10/14/2021 TEACH THE CHILDREN
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our GOD is one LORD: And thou shall love the LORD thy GOD with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 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. [ King James translation]
Scripture Discussed
Although many people believe that the secular education of their children is the sole responsibility of the nation’s school system and, if they are Christians, that the religious education their children can be assigned to their church Sunday School. However, the book of Deuteronomy makes it clear that the education of children must also occur in the home.
Deuteronomy 6:4 is called the “Shema,” a Hebrew word which translated means “Hear,” the word that begins the verse. It is as if the speaker is telling their audience to “LISTEN UP!” because what is about to follow is really important. What follows is what some consider the “heart” of Judaism and the basic principles of the religious faith. First, the scripture tells the hearer, GOD is one. Deuteronomy then commands that we should love GOD with all our heart, all our soul, and all our might. Second, Deuteronomy states that we should teach the children.
Teach the children when you are just sitting around talking with the children at home, when the children wake up, when the children lie down, and generally, when you are just out and about walking with them every day. Just as you get up and eat every day and lie down and sleep every night, teaching the next generation about GOD and how to love GOD is equally as fundamental. All of these activities are life-sustaining. Teaching the children the Shema was to ensure spiritual life from generation to generation.