SCRIPTURE REFERENCES » Deuteronomy 6

“You Shall Teach Them Diligently To Your Children”

Over the last couple of weeks this passage of scripture has encouraged, convicted, and challenged me as a father in so many ways and I thought it is worth sharing.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV) “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, 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. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This passage of scripture has reminded and challenged me with the truth that our children learn the faith within the home. No Sunday school program or curriculum can be good enough to replace the loving instruction and discipline within the home. At Emmaus, we have great teachers and are using strong theological material (Westminster Shorter Catechism) to teach our classes. But as parents, we must realize that Sunday school alone is not sufficient to teach our children the faith. Scripture declares that our children are in need of their parents to teach and pass down the faith that God has given them. It’s a true blessing to see God working through our families, within the home, in training their children in the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6 has also challenged me on the methods of our instruction. While there is time for formal “book work” instruction, these verses encourage our teaching to also be informal. We are to teach our children the truths of scripture and the greatness of God as we are in the car, at the dinner table, doing yard work, homework, sports, in our leisure time, disciplining, etc. I think Moses in Deuteronomy 6 is telling us that our children learn and remember far more effectively when things are taught inside personal relationships and through tangible experiences. Therefore, I’ve been challenged and pray that God would give me the wisdom and insight to use even the mundane things in this life to teach my son the greatness and wonder of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I know I will fail much in this endeavor but I trust that God’s grace is sufficient in all we do!

Fathers and mothers of Emmaus I pray that the Lord will continue to guide and direct you as you raise your children in the Lord!

 


Catechism Insight – Review Doctrinal Standard WSC #36-42

Review Doctrinal Standards #36-42

WSC # 36

Q. What benefits in this life go with or come from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

A. The benefits that in this life go with or come from justification, adoption, and sanctification are: the assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, and growing and persevering in grace to the end of our lives.

WSC #37

Q. What benefits do believers receive from Christ when they die?

A. When believers die, their souls are made perfectly holy and immediately pass into glory. Their bodies, which are still united to Christ, rest in the grace until the resurrection.

WSC #38

Q. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?

A. At the resurrection, believers, raised in glory, will be publicly recognized and declared not guilty on the day of judgment and will be made completely happy in the full enjoyment of God forever.

WSC #39

Q. What does God require of man?

A. God requires man to obey His revealed will.

WSC #40

Q.What rules did God first reveal for man to obey?

A. The rules He first revealed were the moral law.

WSC #41

Q. Where is the moral law summarized?

A. The moral law is summarized in the Ten Commandments.

WSC #42

Q. What is the essence of the Ten Commandments?

A. The essence of the Ten Commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and to love everyone else as we love ourselves.

Memory Verses

  • “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4–5, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Thoughts

  • This should be a time of reflection, assessment, and re-teaching.
  • There are a couple of different ways to approach this review lesson. First, the review questions and answers could be made into a game that forces the students to remember what they have learned while assessing their understanding. Another idea is to quiz each student on each of the 7 questions making sure to encourage and celebrate their accomplishments. Last, it would be beneficial to review each of the question and answers drawing out their central truths and mentioning how they are connected.

Discussion Questions

  • Explains what justification, adoption, and sanctification mean in the life of a believer.
  • When does justification take place?
  • When does adoption take place?
  • When does sanctification take place?
  • What benefit does a believer have when he or she dies?
  • What two commands summarizes the Ten Commandments and all of scripture?
  • How has the catechism helped you grow in their faith and understanding?

Catechism Insight – Doctrinal Standard WSC #40 & 41

Doctrinal Standard #40 & 41 (4 of 4 weeks)

  • Q. What rules did God first reveal for man to obey?
  • A. The rules He first revealed were the moral law.
  • Q. Where is the moral law summarized?
  • A. The moral law is summarized in the Ten Commandments.

Memory Verses

  •  “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4–5, ESV).

Scripture

  • Study Passage: Deuteronomy 6  
  • Support Passages:  Romans 7:14, Colossians 3:5, Proverbs 1:19, Matthew 15:4-6, Job 36:21, Hebrews 11:25, I Thessalonians 5:22, Genesis 18:19
  • Bible Story: Luke 10:38-42

Thoughts

  • When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment  he responded with, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). Providing his response from Deuteronomy informs us that man’s primary purpose is to love God. Or as question one of the catechism tells us the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Scripture provides a clear explanation on how we are to love God. We are to obey him.  Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus is quoted in John 14:21, “whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” We love God when we keep his commandments and obey him.
  • It is important to remember the source and heart of this obedience towards God. We must always remember that our obedience will not and cannot be good enough to be accepted before God. It is only by the blood of Christ and His perfect life that we are accepted before him. But we must realize that Christ’S death and resurrection has not only made us acceptable before God but also freed us from the bondage of sin. With the help of the Holy Spirit we are able to live a life in obedience to Him. Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit helps to convict us of sin leading to repentance and guides our lives in obedience to God’s word. Because of the work of Christ we can show our love and gratitude towards God by following his commands. No longer are his laws a burden unto condemnation but rather a joy that is pleasing not only to God but also to the believer.

Discussion Questions

  • What is the greatest commandment?
  • What is man’s problem in obeying this commandment?
  • What needs to take place before an individual can obey this command?
  • How can you love God with all you are?
  •  What gives us the ability to obey the commands of God?
  • What does obeying God’s commands prove?
  • Are God’s commands a burden or liberating? Explain
  • What does your answer reveal about your heart?


"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)

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