Worshiping in the Family

MEMORY VERSE: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” —Joshua 24:15

DEUTERONOMY 6:1-9

IT IS the privilege and responsibility of all parents who are dedicated followers of the Master to instruct their children in a knowledge of the Lord and of his Word. Granting that Sunday schools are a help in the instruction of children along religious lines, they should not be depended upon to take the place of home instruction.

We are today living in a time when there is a general breakdown of religious instruction in the home, and without doubt this accounts to a considerable extent for the gradually lowering moral standards of the young generation, and the drift toward the use of drugs and other evils which plague society in this chaotic time in which we are living.

This first section of our lesson is a message by Moses to the children of Israel, not too long before he died. He knew that the time was near when they would be crossing over Jordan into the Promised Land and that he would not be going with them.

In this message Moses presents a brief summary of what the Law should mean to the people in their relationship to God: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (vs. 5) As far as relationship among themselves was concerned, they were to love their neighbor as themselves.—Lev. 19:18

Jesus quoted these two summaries of the Law in one of his encounters with those who were endeavoring to trap him. He was asked which was the greatest commandment, and his reply was this summary of the Law given by Moses in which he so clearly and effectively sets forth the Law’s demand so far as our worship of God is concerned, and also our duty toward one another: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”—Matt. 22:40

Important in Moses’ message is the statement, “These words, which I command thee this day, shall he in thine heart.” If the Word of the Lord is not in the hearts of his people it is of little value to them. True, Moses added to this, “Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” These outward displays would be a reminder to them of their covenant with the Lord.

We would probably be safe in saying that at no time did the whole nation of Israel observe these final instructions of their lawgiver Moses. But it is also true that in every generation there was a remnant which did. Even in the days of Elijah, when the land was overrun with the worship of Baal, the Lord told his prophet that there were seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Apparently, then, there were many homes in which the worship of the true God was maintained.

II TIMOTHY 1:3-7

This second letter to Timothy was written by Paul while in prison at Rome, waiting to be executed. He is thankful for the instructions in the Word of God which he had received from his forebears, and thankful also that Timothy, whom he looked upon as his son in the faith, had also received similar instructions from his grandmother, and from his mother. He wrote, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”—vss. 5-7

In this epistle Paul invited Timothy to visit him in prison, and he realized that this could be a test of faith. Most of the brethren in the area had deserted Paul because of his situation, but he reminds Timothy that the Spirit of the Lord which he had received was not one of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. There is no doubt that Timothy responded to this invitation if the Roman authorities permitted him to do so.

QUESTIONS

Quote Moses’ summary of the Law as it applies to our responsibility toward God, and toward one another.

What does it mean to have the spirit of love and of a sound mind?

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