October 1, 2006

Teach Your Children Well
Gen 19:27 -38

There is a sadness in me as I deal with this today. I am not going to dwell long on the horrible outcome of Lot 's pitching his tent toward Sodom , it is one of the low points in biblical history to me.

Lot was not a trusting man and as we have seen he chose to flee to a city whose name means insignificant instead of the safety God told him to find. Lot ’s wife had no godly example to follow and longed for the life of Sodom and looked back contrary to Gods plans and she was slain and crystallized into salt. Lot now becomes afraid of the city of Zoar and flees into a mountain cave and his daughters had no godly men to marry. He should have schooled them in faith and trust in God and now, drunk on the floor of a cave he reaps the horrible consequences of his own folly.

I am saddened by the amount of incestuous behavior that goes on in this world. I am appalled by the amount that goes on in so called Christians. I am not going to deal with that here, I will only say that it is a hateful abomination in the eyes of God, and so far in the eyes of society. But as we begin to tolerate more and more promiscuity, more and more pornography homosexuality, living together apart from marriage, we better not be surprised when this too becomes an “alternate expression” just as the other perversions have been accepted.

Why did Lot 's daughters resort to this horrible crime against God and man? Why did they fly in the face of moral good and do this evil? I’ll guess why: Because in chapter 13 Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom . Gen 13:12-13 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan , and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom . But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

I recall from my notes that when we visited that segment of the scripture we said it all boiled down to the statement by Joshua ( 24:15 ) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

(I took a brief side road here to James and noted that all sin starts in our own minds, fueled by our own lust).

Joshua had made a compact with the Lord, a compact that included the members of His household. He understood the commitment involved in training up a child in the ways of the Lord and He was determined that it should be so with his family.

Lot , on the other hand, made a choice too, and his choice was pleasure, position, as we saw he sat at the gate of the city.

I confess that in my life quite often the cares of the day interfered with my commission from God to train my children in the faith. I confess that there were days that passed when I didn't have the time because I was “ministering to other’s needs.” But that was just an excuse you see; For if we understand the weight of this commission we will make it a priority.

What commission? Oh, didn't I say? Eph 6 Ye Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath but instead raise them in the training and discipline of the Lord.

God really puts the highest priority on this. In Pr 22:6 we read: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Remember God's reasoning concerning his trust in Abraham? Gen. 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

In Deut 6:4-12 God lays out these commands to His own people: Hear, O Israel : The LORD our God [is] one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 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. And 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. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good [things], which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; [Then] beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

The key to national freedom for the Israelis was spiritual freedom in the family. If the children were taught to walk with God then the nation would walk with God. And Dad, God said, “teach them diligently: “

I have some knives at my house, and I have a steel.

You know something? Every once in a while I put the knives and the steel together and those knives become sharp.

Look at 2 Tim 3: 10 -17 , Note the situation of life in the last days, then notice Paul’s words to Timothy in 14-17.

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them]; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Timothy was a young man and a leader in the Ephesus Church and He had been taught the scriptures.

What are your children learning? Just memory verses or are they learning that Bible is OK for mom but Dad doesn't have time? That God's word is a priority only second to your busy schedule?

Remember Lot 's daughters? Do you want the heart ache and shame of Lot ? Why, simply let them go their own way, God knows there are enough pressures and trials when you DO teach them. But enjoy because if you teach them that God is only for Sunday they may find heaven, but you will find your own kind of little hell.

Lot blew his responsibility and many of us have too. Are you one? Did you know that it’s not too late?

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Teach your children well, their fathers health is slowly goin’ by

and feed them on your dreams, the ones you've picked, the ones you're known by

and if they ever ask you why, say “Because I love God with all my heart, and I love you too and I want more than anything else for you to love the God I love. Make “devotions” a worthwhile thing, don't confine it to a half hour at the table, but take them with you and teach them as you go.

And you know if you set the example by making Him the most important thing then they will believe you. And dad, spend time with those kids. I never have regretted the time I spent even time I didn't think I had.

Boswell, the biographer of Samuel Johnson's life, referred to a special day in his childhood when is father took him fishing. The day was fixed in his adult mind, and he often reflected on may of the things his dad had taught him in the course of their fishing experience together. After hearing that many times someone decided to read Boswell's father's journal and see what that day had been to him. On that day there was only one reference - Gone fishing today with my son, a day wasted.

Now you think about that and you think long about it...amen