Today’s reading in Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25, Luke 7:11-35, Psalm 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31.
Today’s reading highlights the commandments given to the people of God. The ten commandments are repeated here and Moses makes an interesting distinction.
3 It was not with our ancestors[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.
Deuteronomy 5:3
According to some scholars the translation here is more accurately a “not only” with our ancestors was covenant made. It was also nod to what was stated in Deuteronomy 4:37.
Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants, and he personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power.
We see a truth here that is demonstrated throughout the Old Testament. The past is connected to the present and the future. What we invest or squander makes a difference in the future. A righteous generation benefits a future generation. If we want things to go well with our children and children’s children, we must make efforts toward developing a faith which can be passed down to the next generation. As we continue reading in today’s text, we come to a crowning moment of truth in this regard.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[c] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-8
When we realize our responsibility in this passing on the truth to the future generations, it may feel overwhelming and intimidating. So, how will we do this? How will we be faithful witnesses when we are still working out our own faith questions? First, we acknowledge He is Lord:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[c
Next, we love Him. Not with just a “go to church on Sundays” love, but with all our hearts and souls and strength. We focus on, absorb, memorize, test and approve His way as the right way. We hide His Word and truth in our hearts.
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
This great love is then passed down in the day to day living.
7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
As our children spend time with us, they should experience the overflow of the love we have for God and see the love He has for us—and for them. We make it a contagious faith. But note that the methods of passing down truth to our children involves our close proximity to them. We talk with them, sit with them, walk with them, live out our faith for them night and day. And the responsibility is ours. We tie the symbols on us and bind our foreheads—our thought processes—with God’s truth. We display the truth in our homes with our words and actions. When a child is surrounded by a sincere faith which is modeled day in and day out, it will become a contagious faith passed on to the next generation. The best thing we can do for our children is to develop our relationship with Jesus. It will make a difference in our lives and the lives of ofuture generations.
