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Instructions for a Successful Family - Deut 4:1-14

Why is it that God knows that we are going to mess things up? He does, he knows. Now, mind you, this is not a license to sin, but it indicates how wicked our heart is. 

The last book of the Law, Deuteronomy, whose name means "the Second Law '' is packed with information for the budding nation of Israel. It comes with a lot of information for you and me too. Chapter four starts with Moses passing on to the people what God expects from them concerning obedience. 

There is great insight for new and more mature families in the first fourteen verses. If you have your Bible, look at those instructions now. I'll wait. 

So, what did you see in that passage? Here are some principles that I saw. The people were to: 
Hear the law 
Follow it 
Keep it 
They weren't to add to it nor take things out of it 
The people had seen what would happen if they were disobedient at a place called Baal of Peor. Look that place up in Numbers 25:1-9 to see what Moses meant. 

All of this in the first three verses! God had given Moses as their teacher. As with most teachers, we want our students to pay attention and not forget what we teach. In verses 5-14, Moses emphasizes a vital teaching method - Watch, don't forget, Remember, Hear and pass what you learn on to others. In this case, they were to teach their children. The word "children" appears more than sixty times in Deuteronomy! That is a lot. 

God wanted Moses to emphasize how important it was for the fathers and mothers to teach their children about Him. Are you doing that? I ask because it is so essential that we, as parents, teach our kids about God. We should use every opportunity to share what God is doing in our lives. Even grandparents are responsible for passing on the excellent news about God our Savior to our grandchildren. 

When you stop to think about it, you will see that this information is the most valuable thing that we can leave to the next generation. Don't you agree? 

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