I may have never seen such a paragraph, in all Scripture!
Five complete Verses, all focusing on young people, on children and grandchildren!
The generations to come!
Yet such is found in Psalm 78, written by Asaph, Israel’s chief musician.
See if you agree, the continuity is obvious. “We will not hide them (God’s Commandments) from their CHILDREN, shewing to THE GENERATION TO COME the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their CHILDREN: that THE GENERATION TO COME might know them, even the CHILDREN WHICH SHOULD BE BORN; who should arise and declare them to THEIR CHILDREN: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.” Psalm 78:4-8
Wow!
Yet this remarkable Passage is really echoing the Pentateuch of Moses. Deuteronomy 6:6-7, for example. “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 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.”
This sure puts (to me anyway) an emphasis on activities like Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Neighborhood Bible Classes. Or family altar time, for that matter!
And now I’m thinking of Jesus and His love for the little children!
I once heard a Preacher opine that our greatest need as older Christians was to leave a heritage with the younger generation, the conviction that what we believe is REAL!
Sounds like God feels the same way!
Today, January 1, 2016, begin some sort of regular program through which you teach the young people in your family, in your life, the Word of God.
In the spirit of Psalm 78:4-8.
Amen!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell