Details of the law are expounded upon
• A new covenant is established (Deut. 29:1)
• Moses dies (Deut. 34)

But I just want to spend some time camping out on this recurring theme of parental responsibility to teach children to know the Lord.  It was quite encouraging/convicting/challenging for me, especially in reviewing for this blog post.  So, here we go...

The parental responsibility of teaching children to fear and obey the Lord

Here are a sampling of the verses related to this theme (I believe they speak for themselves):

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—"   (Deut. 4:9)

 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."   (Deut 6:4-7 and similar in Deut 11:18-21)

  

"Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,  and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”  (Deut. 31:12-13)

One other issue that goes along with this theme is the fact that parents have to make their hearts right before God before they can teach their children to do the same.  Moses continued to drive this point home because the people of Israel had been rebellious before, and obedience is a heart issue.  He knew it was important for them to understand, and, oh, how important it is for us to understand as well.  

 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,  and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.  (Deut 10:12-16, emphasis mine)

Our hearts are just as rebellious as theirs were.  I think this is why it is so important to be storing the word of God up in our hearts. 

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off… But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it."   (Deut. 30:11,14)

Also, see Psalm 119:9-16 for more about memorizing the Word.  

Well, that's it.  Reading Deuteronomy has been huge for me, and I'm so thankful for the edification:

• to fear and obey the Lord by
• treasuring His word in my heart so that I can
• teach my child(ren) to fear and obey the Lord

I'm definitely not there yet, but that's okay because I'm still finishing the race.  :)  Want to race along with me??