The big question that home schooling mothers face every year and spend
endless hours deciding upon is, "What do I teach?!" What can I possibly
teach my child that is going to affect their life positively? What does
the Bible say about effective teaching? What subjects must be emphasized
most? Today we are going to look for answers to these questions in light
of Deuteronomy chapter six as we find what God directed Moses to teach
the Israelites...
Deuteronomy 6:1-3
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which
the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the
land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the Lord thy
God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee,
thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that
thy days may be prolonged.
Moses taught the people all that, and that only, which God commanded him
to teach, as He specifically gave him the Ten Commandments to take to
the people. Notice that the fear of the Lord - respect for His Word, is
the first thing Moses was commanded to teach the Israelites. Not only
were they to observe and obey God's Word, but they were also expected
to pass down this fear of the Lord to their children in order that they
may live long and prosperous lives.
Ladies, just as God led Moses in the specifics as to what to teach the
people He placed him in authority over, God too, will specifically lead
us as to what He wants us to teach our children as well. We do not have
to panic over such a decision, but only seek His face and He shall direct
our paths!
Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
One thing is certain however, we must begin with teaching our children
the fear of the Lord and that what God has commanded should be obeyed!
Such is the only pathway of prosperity and success, both for parents AND
for children, and they must realize this early on. The fear of the Lord
is to be the foundation of all other learning. As the world places emphasis
on education apart from God, it has produced a vast population of people
able to read, but unable to distinguish what is worth reading!
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according
to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success.
Noah Webster wisely stated that education is useless without the Bible,
and he's right! Ladies, do your children realize that God's way of doing
things is the only way to have the guarantee of success in life? Do they
really understand that advancement comes only through uprightness? What
a shame if they are never taught this truth! You see, effective teaching
relates TRUTH to life! The Israelites were told to listen to the truth
and do it, and so must our children be instructed to do both as well!
It is in their best interest....
Deuteronomy 6:3
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with
thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers
hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
When teaching truth, begin at the beginning ladies, just as verse 4 goes
on to say:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
Before they can even read, teach your children that there is none like
God; give glory to Him in their presence, teach that none can compare
to the Lord! He only is God, and He is but One God. Let us not desire
to have any other and let us teach our children not to desire to have
any other as well!
Psalm 89:6-8
For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons
of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared
in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them
that are about him. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto
thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
The Hebrews were extremely successful at making religion an integral part
of life. The reason for their success was that religious education was
life-oriented, not just information-oriented. They used the context of
daily life to teach about God, and that is one of the precious benefits
that we as homeschoolers have. This is what makes it possible for children
to learn about God from their parents! The key to teaching our children
to love and obey God is stated simply and clearly in today's scriptures.
Think about it... If children spend between fifteen and twenty years of
their life, and indeed the most formative period in their life, in school
and college, in an atmosphere of formal denial of any relevance of God
and spirit and soul and faith to the formation of their mind, what have
they learned to set their hope in? Oh, the world may grant them a diploma,
but who does God call truly educated?? You see, He is our greatest Guidance
Counselor...
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Ladies, if we want our children to follow the Lord, we must make Him a
part of our everyday experiences and open their eyes to Him. Learning
is a process… We must teach our children diligently to SEE God in all
aspects of life, not just those that are church related! Understanding
ideas as well as the storing of them should be the aim of education. The
mind should be an eye to see with rather than simply a bin to store facts
in. Consequently, the individual who has been taught by the Holy Spirit
will be a seer rather than just a scholar!
Deuteronomy 6:7
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.
Many mistakenly think that effective teaching is only possible in a classroom
setting, but this is not true! We must seek to preserve and protect this
privilege and right we have to teach our own children from those that
desire to take such a freedom away from us by trying to undermine the
home!! Through these verses today, we see that effective teaching can
occur in any place - at any time! God Himself has set up learning this
way.... It is not confined to the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m in a particular
building! As a Christian, do you only learn about the Lord during the
hours that church is in session?? Of course not!
This verse above not only instructs us to bring teaching into every facet
of life, from morning until night, from meal to travel; it also assumes
that all these events present marvelous opportunities for teaching truth.
And they do!! No wonder the world would seek to take it away... Prayerfully
and diligently look for these opportunities, for when you find them, you
have found God's heavenly curriculum for YOUR children, written by God's
own hand and sent their way each day!! Isn't that exciting?? You and I
can wake up each day and say to our children, "I wonder what God is going
to instruct us in today; let's look for His lessons together..." To miss
opportunities as these would be to miss the best lessons of all that are
yet to be found in man's textbook! And ladies, what our children learn
in this way will rarely be forgotten, and will be passed down from generation
to generation, just as God intended. Education is not just Math, but manners;
not just Science, but submission; not just English, but earnestness; not
just History, but holiness; not just Reading, but righteousness. The fear
of the Lord must be in position first if they would be a success in school!
Deut. 31:13
And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and
learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land....
Effective godly teaching is vital in the home because the truth is always
one generation away from extinction... You see, often times when one generation
died, the next did not follow God and Judges 2:10-3:7 briefly illustrates
this cycle of sin, judgment, and repentance that Israel experienced again
and again. Each generation failed to teach the next generation to love
and follow God and yet we have seen today that this was at the very center
of God's law! The best teacher is not one who crams the most into a pupil,
but who gets the most out of one! And Mom, the most and best you should
strive to get out of your children is for them to glorify God in all things!
Let's do our part to be sure that we pass the truth down to our children
as we daily home school them in such a manner that they will also live
to do the same. They must be instructed to hide God's Word in their hearts,
for it is indeed heavenly text…
Deuteronomy 6:6
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom...
Ladies, teaching truth to the next generation of children is clearly the
responsibility of every Christian parent! Sadly though, many have left
that post of schooling in faith. Yet God says that the responsibility
for this task belongs primarily to the home!! Why? Because our children
learn so much by our daily example, therefore faith and honoring God must
be a family matter. I hope it is an integral part of yours....
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2002
