(originally posted in August 2008)
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
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There is no doubt about it. This is a huge task. It is obvious from this passage that we are commanded to teach the Word of God to our children constantly, during every part of the day, including when we go to bed and when we awake again.
It is just as obvious that this requires spending a great deal of time with them. The logical conclusion in all of this is that home schooling becomes our only option. How can possibly obey this directive from God completely if our children, during their formative years, spend six hours a day away from us? And what if they do this for five days a week and ten months a year–for thirteen years of their lives?
However, other than above commandment, why should we teach the Bible to our children? The Bible itself gives us the reasons.
Psalms 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The Word of God is a lamp that lights the way for us so that we are not traveling through life in the dark. Without that light, our children would be not be able to see their way clearly, and they might continue that way until, having strayed off the path, they end up entangled in perilous brambles and thorns.
Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
The Word of God is our spiritual food. Without physical food, we will weaken until we eventually die. It is no different with our spiritual food, although we take that into our hearts, our minds, and not our stomachs. As our children nourish themselves with the Word, they will grow stronger and more able to resist temptation.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
1 Peter 1:24-25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
The Word of God is the source of that standard of truth that will never fall. It is unchanging, and it is completely reliable. When all the popular beliefs of man change like shifting sands, the Word of God will always stand sure, and so will our children’s footing if they stand on that.
John 17:15-17 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The Word of God cleanses us. If our children harbor any secret sin, their exposure to the Word of God will convict them of that sin, and the goodness of God will lead them to repenting of it. This leads us to the next purpose of God’s Word.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The Word of God is a living sword that cuts to the very center of our being to reveal our true inner being. It is also a weapon by which our children can cut through the lies of the enemy to find the truth. It clearly divides those lies from the truth.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Finally, the Word of God is able to show our children the way of salvation. It teaches them, it shows them their faults, it corrects them, and it instructs them in righteousness. The Word of God thoroughly equips them to be the vessels through which God performs His good works.
The Word of God is the totality of God’s revealed will to us; it is the final authority on all truth for us who believe. It is our very lifeline. It is no wonder that God asks us to teach it to our children constantly.
This is truly the most important part of our home schooling. I share this with you as I go into the last year of home schooling and realize that this is my most important task this year—my one last chance to make sure that my son digests that Word.
May God be forever glorified in this.
