Theme For David Jeremiah Devotional 15 June 2019 – FAITHFUL FATHERS: ISRAELITE FATHERS
You shall teach [God’s commands] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:7
Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
When it was time for the second generation of post-Exodus Israelites to enter the Promised Land, Moses made sure they understood the covenant God had instituted with their parents at Sinai. Central to the preservation of the covenant was passing it from one generation to the next—from fathers to their children.
Religion wasn’t a compartmentalized affair in Israel—observance of the Sabbath, bedtime prayers, and special festivals only. God intended for His covenant commands to permeate every aspect of Israelite life. Fathers were to incorporate God’s Word into their children’s lives at every opportunity: in the house, in the byways, upon rising, upon retiring—and all the times in between. If we translate that idea to our day, our faith should not be a “Sunday-only” affair, but a 24/7 reality in the life of the Christian family. Fathers should take the lead in training and instructing their children in the Lord at every opportunity (Ephesians 6:4).
Faithful fathers are those who show their children the relevance of God’s Word to all of life.
A father’s holy life is a rich legacy for his sons. – Charles H. Spurgeon
Credit – David Jeremiah