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Train up Your Children

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Proverbs 22:6

Israel was nothing if not the permanent possession of God—the word "forever" occurs nearly 400 times in the Old Testament, applied to a variety of subjects. Ironically, what was intended to be a never-ending succession of generations was always only one generation away from dissolution (Judges 2:6-13). The key to the nation's longevity rested with the nation's parents. It was their job to convey a knowledge of God and His covenant requirements, and the history of God's redemptive acts on behalf of Israel, to their children—the rising next generation.

The principle of transferring truth in Israel goes back to Abraham's calling. God said of the patriarch, "For I have known [Abraham], in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him" (Genesis 18:19). Moses put this idea in practical terms for the generation entering the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). He instructed parents to teach their children "diligently"—whether sitting or walking, lying down or rising up, going through the door or out the gate. It was a figure of speech meaning to incorporate God's teaching into every aspect of daily life. This was not advice or a suggestion; it was an ordinance in Israel to be faithfully observed by parents.

The book of Proverbs became the "how to" manual, the first 10 chapters consisting of exhortations from a father to a son on living life with God's wisdom. Proverbs 22:6 captures the trans-generational importance of instructing children: Teach a child when he is young and those teachings will guide him when he is old (and teaching his own children). Some interpreters of Proverbs 22:6 suggest the meaning is not on moral or spiritual instruction but on parents identifying and nourishing the individual "bent" of their child—also a worthy goal in parenting.

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