How Do You Teach Your Children?

This is a breakout post from our 27-day devotional, Come and Gather: Family Time With God, or what we lovingly refer to as Gather. You'll find this post featured in Part Two: Days 6-10 A Walk Through God’s Word.

Our theme today is parental responsibility and our text is from Exodus 12:14-28.

God had come to the point of deliverance for the Israelites. It was now time to free them from bondage, and from the heavy hand of Pharaoh. In preparation for this great work of God directions were given to Moses regarding what to tell the people and how to prepare. This was going to be a great work of God on behalf of His chosen people and for this reason it was to be remembered. God gave clear directions to Moses regarding the observance of the Passover feast. It was in the midst of these important preparations that a lesson was to be taught.

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for He passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did." (Exodus 12:14-28)

Children are by Nature Curious

There is not a parent who has not marveled at the number of questions that can come from a child barely able to utter complete sentences. The questions begin with a simple, "Why?" and may progress into far more eloquent pleas but still the question is, "Why?" 

The Israelite children were no exception. The routine duties of life evoke questions, and so much more the special situations and events. It is a wise and dutiful parent who will take every opportunity to not merely answer the question of the young mind, but also seek to explain the purpose. 

How easy it would have been for the answer of "What do you mean by this service?" (12:26) to be simply, "Because God said so." And that would have been true, however, God realized that not only should obedience be taught, but also thankfulness.

​God had done a great miracle and the children in the coming generations were to be taught not only obedience, for that was what had spared the first born, but also thankfulness for God’s mercy. To this day, Jewish boys and girls are taught to obey God’s command, but also to be thankful for the deliverance.

Do the Questions Seem Unending?

Do they tire you after a long day? Take time to teach your children. Teaching is not always best accomplished through the simple answer. One scholar has termed times such as illustrated in this passage as the teachable moment. Be careful not to let them pass by.

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Come and Gather: Family Time with God

Introducing Come and Gather: Family Time with God, or what we lovingly refer to as Gather.

Gather is a lovely, 35-page, daily devotional centered around families enjoying time together with God and each other.

This 27-day devotional is divided into 3 parts: ​

Part One: Days 1-5, is written specifically with husbands and wives in mind. In this part of Gather, husbands and wives will explore 5 Signs of a Functional Family.

5 Signs of a Functional Family includes:

1. An Attitude of Service
2. Intimacy Between the Husband and Wife
3. Husbands Who Are Loving Leaders
4. Parents Who Teach and Train
5. Children Who Honor and Obey​

​Part Two: Days 6-20, is written with the whole family in mind. It's A Walk Through God’s Word. From Genesis to Revelation we will discuss subjects like God's mercy and protection, being humble, dealing with difficulties, having a teachable spirit, dependence on God, and much more.

Part Three: Days 21-27, is a Men of God Character Study. We'll learn character traits that every Christian should strive to demonstrate in their life straight from characters in God's Word. 

At the end of Gather, you'll find a place for your family to record specific prayer requests. I love being specific with my prayer request and seeing God answer in specific ways. Recording the answers, as well as the requests, is a great way to help your children see God working in your lives.

​Join the movement today and download Gather for free today!

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What teachable moments have you encountered lately?

Come and Gather: Family Time With God published with permission
​Pastor Jeremy Sweatt, Farmington Avenue Baptist Church, West Hartford, Connecticut