Week of Monday, April 1 – April 7
Q & A – Man as Instructor
When your son asks you in time to come, “What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?” then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.” - Deuteronomy 6:20–25 ESV
Questions: We all have them, especially when it comes to the Bible. Even though I have followed the Lord for years and read through the Bible many times, I still have questions. I’m sure you do as well. Not surprisingly, so do our children and grandchildren. In fact, that is exactly the scenario Moses addresses in this passage.
Deuteronomy means “second law.” In this book, Moses essentially repeats the law of God—first given at Sinai 40 years before—to this new generation about to enter the promised land. So, here is Moses teaching through God’s commandments, rules, and instructions before he hands over the reins of leadership to Joshua, but he hits the pause button to address the obvious. Kids are inevitably going to ask, “Why all these rules? What do they mean? Why do they matter?”
Kids still ask the same questions today. Don’t be intimidated by their questions; it’s a sign that their hearts are open to receiving answers. Their curiosity presents a “teachable moment” that we should embrace. Even if you don’t feel confident in your ability to answer your children and grandchildren’s questions, engage with them and offer to explore a more complete answer. This open dialogue is an opportunity to deepen their understanding of God’s Word.
Thankfully, in these verses, Moses provides the answer to the question: “Why all these commandments?”
- God saved Israel from a miserable life of slavery
- God delivered them out of Pharoah’s kingdom to deliver them into His own
- Under God as King, there are commandments and rules to obey
- God’s rules are intended for our good and lead to life
In fact, you can take what happened with Israel and apply it to our lives today. Israel trusted in the Lord’s promise to deliver them by applying the blood of the Passover Lamb to their doorposts. We trust in Christ, our Passover Lamb, whose blood is applied to our hearts by faith. Israel’s deliverance out of slavery was a foreshadowing of our deliverance from sin and death. Just as Israel was brought out of Egypt only to be brought into the promised land (v. 23), God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). Living in the promised land meant that the Israelites needed to submit to the rule of Yahweh their King, obeying his commandments. It is the same with King Jesus. We must follow His teachings as citizens of His Kingdom. Of course, all of these instructions are for our good and for the good of others.
OK, back to the point, men: God expects us to instruct our children and grandchildren about Jesus as King and how to live in His Kingdom. Foundational to that is spending daily, dedicated time in God’s Word. Through the Stand on the Word reading plan, you not only have a planned 10-15 minute reading through a portion of God’s Word every day but also a couple of questions to get a conversation started. Renowned researcher George Barna has shown that a person’s worldview is set by age 13. So, why not shape and mold your children’s minds and hearts with God’s Word and a little Q&A?
- What mechanisms do you have in place to mold and shape your family with the Word of God? If you don’t have any, I encourage you to join us for Stand on the Word.
- Are you intimidated by family members’ questions about the Bible? Again, you don’t have to have all the answers, just a commitment to exploring the Word and seeking answers together. When you are stumped, ask a trusted Bible teacher for help.
- Ask God for help in guiding your family through His Word. Seek Him for the answers to the questions that come up. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.
Q & A – Man as Instructor
When your son asks you in time to come, “What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?” then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.” - Deuteronomy 6:20–25 ESV
Questions: We all have them, especially when it comes to the Bible. Even though I have followed the Lord for years and read through the Bible many times, I still have questions. I’m sure you do as well. Not surprisingly, so do our children and grandchildren. In fact, that is exactly the scenario Moses addresses in this passage.
Deuteronomy means “second law.” In this book, Moses essentially repeats the law of God—first given at Sinai 40 years before—to this new generation about to enter the promised land. So, here is Moses teaching through God’s commandments, rules, and instructions before he hands over the reins of leadership to Joshua, but he hits the pause button to address the obvious. Kids are inevitably going to ask, “Why all these rules? What do they mean? Why do they matter?”
Kids still ask the same questions today. Don’t be intimidated by their questions; it’s a sign that their hearts are open to receiving answers. Their curiosity presents a “teachable moment” that we should embrace. Even if you don’t feel confident in your ability to answer your children and grandchildren’s questions, engage with them and offer to explore a more complete answer. This open dialogue is an opportunity to deepen their understanding of God’s Word.
Thankfully, in these verses, Moses provides the answer to the question: “Why all these commandments?”
- God saved Israel from a miserable life of slavery
- God delivered them out of Pharoah’s kingdom to deliver them into His own
- Under God as King, there are commandments and rules to obey
- God’s rules are intended for our good and lead to life
In fact, you can take what happened with Israel and apply it to our lives today. Israel trusted in the Lord’s promise to deliver them by applying the blood of the Passover Lamb to their doorposts. We trust in Christ, our Passover Lamb, whose blood is applied to our hearts by faith. Israel’s deliverance out of slavery was a foreshadowing of our deliverance from sin and death. Just as Israel was brought out of Egypt only to be brought into the promised land (v. 23), God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). Living in the promised land meant that the Israelites needed to submit to the rule of Yahweh their King, obeying his commandments. It is the same with King Jesus. We must follow His teachings as citizens of His Kingdom. Of course, all of these instructions are for our good and for the good of others.
OK, back to the point, men: God expects us to instruct our children and grandchildren about Jesus as King and how to live in His Kingdom. Foundational to that is spending daily, dedicated time in God’s Word. Through the Stand on the Word reading plan, you not only have a planned 10-15 minute reading through a portion of God’s Word every day but also a couple of questions to get a conversation started. Renowned researcher George Barna has shown that a person’s worldview is set by age 13. So, why not shape and mold your children’s minds and hearts with God’s Word and a little Q&A?
- What mechanisms do you have in place to mold and shape your family with the Word of God? If you don’t have any, I encourage you to join us for Stand on the Word.
- Are you intimidated by family members’ questions about the Bible? Again, you don’t have to have all the answers, just a commitment to exploring the Word and seeking answers together. When you are stumped, ask a trusted Bible teacher for help.
- Ask God for help in guiding your family through His Word. Seek Him for the answers to the questions that come up. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.