Teach Your Children Well

Nothing is more important in life than to learn the truths found in the Bible. The truths of God’s Word show us how to have a relationship with God our Father (Yehovah) and to obtain eternal life through the only begotten Son of God – Jesus.

We have seen how God the Father (Psalm 25:9), Jesus the only begotten son (John 8:2) and the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) are each described in the scriptures as being our teachers. We also saw how God is eager to teach us His ways (His laws and plan of salvation) so that we may attain eternal life through Jesus. Finally, we learned that he teaching of God’s Word is essential for personal sanctification and the building up of the assembly of believers – the church.

The Bible teaches that the home is the primary place where children should learn about God. At home, parents teach God’s Word and children observe its truths being lived out.

“Hear, O Israel! Yehovah is our God, Yehovah is one! You shall love Yehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

The Hebrew verb translated as teach means “to sharpen.” Proper instruction will sharpen the minds of children to understand and apply God’s word in their lives. It allows them to “rightly divide” God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15). It allows them to use effectively “the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word” (Ephesians 6:17).

The pulpit and the Sunday school class support what children are taught at home. They are not a substitute for home instruction. Biblical instruction is 24-7 as children listen to their parents and observe their lives. Parents are to look for “teachable moments” throughout the day – to use everyday occurrences as opportunities to speak about God.

Teaching should occur constantly “when you lie down and when you rise up” as we “sit” and “walk” through life together. Contrast this with Psalm 1 that warns us to not “walk,” “stand” or “sit” with “the wicked,” “sinners” or scoffers.”

Jesus gives a dire warning those that teach children to disrespect the Bible, “it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).

God’s design is for parents to point their children to Him as their teacher. “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).