Communicating God's Words and Works to our Children

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has done.

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

(These are my notes, unedited, from a lesson this morning)

Psalm 78:1-8

Parents: When was the last time you told your kids about something that God has done in your life?

Children: When was the last time you asked your parents to tell you about something that God has done in their lives?

This Psalm is a Maschil—an instructional poem. MH: “This Psalm is historical; it is a narrative of the great mercies God had bestowed upon

Israel

, the great sins wherewith they had provoked him, and the many tokens of his displeasure.”

Verses 1-3: The Psalmist, allegedly Asaph, calls the people to give ear to his law. Law=teaching or instruction. He promises to tell them parables and dark sayings—deep, perplexing, thought-provoking things. These are tales that had been passed down through generations. He is saying, “Listen up! What I’m about to tell you is vital! Listen and think!”

What is it that he was going to tell them? He’s about to give them a history lesson—from Moses to David. He is telling them about 1) God’s Word (Verse 5); and 2) God’s Works (Verse 4).

We as Christian parents have a responsibility to communicate God’s Word and Works to our children (this is communal, so those without kids are equally responsible to communicate these things to their spiritual/physical nieces, nephews, etc). As the Church of Jesus Christ, we need to pass down the Gospel, the great stories of the Bible, God’s commands, the history of the Church, and personal experiences.

Why is it so important that we tell our children about what God has said and what He has done? Verses 6-8 give three reasons:

1) Verse 6: That they might pass it along to their children. “The truth of the matter is that this and every church needs kids. We are always only one generation from extinction. That’s true for the smallest country church or the largest mega church. Faith is not about us. It is about keeping the torch lit and passing it on to the next generation.” Pastor Roger Thomas of First Christian Church in Vandalia, MO. Christianity is bigger than us or this Church. We need to see the bigger picture.

2) Verse 7: That they might have obedient faith. That they might know God personally and obey Him.

3) Verse 8: That they can be better than us. Our children should be able to stand on our shoulders. They should be able to learn from our mistakes and capitalize on our victories.

How do we do this?

1. An education grounded in God’s truth.

2. Regular church attendance.

3. Family devotions.

4. Church history, esp. biographies of great Christians.

5. Live it.

6. Capitalize on every day experiences.

7. Erect memorials that will encourage discussions.

We need to be intentional. We need to seek opportunities to tell our kids about God’s Word and Works. Verse 4: Not telling your children is the same thing as hiding.

Many parents do not want to “shove religion down their kids’ throats.” We don’t have a choice. 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.”

Communicating the truths of God to our children must be a priority, not a side note.

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