You are to Instruct Your Children

Scripture: Malachi 4:4

“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

Insights: This week we conclude the Old Testament part of our journey through God’s redemptive history.  The final book in the Old Testament is Malachi and it is a sad story of a people who have again left their first love.  The distinction between the peoples rebellion before the exile to Babylon and their rebellion in the short time after the temples restoration was this: before the exile they worshipped other false gods.  After the exile they did not worship those gods, but did not worship the One True God with all of their heart.  So, the book of Malachi is a series of rebukes telling the people to return to the Lord.  In this final chapter, specifically the first three verses, Malachi warns the people of God’s great and terrible day of judgment that is going to fall on the world if they don’t turn their hearts over to Him.  In verse four, however, Malachi turns his focus to the last words God is going to say before He becomes silent for four hundred years (the time period we call the inner-testimonal period of time).  These verses are an instruction to parents regarding two of their primary purposes as parents and two ways in which the Lord involves Himself to insure those purposes are being met.  The first purpose is the one we will look at today, and that is, to instruct your child(ren).  In other words, as a parent it is your job to tell your child(ren) about God.  In the shema the Israelites were told to teach their children diligently when they sit in their house and when they walk by the way and when they lie down and when they rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7).  We are to look for opportunities throughout our day to point our child(ren) to the Lord.  Obviously, these lessons need to be age appropriate, but even to a toddler, one can begin teaching them about God and His amazing grace.  One of the primary truths in which we need to instruct our child(ren) is in their sinfulness.  They need to understand why they need a Savior to rescue them from their sin.  Again, this is communicated in an age appropriate manner, but the sooner the instruction begins the sooner they recognize their sinfulness.  Beloved, let me encourage you to not to just go through the motions, but to truly look for ways to instruct your children in the ways of God.

Questions:

1.  In what ways are you instructing your child(ren)?

2.  Do you actively look for opportunities in which you can instruct your child(ren) in the ways of the Lord?

Prayer: Father, I understand that one of my primary purposes as a parent is to raise my child(ren) up in such a fashion that they will be introduced to You; and hopefully, by grace they will receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.    Amen.