Teaching By Obedience

The history of Israel provided in the Bible reveals the responsibility God put upon parents to teach their children to know God and walk in His ways by their obedience.  After God reminded His people of His Law given to Moses, Deuteronomy 5:32-33 tells us:  "Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess."  Notice the manner of teaching was different than what we are accustomed to in schools or even in churches, where people are given a lecture or a sermon with words:  the way parents were to teach their children was by being careful to do as the LORD commanded them and to walk in all His ways.

The LORD God revealed how obedience to His commands would benefit them and generations to come in Deuteronomy 6:1-2:  "Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2 that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged."  While the divine responsibility to learn God's ways and to observe them in the land God was giving them was shared between parents, as a man (and husband and father) I cannot help but notice God singling out sons and grandsons to continue walking in the fear of God.  This statute holds forth a principle relevant to this day, to exhort men to take responsibility to lead their families by faithful obedience to God's word.  There is no substitute for a godly mum either.

Though God commanded parents to train their children in God's ways by example, history also shows faith in God and knowledge of His ways was not always passed down.  The book of Judges illustrates how it only takes one generation for a society to quickly depart from God--despite all God's goodness and the revelation of His word.  After the death of Joshua, we read in Judges 2:10-12:  "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel. 11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; 12 and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger."  In his final public address, Joshua admonished the people for having the idols of their fathers served still in their possession.  He told them, "You cannot serve the LORD!" because trying to serve God and idols is pointless, for the LORD our God is one.  We see the tragic consequences of negligence in obedience.

It is likely some parents destroyed their idols at Joshua's rebuke, and there were also some who gave his words little attention.  They merely gave lip service they would obey God, and their private lives said otherwise.  God has given both parents and children the freedom to choose if they would serve the God of Israel or the idols their fathers burned incense to in their tents.  History shows us parents can have sons raised with the same values and one can be rebellious like Cain and be righteous through faith like Abel.  A godly prophet like Samuel can have sons who take bribes and rebel against the LORD.  Each parent and child will answer to God for their own sin.  But as parents who know and fear God, shouldn't we take to heart our responsibility before God to show our love for Jesus by obedience to Him?  Shouldn't we heed God's wisdom to pray, forgive, to embrace our role in marriage and be the servant of all?  They say with children "More is caught than taught."  Teaching by only talking is of small value, but faithful obedience to God provides priceless lessons that continue teaching for generations to come.

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