Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Monday, September 28. Our host is the President of FamilyLife Dennis Rainey and I’m Bob Lepine. We must pass along to our children a knowledge of God, but also model for them a love for God. We’ll hear about that today.
Welcome to FamilyLife Today thanks for joining us. I’ve had people from time to time ask me what’s your job at FamilyLife, what is it you do? There have been times I’ve smiled, and I’ve said, “Well, here’s what I do – if I have any question about anything related to marriage, and family, and the Bible, I call a world class expert, and have them fly in, and get to ask them anything I want.” That’s my job!
Dennis: Really – we do have that privilege!
Bob: We have over the years heard from person after person, and had a chance to share those interviews with our listeners, and today our listeners are going to hear a message from one of those guys that is just one of those guys it was a privilege to bring in, and have a day of conversation with.
Dennis: Yes, today is no exception—Dr. Al Mohler joins us on FamilyLife Today, and many of our listeners are going to know him. He is the 9th president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Bob: No, it’s “The” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary!
Dennis: I’m sorry – I thought I did that – okay! I said “Louisville” though – I got Louisville correct!
Bob: You did – that’s right!
Dennis: He’s a well know author of a number of books, he’s appeared on Larry King Live, The Today Show, Dateline NBC, Good Morning America—I mean, the thing I like about Al is that he really has done an excellent job of graciously, yet forthrightly representing Jesus Christ, and those of us who are followers of Christ well in the midst of secular media.
Bob: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is today the largest training ground for future pastors. There are more students at the seminary in Louisville than any other seminary I know of in the United States, and I think it’s anywhere in the world. That’s a credit to Al’s leadership!
Dennis: It really is. He’s a native of Lakeland, Florida, he’s married to Mary – together they have two children: Katie and Christopher. We had a staff meeting, and decided to give him the podium, and he opened his Bible to a very familiar passage to our listeners. One that we’ve talked about here on FamilyLife Today on numerous occasions: Deuteronomy 6.
Bob: Yes, this is the passage where God really gives marching orders to moms and dads about the importance of making the spiritual handoff to the next generation.
Dennis: And, how to build a nation, and frankly I think America needs to hear this message!
Dr. Mohler: I want to invite you to turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 6. As you’re turning in the Old Testament to the book of Deuteronomy, we are reminded that this is the book made up of several messages preached by Moses as God spoke through that prophet to His people as He is preparing His covenant people to enter in the land of promise. Very, very interesting turning point in the history of Israel here, as we come to Deuteronomy chapter 6, because as you follow through the book of Deuteronomy there has just been the giving of the law - the second giving of the law.
The Deuteronomous in the Latin, which explains in the Greek as it goes back to the Septuagint. We come to understand the second giving of the law is how we get the name of Deuteronomy in this understanding that God’s people in a new generation had to hear the law all over again. The covenant had to be re-articulated – because after all those who will enter the land of promise were the children, and those who were born after the rebellion that led to God’s curse upon the generation that they should wander in the wilderness until they died.
Now, you have the children of a rebellious, questioning, unfaithful generation who are themselves now - God’s covenant people. They are preparing to enter the land of promise, but they did not experience in their own consciousness what it meant to be the slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. They knew the story but their birth came later. They did not experience face to face what Moses talks to them about in Deuteronomy chapter 4, where he speaks about the miracle of God revealing himself to His people.
Israel knows that it is the chosen people of God first of all because as Moses says in Deuteronomy chapter 4, “You heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, and survived. This is the God who speaks to you – speaks to you very specially – specifically – He speaks to you now through the law.” Then we come to Deuteronomy chapter 6, and as you would know this is one of the most treasured passages in the Old Testament for the Jewish people. This is one of those first passages memorized by a Jewish boy preparing for a Bar Mitzvah. This is the central verse many would argue of Judaism as we come to Deuteronomy chapter 6:4 – we hear the word together beginning in verse 1.
Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you that you might do them in a land where you are going over to possess it so that you, and your son, and your grandson might fear the Lord your God to keep all His statutes, and His commandments which I command you all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. O Israel you should listen, and be careful to do it that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly just as the Lord the God of your Fathers has promised you in a land flowing with milk and honey.
Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. These words, which I’m commanding, you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates. Then it shall come to pass when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your Fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig. Vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat, and are satisfied.
Then watch yourself that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the Lord your God, and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. You shall not follow other Gods – any of the Gods of the peoples who surround you. For the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God, otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. You shall not put the Lord your God to the test as you tested Him at Massah. You should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes, which He has commanded you.
You shall do what is right, and good in the sight of the Lord that it may be well with you, and that you may go in, and possess the good land, which the Lord swore to give to your Fathers by driving out all your enemies from before you as the Lord has spoken. When your son asks you in time to come saying, what do the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments mean which the Lord our God commanded you? Then, you shall say to your son – we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand - moreover the Lord showed great, and distressing signs, and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household.
He brought us out from there in order to bring us in to give us the land, which He had sworn to our Fathers. So, the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes: To fear the Lord our God for our good always, and for our survival as it is today. It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God just as He commanded us. This is the word of the Lord!
Israel heard these words as a generation was preparing to enter the land of promise. Moses was speaking to them here in the early part of the book of Deuteronomy, as he knows he will not lead them himself. This is a briefing of sorts, but it’s not really coming from Moses. It’s coming from God. Moses here is the oracle of God, the prophet to whom God is speaking. This is God speaking to His people. He is speaking through Moses in such a way that Moses is conveying to them what they must know, and what they must do if they are not to die when they enter the land of promise.
Life and death are hanging here in the balance. That’s the theme of the entire book of Deuteronomy. By the time you come to Deuteronomy chapter 30, Moses will speak Gods words to the children of Israel saying, “See I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse therefore choose life.” Deuteronomy chapter 6 is about how not to raise a pagan – that’s the bottom line. There’s a lot of irony here because they were the children who were preserved in order that they could enter the land of promise.
But, these children are now adults – they will now bear the responsibility – they will enter the land of promise. Those who were children, and sometimes children in anticipation: Not even yet born when the rebellion took place. They are those who will now enter the land of promise – they are the ones who are in deadly danger of paganism. We often as we look to the Old Testament fail to take into due consideration what it meant for the children of Israel to enter Canaan. Canaan was occupied territory – Canaan was not only occupied territory, it was pagan territory.
The word pagan is one of those words that’s not very politically correct in the 21st century, but it is absolutely necessary to understanding the Bible, and what it means to be God’s people. One of the distinctions found in both of the testaments is the distinction between the children of light, and the children of darkness. Between those who are the children of the covenant, and then the nations that rage: Those who are the covenant people of God, and than those who are pagans. What it means to be pagan is very simply not to be among those who know, and worship, and obey the one true and living God.
Now there’s a background of this that’s very important – John Calvin spoke to this when he said that, “The human heart is an idol making factory” – this is the reality. The Bible knows only two alternatives – the Bible doesn’t understand atheism, because atheism is an impossibility – the Bible does understand paganism, and idolatry, and no matter what you want to call it – as it comes down to the worldview of the Bible there are only two alternatives. That is the faith of the one true, and living God, and some form of idolatry, or some form of paganism.
Now in the 21st century we have very dressed up, more sophisticated forms of paganism than you find as Israel encountered these in Canaan. But, they are for their sophistication just all the more deadly, and all the more dangerous – all the more alluring, and perhaps even unrecognizable to many who have not the discernment to see. There is a basic judgment in the Old Testament that I think we need to hear, and I think we need to receive the full force, and that is this: Our children will be pagans if we do not give them the instruction, the discipline, the guidance, the teaching, the gospel because the default position as the Bible understands it is paganism. The default position is idolatry!
You notice the focus on children here, and it is a very interesting focus: It has to do with the theology of the covenant. It is the covenant that explains why God has protected this people through all of this wandering in the wilderness in order to preserve them for the sake of His name. This is the God who makes covenants – He keeps His covenants even when His people do not keep the covenant. He preserved them even when they did not deserve any preservation: There is grace here! You don’t have to wait until the New Testament to find grace. We’ll wait until the new covenant to find saving grace, but there is grace abundant here as Israel was preserved.
The concentration on children here comes at the beginning, and at the end of this passage in Deuteronomy 6. In Deuteronomy 6 we have the very clear instruction about your son, and your grandson in verse 2. The context here is very, very clear! Moses is saying, “Look, if your son, and your grandson is to be found in the land of promise as God’s people, it’s going to be because they were taught, it’s going to be because they were disciplined, it’s going to be because you will insure that they know, and are accountable for the knowledge of what it means to be God’s covenant people.”
It comes at the end of this passage, as there is this beautiful recitation where Moses speaks to the children of Israel, and says, “When your son comes to you, and asks you what do these statutes mean, then you tell him.” Deuteronomy 6 of course begins with this opening passage that concludes with verse 4 – the Shema! The most famous verse in the entire Old Testament – hear – the Hebrew word hear – Shema. The shorthand for this verse hear O Israel – the Lord your God – the Lord is one: The great triumphant statement of monotheism.
By the way this is understood not only to be a matter of number that is to put the mono in monotheism. One – we have that number: it is to establish exclusitivity. There is one and only one God. Hear O Israel, the Lord thy God, the Lord is one! Now something immediately follows from that, and we see that in the very next verse as you look at verse 5. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. To be God’s covenant people is not only to obey Him, it’s not only to have heard His word, it’s not only to be called by His name, it is to be the people who love Him.
This is something very interesting. Just as a matter of phenomenal observation go and try to find where pagans love their god? It’s a missing word in their vocabulary – you will be hard pressed to find any world religion that speaks of love for an idolatrous object of worship – it just isn’t there. Maybe fear, there may be service, there may be any number of things, but not love. Israel here is called to love the God who showed grace and mercy by speaking to them, by rescuing them, making covenant with them. But how are they to love the Lord their God with all of their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might.
Very interesting tri-partheid description here: First of all – heart – as you know the Hebrew physiology – they did not understand cardiology – this is not about the circulation of blood: This is about the seat of the person – this is about the innermost part of the innermost self. This is the heart as the expression who we really are – this is the heart that we know is desperately wicked. It’s the heart that nonetheless can be reached by God, and God alone, and to those who are His people who hear His voice. We’re to love the Lord with our heart – in our innermost being we are to love Him not just with our heart, but with all of our heart: With all of our soul – the connectivity of life to the creator, the soul, the psuche. In terms of the Hebrew understanding here it gets back to the fact that we remember we are creatures – we were dust into whom breath was breathed. With all that we are – with all of our life we are to love the Lord our God.
Then, with all of our strength – strength is something that is honored in the Bible only when it is deployed to the glory of God. Israel was about to think itself strong, and there was the great danger of being deluded, and mislead by their experience of conquest. As we well know, it was not about Israel’s strength – it was about the faithfulness of God to His promises. Israel here is called to love the Lord their God with heart, and soul, and strength. Of course, in the book of Matthew in the first gospel, Jesus will speak of the great commandment: To love the Lord with heart, and with soul, and with mind.
Mind, being very important here! These words, which I’m commanding, you today shall be on your heart - the heart again. This is the seat of knowledge – it’s going to proceed from the inside out. Israel’s morality, Israel’s understanding of these things is that all truth comes from the inside out as the Lord reveals to the heart. This is the revealed religion: It isn’t that they came up with this; it isn’t that they looked in the mirror, and discovered this. They heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, and they survived. They saw thunder on the mountain, and saw Moses come down with two tablets of stone.
This is a revealed knowledge, but it is then implanted in their hearts. Then, it works outward from the heart to life. These words, which I am commanding, you today shall be on your heart. Then Israel is told they are to teach: You shall teach them diligently. To whom? To your sons! Now, this is an all-encompassing educational responsibility for Israel, but notice how it is directed primarily to children. To the covenant children here - Deuteronomy chapter 6 is about teaching doctrine. The word doctrine of course means teaching.
They will only be faithful, they will only know God if they are taught!
Bob: Well, we’ve been listening to part one of a message from Dr. Al Mohler, the president of “The” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. It really is a great reminder to us as parents that we have an assignment from God that we really can’t shirk. I guess we can – if we do we’re being disobedient, and we put not only our family at peril, but we put our future at peril.
Dennis: We do – we put a generation at risk. Frankly, Bob I could get my soapbox out, and put it right in the middle of the table at this point.
Bob: I’ve seen you do this before!
Dennis: Because I am really concerned about this generation of young families that are starting out. I think they look at doctrine, and they think it’s stale, they think it’s dogma that doesn’t have purpose or reason to it, and that it’s just kind of crusted over with cobwebs, and old, and archaic.
Doctrine is alive because it talks about the truth of who God is, and how we should live. I think as never before we need to be encouraging young families to first of all as husbands and wives believe the truth, determine their convictions, but then secondly turn their hearts toward their children to teach those convictions day in, and day out to their children. That’s what Deuteronomy 6 is all about.
Bob: Of course as we teach those biblical precepts, we’re praying all the time that our kids will come under conviction – that they will hear the standard of God, and they will recognize their need for a Savior. Then, we can introduce them to the graciousness of God in Christ, to the mercy of God in providing His son as a sacrifice for them, and for us.
Dennis: Right – I agree!
Bob: You know, I think of resources we’ve come across over the years that have been designed to try to press these truths into the hearts of children: Susan Hunt’s book for young children called Big Truths for Little Kids, Bruce Ware’s very helpful book for children who are a little older called Big Truths for Young Hearts. I think of the Just Add Family resource that we’ve developed that gives a lot of creative ways that families can engage their children in spiritual dialog and conversations.
If moms and dads will understand we have a responsibility here, then they can come to FamilyLifeToday.com, and we can help them with resources to help them fulfill that responsibility. Again, our website: FamilyLifeToday.com – come and see what’s available to help you, as a parent be able to connect around these important spiritual issues with your children. Again the website FamilyLifeToday.com.
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You know, I’m always encouraged when we get notes from listeners who write to tell us about how God has used the ministry of FamilyLife in their marriage, or in their family. Especially when we hear from parents of young children who are telling us that what they are hearing here is changing the way they’re raising their children. It’s making a difference in the priorities that they are setting as parents. I just want to say a word of thanks to those of you who help make that possible. Those of you who not only listen to FamilyLife Today, and those of you who pray for us - we appreciate that!
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This month, if you’re able to help with a donation of any amount, we have a thank you gift we’d like to send you. Recently at one of our FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Marriage Conferences Dr. Crawford Loritt’s was speaking on God’s Plan for Marriage – understanding Genesis chapter 2 where it says, “You’re to leave, and to cleave, and to become one flesh in marriage.” We have a copy of Dr. Loritt’s message on CD: We’d love to send it to you as a thank you gift when you support the ministry of FamilyLife Today this month with a donation of any amount.
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Tomorrow we’re going to hear part two of Dr. Al Mohler’s message from Deuteronomy 6 where he continues to challenge us as parents with our responsibility to make the handoff to our children. I hope you can tune in for that.
I want to thank our engineer today Keith Lynch and our entire broadcast production team on behalf of our host Dennis Rainey I’m Bob Lepine. We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of FamilyLife Today.
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