Families Who Foster Faith

As Moses neared the close of his life, he longed to transfer to those who followed him the legacy of faith and trust in God that had become his own. Inspired by God, the aging leader sought, like the runners of the Olympiad, to “pass on the torch” to a new generation in the messages set down in the book of Deuteronomy.

In an unpublished manuscript on Deuteronomy 6, John Youngberg, professor emeritus of religious education at Andrews University, wrote, “The Book of Deuteronomy . . . is the most comprehensive statement on religious education to be found in sacred Scripture. This book defines the problem of religious educators, its context, and enumerates factors which contribute or even determine the successful transmission of a religious heritage from one generation to another. . . . The problem of Deuteronomy is how a dying ‘pioneer’ can bequeath his faith legacy to a new generation that did not witness the miracle of the Exodus or the majesty of Sinai.”[1]

What Moses faced is similar to what parents face as they ponder the need to convey to their children spiritual convictions and a religious heritage. Youngberg continues: “Great ideals don’t live on just because they are great or because they are true. They live on only when they are enshrined in the hearts of the young. Our most treasured religious ideals are always only one generation from extinction!”[2]

Deuteronomy 6:4-25 contains counsel from God that will help us today as we think about fostering faith in our families.

Worship God Supremely

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:4, 5).

An understanding of God’s covenant with His people does not automatically transfer from one generation to another.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is known in the Jewish faith as the Shema, from the Hebrew word for “hear” in verse 4. The Shema is the basic and essential creed of Judaism and is used to open every Jewish service. Its opening line is the first scripture that every Jewish child commits to memory. “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Amid religions with many gods, this verse declares that our God is one. It also declares that our commitment to God must be single-minded. It’s as if Moses is saying, “Put your priorities in order. One thing is primary—your total love relationship with God. Everything else is secondary.”

Jesus also said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). Elsewhere He underscored the instruction of Deuteronomy 6:5, proclaiming it the first and great commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37, 38).

Receive God’s Word Inwardly

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart” (Deut. 6:6).

God desires that each one experience His love personally and take the Word of God into their heart. The “heart” means thoughts, emotions, the very center of one’s being, as far as the Hebrew Scriptures were concerned. Though the religion of Jehovah affects the behavior and outward actions of a person, it is concerned first of all with the condition of the heart, the inner spirit of the believer.

The highest level of motivation in life, in relationships and service, occurs when God’s Word has been accepted, appreciated, and taken within the heart.[3] The heart is preeminent in the words of both Moses and Jesus (cf. Matt. 22:37, 38). External actions, such as talking, teaching, and other behaviors, are not substitutes for the inner experience. A love of God’s precepts in the heart is necessary before they can be effectively taught to others.[4]

Teach God’s Word Diligently

“You shall teach them diligently to your children” (Deut. 6:7).

God’s covenant with His people is intended to be a perpetual one (Gen. 9:12; Ex. 31:16). It was not intended for one generation only. An understanding of God’s covenant with His people does not automatically transfer from one generation to another. The individuals within each succeeding generation must be taught the meaning of the covenant and invited to enter that covenant relationship with God personally.

Deuteronomy emphasizes teaching within the family (Deut. 4:9; 6:20-25; 11:19). The home is to be the center for preserving and passing on truth. Moses understood that the greatness of the nation depended upon the teaching of God’s Word in the home.[5]

In the verses that follow, the counsel to “teach diligently” is explained.

Teach continually: “You . . . 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” (Deut. 6:7). Instruction from the parents is to be a continual way of life, with spontaneous instruction mingled with more regular times for teaching. “Sitting,” “walking,” “lying down,” and “rising up” describe typical, habitual activities of life. “Modern man may furnish the daily round of his life with devotional customs—grace at meals, regular Bible reading, family prayer, private prayer.”[6]

The home is to be the center for preserving and passing on truth.

Teach practically: “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:8, 9). Instruction was to be made real and practical in work, study, recreation, in family living and all aspects of life.[7] This verse eventually lost its meaning when the rabbis interpreted it literally, actually fixing small bits of written material from the books of Moses on their arms and foreheads and on the doorframes of their houses.[8] The counsel, however, is couched in figurative language to express important principles. The truths of God’s Word are to govern our actions, symbolized by the hands, and our thinking, symbolized by the forehead. Placing the Word of God on the doorframes of our homes indicates that God’s truth is to be our identifying mark, just as blood on the doorframe of Israelite homes in Egypt provided an identifying mark so that the family within would be saved (cf. Ex. 12:7, 13).

Teach wisely: “When your son asks you in time to come, . . . then you shall say . . .” (Deut. 6:20ff). Here God presents two powerful factors in effective values teaching. A wise parent recognizes the value both of children’s questions and of the personal story. It is the nature of children to be inquisitive. Let us encourage this questioning spirit and thus help them to establish their own faith. Their questions may be difficult, but do not be afraid to try to answer them. Being afraid of questions and discouraging asking them may stifle a child’s faith. We must answer the questions as they come up, providing adequate and appropriate answers for the child’s developmental level. Each time we answer truthfully, honestly, and openly, we help build trust and prepare the way so that young people will be encouraged to ask the meaningful questions.[9]

In response to children’s questions, God instructs parents to respond with their personal story of how He has been active in their lives. Stories teach and inspire imitation as well as entertain. Self-disclosure to children of one’s personal spiritual pilgrimage has a mighty influence on the minds and hearts of the young.[10]

Live God’s Word Faithfully

“Beware, lest you forget. . . . You shall not go after other gods. . . . Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord” (Deut. 6:12-18).

The Word of God is aware that individuals who are in need and in want require little incentive to turn to God and serve Him. What is needed are individuals who, amid abundance and plenty, will continue to be faithful to Him, who will not be distracted by other gods nor go after the gods of the people around them.

A faithful Christian life as a parent does not mean a flawless life. God does not require us to be perfect parents, but, in our brokenness and imperfection, to direct our children to the perfect Savior we have found and to guide their feet along the path to find Him for themselves.

Our great purpose is to prepare the way for our children to make a covenant with their God, as we have made a covenant with ours. We cannot coerce or force, but we can lovingly and patiently instruct them. We can live faithfully before them, and we can invite them as did Moses, who said, “Choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:19). May we ourselves and our children after us respond as did Joshua: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

The original version of this article can be found on the Family Ministries website, along with other resources for families.

[1] John Youngberg, “Deuteronomy 6: Clearest Biblical Charter for Religious Education” (unpublished manuscript, 1991). 

[2] Ibid.

[3] Herbert C. Kelman, “Compliance, Identification, and Internalization: Three Processes of Attitude Change,” Journal of Conflict Resolution 2, no. 1 (March 1958). 

[4] John C. Maxwell, The Communicator’s Commentary Series, Old Testament: Deuteronomy (Waco, Tex.: Word, Inc., 1987), vol. 5. 

[5] Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home (Nashville: Southern Pub. Assn., 1952), p. 238. 

[6] George Arthur Buttrick, ed., The Interpreter’s Bible (New York: Abingdon Press, 1953), vol. 11. 

[7] Bruce Narramore, Parenting With Love and Limits (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1987). 

[8] Maxwell. 

[9] Ibid.

[10] Arthur W. Spalding and Eric B. Hare, Christian Storytelling (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1966).