Dear Friends,
This month we start a multi-part series on teaching the fear of the Lord. We trust that this will be a fruitful study as we work our way through what the Bible teaches about the fear of the Lord, its importance and how to teach it. As always, we value your comments, questions, and reqeusts.
God's Pattern for the Family
Father and Children
Psalms 128:1
2. How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.
3. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you.
4. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine, Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table.
5. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.
6. The Lord bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
7. Indeed, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!
This Psalm is one of God's beautiful pictures of a godly Christian family. It centers mainly on the head of the home who is a man who fears the Lord and describes his relationships with family members within his home. God says this is an example of a blessed and happy man.
This passage also describes this man's wife as a fruitful vine . The Hebrew word parah (6509) means to bear fruit or to be fruitful. The same word is used in this context
Exodus 23:30
31. "I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land.
This woman not only has the fruit of her womb (children), but also has taken possession of her inheritance. This means the enemy has no place in her and her life exhibits the fruit of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. She has learned to let her spirit control her flesh. Thus the following are enemies she has conquered - immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, envyings, drunkenness, carousing, etc.
The children in this home are compared to olive plants . The Hebrew word zayith (2132) is the same Hebrew word used in the following context
Zechariah 4:1
2. Then the angel who was speaking with me returned, and roused me as a man who is awakened from his sleep.
3. And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it;
4. also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side."
5. Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What are these, my lord?"
6. So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."
7. Then he answered and said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts.
8. 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel {you will become} a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"
9. Also the word of the Lord came to me saying,
10. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish {it.} Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
11. "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel-- {these are} the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth."
12. Then I answered and said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?"
13. And I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden {oil} from themselves?"
14. So he answered me saying, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."
15. Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth."
Even though these children are not yet full grown trees, they are shetil or shatil (8363) which means transplanted shoots or slips. The children of a man who fears the Lord are actual transplants from the throne of heaven! The man who fears the Lord has a wife who knows how to live victoriously and children who have the potential seed of Holy Spirit anointing. This is a home where the father's reverential fear of the Lord brings the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth in his own household.
Romans 14:17
18. for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
19. For he who in this {way} serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
20. So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
Mother and Children
Proverbs 31:10
11. An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
12. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.
13. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.
14. She looks for wool and flax, And works with her hands in delight.
15. She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar.
16. She rises also while it is still night, And gives food to her household, And portions to her maidens.
17. She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
18. She girds herself with strength, And makes her arms strong.
19. She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.
20. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.
21. She extends her hand to the poor; And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
22. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
23. She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
24. Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
25. She makes linen garments and sells {them,} And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
26. Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.
27. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
28. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
29. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband {also,} and he praises her, {saying :}
30. "Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."
31. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, {But} a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
32. Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.
This passage is another of God's beautiful but explicit pictures of a godly Christian family. It centers mainly on the wife and mother of this home who also fears the Lord and describes her relationship with the members of her household. She is a blessed woman who is praised by others.
The husband of this woman is secure in his wife's love and provision for him and is one who is well-respected in the community affairs outside his home. He and the children of this home bless and praise the wife and mother, and she too is well-respected outside her home in business and social circles.
Before unnecessary guilt causes depression because your family may not resemble the Biblical pattern, notice the one requirement that is the root foundation for the godly Christian family. Both parents possess a reverential fear of the Lord.
The Fear of the Lord
The Beginning of ...
Most Christian homeschooling families know or have memorized the following
scriptures:
Proverbs 1:7
8. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 9:10
11. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Our modern culture does not equate a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe as knowledge and understanding . However, as we research the Biblical method of educating ourselves and our children, we continually discover the foundational truths of the Bible are always the best, the easiest, the most practical and the most rewarding.
Proverbs 9:7
8. He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man {gets} insults for himself.
9. Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you, Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
10. Give {instruction} to a wise man, and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man, and he will increase {his} learning.
11. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
12. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.
13. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
Most Christians can quote verse 10 of the above verses, and most Christians homeschooling parents desire to instill the fear of the Lord into their children. However, being with our children in intense discipleship often exposes the scoffer, and there are many moments when we wonder if the fear of the Lord is operating in our homes. The purpose of this study is to clarify the Biblical Method of Education which must begin with the fear of the Lord.
How to Describe the Fear of the Lord?
David said
Psalms 34:7
8. The angel of the \Lord\ encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
9. O taste and see that the \Lord\ is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
10. O fear the \Lord,\ you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there is no want.
11. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the \Lord\ shall not be in want of any good thing.
12. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
13. Who is the man who desires life, And loves {length of} days that he may see good?
14. Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
15. Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.
In this short passage on the fear of the Lord the Holy Spirit reveals four things through David:
This should be good news to all of us. We parents can be taught from the scripture how to fear the Lord, and if we learn our lessons well, we can then impart that teaching and understanding to our children.
Many of the definitions of the fear of the Lord have been used as a method of education, whereas most Biblical definitions of the fear of the Lord serve primarily as indicators to know if it is operating or not. For example, if a person turns away from evil, we may safely assume he possesses a fear of the Lord concerning that particular evil, but we may not understand how he received that fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5
6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.
7. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
8. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
9. It will be healing to your body, And refreshment to your bones.
Sometimes, we erroneously try to turn away from evil without being sure we have established the fear of the Lord in our hearts.
Proverbs 8:13
14. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, And the perverted mouth, I hate.
We try to overcome pride, arrogance or unbiblical speech patterns, but we often find that we are being defeated. As we parents, try to instill the fear of the Lord in our children in this defective way, we discover, they too are often defeated and are not able to be consistent in this battle.
Proverbs 16:6
7. By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
One is able to keep away from evil, if the fear of the Lord is operating. If one is having a battle with evil perhaps the fear of the Lord is not truly operating.
Proverbs 16:7
8. When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
This verse promises a place of victory and peace in this battle that most home educators wage against the evil enemy and in confrontation with each other. However, we must be careful of another erroneous habit pattern we Christians may have unconsciously formed. We quote the promises that accompany the fear of the Lord with the assumption that somehow just knowing that truth will bring these blessing to pass in our homes. For example:
Proverbs 10:27
28. The fear of the Lord prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Proverbs 14:26
27. In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge.
28. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.
Proverbs 19:23
24. The fear of the Lord {leads} to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.
Proverbs 22:4
5. The reward of humility {and} the fear of the Lord Are riches, honor and life.
Psalms 34:7
8. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
II Corinthians 7:1
2. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
All of the above promises are valid, but we parents must actually learn the fear of the Lord ourselves and be sure we are operating in it. Then we can teach it to our children by our personal example and see the promises to those who fear the Lord fulfilled in our families.
Proverbs 23:17
18. Do not let your heart envy sinners, But {live} in the fear of the Lord always.
The above command instructs us that the fear of the Lord is to be a continual place of abiding while we are on this earth. If home educating parents ignore this foundation or endeavor to lay a foundation without utilizing the Biblical method of teaching the fear of the Lord, the outcome will be the same. A crash will result sooner or later because the foundation was faulty and had cracks in it that could not withstand the tempests of life that come to all men.
Biblical Method - Knowing God
We pray the following Biblical Method of Education will bring a stability into your home and/or a confirmation that you are walking on the ancient paths. May repentance replace rebellion for us and our children.
Jeremiah 6:16
17. Thus says the Lord, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk {in it}.'
Rebellion to the word of God is something to be avoided no matter what the cost.
Proverbs 1:23
24. "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
25. "Because I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention;
26. And you neglected all my counsel, And did not want my reproof;
27. I will even laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,
28. When your dread comes like a storm, And your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, When distress {and} anguish come on you.
29. "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me,
30. Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
31. "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.
32. "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, And be satiated with their own devices.
33. "For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them, And the complacency of fools shall destroy them.
34. "But he who listens to me shall live securely, And shall be at ease from the dread of evil."
Verse 29 of the above Proverb says that mankind has a choice. We can choose the fear of the Lord or we can walk in our own stubborn ways. The promises of life, abundance and security are only found in those who choose the fear of the Lord. However, this choice must be one of desperation and total dependency upon the Lord. The fear of the Lord does not come easily. Proverbs 2 shows us that the fear of the Lord has some prerequisite decisions that must be made first.
Decisions We Must Make
Proverbs 2:1
2. My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you,
3. Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
4. For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;
5. If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;
In this passage we see that man's will must resolve to work with the Lord and not against Him. Many Christian families are continually dealing with symptoms rather than getting the axe to the root of the bad tree that is causing bad fruit. (Matthew 3 :10) The following list should be reviewed often when "evil" crops up so that the enemy is forced to flee, because God has first place and He really has the love and obedience (submission) of every member of the family. (James 4 :7) Remember parents, the root problem may need to be solved in you first.
Romans 10:17
18. So faith {comes} from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Hebrews 8:10
11. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people.
John 10:4
5. "When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
6. "And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
Matthew 13:19
20. "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil {one} comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
I Corinthians 14:1
2. Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual {gifts,} but especially that you may prophesy.
Matthew 13:23
24. "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit , and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
Mark 4:18
19. "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
20. and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful
Luke 8:14
15. "And the {seed} which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of {this} life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
Matthew 11:25
26. At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from {the} wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.
27. "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
28. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal {Him.}
29. " Come to Me , all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
30. " Take My yoke upon you , and learn from Me , for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
31. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
Discernment
It is only after the above decisions have been made and have become a
consuming passion, that the fear of the Lord can be discerned!
Proverbs chapter two goes on to say,
Proverbs 2:5
6. Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God.
Isn't this what we want for ourselves and for our children? Isn't this what salvation really means?
John 17:3
4. "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
Once the fear of the Lord is operating in a life, then the Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He Himself becomes a shield, a guard and a preserver to those who walk in integrity.
Proverbs 2:6
7. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth {come} knowledge and understanding.
8. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; {He is} a shield to those who walk in integrity,
9. Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
Once the things mentioned above are operating, the Lord enables us to move in other areas because wisdom and knowledge are operating. We will be able to discern righteousness, justice, equity and every good course. Discretion guards those who fear the Lord. Understanding watches and protects those who have been given the Lord's wisdom. Deliverance from evil begins to operate. Deliverance from spiritual and physical adultery begins to operate. Flattery can't entice one who is operating in the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 2:9
10. Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity {and} every good course.
11. For wisdom will enter your heart, And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
12. Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you,
13. To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;
14. From those who leave the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;
15. Who delight in doing evil, And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
16. Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways;
17. To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words;
18. That leaves the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God;
19. For her house sinks down to death, And her tracks {lead} to the dead;
20. None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.
21. So you will walk in the way of good men, And keep to the paths of the righteous.
22. For the upright will live in the land, And the blameless will remain in it;
23. But the wicked will be cut off from the land, And the treacherous will be uprooted from it.
God is a master builder and His blueprint should be followed. We must take the time to know His will and follow His plans, His methods and His ways of education. Shortcuts and the educational philosophies of the world will not reap good fruit.
Once a family is sure it is desperate concerning the fear of the Lord and has made free will choices concerning the Word of God, then you are ready to see God's method of teaching the fear of the Lord.
Precepts of Men or Fruit of the Spirit
It is very important when studying Old Testament principles that we always seek
to obey them by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is our
main example to emulate and follow. He says
Matthew 5:17
18. "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
19. "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.
20. "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches {them,} he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
21. "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses {that} of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Home educating parents must be very careful to approach obedience to the will and ways of God in the spirit and not in the flesh. Many of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees who saw and heard Jesus personally when He walked upon the earth were caught in the traditions of men that valued the letter of the law (men's traditions) more than the whole counsel of God.
Mark 7:6
7. And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.
8. 'But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'
9. "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
10. He was also saying to them, "You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
11. "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death';
12. but you say, 'If a man says to {his} father or {his} mother, anything of mine you might have been helped by is Corban (that is to say, given {to God}),'
13. you no longer permit him to do anything for {his} father or {his} mother;
14. {thus} invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."
However, it is possible for us today to attempt to keep the commandments of God and teach them without the fruit of the Holy Spirit in operation - faith, love, peace, joy, etc.
Romans 8:14
15. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Thus every Old Testament principle of God's methods of education must be brought before the Lord in prayer by each individual family and wait patiently until the Holy Spirit shows your family how to obey that principle with the uniqueness of your family members.
John 15:1
2. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
3. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit , He takes away; and every {branch} that bears fruit , He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit
4. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
5. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither {can} you, unless you abide in Me.
6. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit ; for apart from Me you can do nothing.
7. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
8. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.
9. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit , and {so} prove to be My disciples.
10. "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
11. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.
12. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and {that} your joy may be made full.
13. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
14. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
15. "You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
16. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
17. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit , and {that} your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
18. "This I command you, that you love one another.
Before we examine the Biblical commands that promise to teach the fear of the Lord, it is best to see God's heart concerning this issue. Our Creator knows how He designed human beings to function best. When we align our will with His will, our desires with His desires, we always discover congruity, continuity and contentment.
Establish the Fear of the Lord
As you all know the Bible says much about the
fear of the Lord
The purpose of this section is to show parents where to begin in
establishing the
fear of the Lord
in their own homes.
The book of Deuteronomy is the primary place where the
foundational explanations of the
fear of the
Lord
are found.
Deuteronomy 4:9
10. "Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.
11. "{Remember} the day you stood before the \Lord\ your God at Horeb, when the \Lord\ said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
12. "And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the darkness, cloud and thick gloom.
13. "Then the \Lord\ spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form-- only a voice.
14. "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, {that is,} the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
15. "And the \Lord\ commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it.
Deuteronomy 4:23
24. "So watch yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the \Lord\ your God, which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything {against} which the \Lord\ your God has commanded you.
25. "For the \Lord\ your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
26. "When you become the father of children and children's children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the \Lord\ your God {so as} to provoke Him to anger,
27. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you shall surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but shall be utterly destroyed.
Deuteronomy 4:29
30. "But from there you will seek the \Lord\ your God, and you will find {Him} if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
31. "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to the \Lord\ your God and listen to His voice.
32. "For the \Lord\ your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.
Deuteronomy 4:36
37. "Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.
Deuteronomy 4:39
40. "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the \Lord\, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.
41. "So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the \Lord\ your God is giving you for all time."
Deuteronomy 5:4
5. "The \Lord\ spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire,
6. {while} I was standing between the \Lord\ and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the \Lord\; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.
Deuteronomy 5:22
23. "These words the \Lord\ spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, {of} the cloud and {of} the thick gloom, with great voice, and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
24. "And it came about, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.
25. "And you said, 'Behold, the \Lord\ our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives.
Deuteronomy 5:25
26. 'Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the \Lord\ our God any longer, then we shall die.
27. 'For who is there of all flesh, who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we {have}, and lived?
28. 'Go near and hear all that the \Lord\ our God says; then speak to us all that the \Lord\ our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do {it.}'
Deuteronomy 5:28
29. "And the \Lord\ heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the \Lord\ said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.
30. 'Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!
Deuteronomy 9:10
11. "And the \Lord\ gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them {were} all the words which the \Lord\ had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.
12. "And it came about at the end of forty days and nights that the \Lord\ gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.
Deuteronomy 9:12
13. "Then the \Lord\ said to me, 'Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made a molten image for themselves.'
14. "The \Lord\ spoke further to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people.
15. 'Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.'
16. "So I turned and came down from the mountain while the mountain was burning with fire, and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.
17. "And I saw that you had indeed sinned against the \Lord\ your God. You had made for yourselves a molten calf; you had turned aside quickly from the way which the \Lord\ had commanded you.
18. "And I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands, and smashed them before your eyes.
Deuteronomy 9:18
19. "And I fell down before the \Lord\, as at the first, forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the \Lord\ to provoke Him to anger.
20. "For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the \Lord\ was wrathful against you in order to destroy you, but the \Lord\ listened to me that time also.
21. "And the \Lord\ was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him; so I also prayed for Aaron at the same time.
22. "And I took your sinful {thing}, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that came down from the mountain.
23. "Again at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the \Lord\ to wrath.
Deuteronomy 9:23
24. "And when the \Lord\ sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, 'Go up and possess the land which I have given you,' then you rebelled against the command of the \Lord\ your God; you neither believed Him nor listened to His voice.
25. "You have been rebellious against the \Lord\ from the day I knew you.
Fear the Lord AND Hear God
Like the Israelites, we can fear the fire of God's presence and shun the
sound of His voice. If we move in this deception of pride, we can expect to
see rebellion, disobedience, dishonor and shame emerging in our families.
By daily fellowship and communion with the Lord, the fear of the Lord is maintained, and this fellowship must be personal and operating within every member of the family at every age level (earliest feedback begins when a child can talk).
Listening to God's voice and being able to repeat what He is saying is more important than speaking or praying to Him. "What is the Lord saying to you?" is an easy question each family member can ask to one another. Jesus said,
John 10:4
5. "When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
6. "And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
The fear of the Lord is operating when Jesus' words to us are more important than our own opinions or prayers.
Let the truth of the following warning to the Hebrews that is contrasted to the Deuteronomy passage sink down into the depths of our beings so that we parents are assured that the the fear of the Lord is our continual place of humility before Him and before our children.
Hebrews 12:18
19. For you have not come to {a mountain} that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,
20. and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which {sound was such that} those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them.
21. For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned."
22. And so terrible was the sight, {that} Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling."
23. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,
24. to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
25. and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than {the blood} of Abel.
26. See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned {them} on earth, much less {shall} we {escape} who turn away from Him who {warns} from heaven.
27. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven."
28. And this {expression}, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
29. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
30. for our God is a consuming fire.
Moses explained this event to the Israelites with these words
Exodus 20:20
21. ..., "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."
God comes to us so that we may experience His presence, learn His character, know His ways, think His thoughts, feel His emotions, and obey His will. Hearing the sound of His voice should help us to avoid sin.
In the Old Testament the Father came to us; in the Gospels the Son came to us and since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has come to us so that we may know God personally and be known by Him.
Hebrews 13:8
9. Jesus Christ {is} the same yesterday and today, {yes} and forever.
John 17:3
4. "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
The more we come willingly into His presence, the more He allows the fear of Him to remain with us. This reverential fear of Him is His design to keep us from sin. Others observing one who possesses a fear of the Lord will see a holiness or a separation from sin that brings conviction of sin without a word being spoken. Jesus walked this way; so did Paul.
The home schooling schedule that doesn't incorporate and promote a daily quiet time with the Lord and a time to share the Lord's words will not provide the opportunity or an atmosphere in which the fear of the Lord can take root, develop and mature into good ripe fruit
Education (school subjects), Dad's profession (business), Christian service (busyness), lifestyle (food, friends, relatives, entertainment, athletics, exercise, music, ballet), must not be allowed to crowd out each member's personal experience of hearing the Lord's voice and experiencing His presence and personal guidance.
Older children who read and write should be encouraged to write down in a diary what the Lord is saying to them as well as learn to verbalize it. Younger children who can talk should be trained to verbalize what Jesus is saying to them.
Educational Method - Hear - Fear God
When God first revealed Himself to a corporate group of people, he also
explained the educational purpose of this manifestation. In Deuteronomy 4
:10
the Lord gives us His own educational theory in a concise, clear description.
It says,
Deuteronomy 4:10
11. "{Remember} the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
From this verse the following method of education is revealed.
Peter understood God's Biblical Method of Education when he said,
Acts 3:19
20. "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
21. and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
22. whom heaven must receive until {the} period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
In this passage the vestiges of the same method of education which was first revealed in Deuteronomy can be seen:
As reviewed previously in Proverbs, there are prerequisites to moving in the fear of the Lord. As we see them mentioned in Deuteronomy, we trust the will of man will align itself with the Biblical Method of Education.
The following passage is so often quoted in Christian home education literature that we must be careful that familiarity doesn't breed contempt. May the Holy Spirit open the eyes of our understanding to the basic foundational educational methods contained within these verses.
Deuteronomy 6:4
5. " Hear , O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
6. "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
7. "And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart;
8. and 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.
9. "And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
10. "And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
11. "Then it shall come about 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,
12. 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 shall eat and be satisfied,
13. then watch yourself, lest you forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
14. "You shall fear {only} the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name.
15. " You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,
16. 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.
17. "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested {Him} at Massah.
18. " You should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.
19. "And 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} your fathers,
20. by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.
The parent (as a disciple [student] of God) is to:
Educational Method and the New Covenant
Even though deception, disobedience and the devil's temptations try to thwart
God's educational strategy, the human heart has been written upon by God
Himself, our Creator. When we stay in His presence and teach our children to
remain in His presence, God then has the opportunity to teach or reveal to
us what He has already written there.
God is always looking for people who will continue in His covenant. Note the following lesson from King Asa's life:
II Chronicles 16:7
8. At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand.
9. "Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand.
10. "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars."
11. Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.
The above verses remind us that strife, conflict and defeat all come from trusting in man and his methods rather than trusting in the Lord's strategy. God is looking for those who will not forsake Him, forget Him, ignore Him or disobey Him. He longs for a group of people who love to be in His presence, hear His wisdom, obey His counsel and walk with Him on this earth. Micah understood this.
Micah 6:8
9. He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
Hebrews 8 also makes it very clear that this is God's will.
Hebrews 8:8
9. For finding fault with them, He says, "Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
10. Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord.
11. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people.
12. "And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' For all shall know Me, From the least to the greatest of them.
13. "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more."
Repentance brings possession. Rebellion brings destruction. Obedience brings purpose, peace and joy. Disobedience breeds confusion, conflict and despair.
Even the world considers Jesus Christ to be the only perfect example of teaching that mankind has ever seen. He Himself quoted His method of education this way:
John 6:45
46. "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
John 5:19
20. Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless {it is} something He sees the Father doing; for whatever {the Father} does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
21. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.
John 5:39
40. "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;
41. and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life.
In this passage the Biblical Method of Education can be seen:
John 7:14
15. But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and {began to} teach
16. The Jews therefore were marveling, saying, "How has this man become learned , having never been educated ?"
17. Jesus therefore answered them, and said, "My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
18. "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching , whether it is of God, or {whether} I speak from Myself.
19. "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Jesus saw, spoke and taught what the Father revealed to Him. He makes it very clear His deeds and diction were not coming from His own plan or strategy. If homeschooling parents want godly success, we must totally rely on the Biblical Method of Education and not that of the world and its vain philosophies of education.
The educational theorists of today may not acknowledge the Biblical Method of Education, but those who are hearing what the Spirit is saying will understand that this method is how we will impact the world in which we live.
John 8:26
27. "I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world."
28. They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father.
John 8:29
30. "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."
31. As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.
As Christian home educating families learn to see, hear, and obey what the Father says about every subject area of His vast universe, then what we say to the world will bear good fruit. Many will believe in Jesus!
Most of Christendom would acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is known as Teacher, but do we also acknowledge that our daily relationship with Him is what enables us to learn efficiently, effectively and enthusiastically?
John 14:26
27. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things , and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
All things means exactly what it says. The Greek word is pas (3956) which means all, every . This word shows up at least 30 times in the gospels and at least 90 in the Acts and the Epistles! The following verses should sufficiently convince home educators that God's Biblical Method of Education starts with God and is sustained by God! Apart from Him we learn nothing!
We see the evidence of this role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' life and in His teaching. Jesus' dependence upon the Holy Spirit displayed a superior method of education.
Matthew 13:53
54. And it came about that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.
55. And coming to His home town He {began} teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, "Where {did} this man {get} this wisdom, and {these} miraculous powers?
56. "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
57. "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then {did} this man {get} all these things?"
58. And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his {own} household."
59. And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Humanly impossible situations (learning school subjects) are no problem to God.
Mark 10:27
28. Looking upon them, Jesus *said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
Mark 9:23
24. And Jesus said to him, "'If You can!' All things are possible to him who believes ."
Exhibiting trust and belief in God to grant parents and children understanding in a subject area is a mighty testimony when that prayer is answered! Conversely, unforgiveness and doubt in a parent's or child's heart can stop the education process because God is no longer pleased by the break in the relationship.
Mark 11:20
21. And as they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots {up.}
22. And being reminded, Peter *said to Him, "Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which You cursed has withered."
23. And Jesus *answered saying to them, "Have faith in God.
24. "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be {granted} him.
25. "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be {granted} you.
26. "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.
27. ["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."]
The following is a worthy goal for home educating families!
Mark 7:37
38. And they were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well ; He makes even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
The essence of all learning is a life exhibiting the cross. The submission of the human will to the sovereignty of the Father is a daily lesson.
Mark 14:36
37. And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt."
Our Father delights in revealing things to those who humbly ask Him.
Luke 10:21
22. At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from {the} wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
23. " All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal {Him.}"
All the keys to knowledge and understanding are found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
John 1:3
4. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John 3:35
36. "The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
John 4:24
25. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
26. The woman *said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us."
27. Jesus *said to her, "I who speak to you am {He."}
John 5:20
21. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.
John 13:3
4. {Jesus,} knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God,
5. *rose from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.
6. Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
John 15:15
16. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
I Corinthians 2:10
11. For to us God revealed {them} through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
I Corinthians 8:5
6. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
7. yet for us there is {but} one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we {exist} for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we {exist} through Him.
I Corinthians 11:12
13. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man {has his birth} through the woman; and all things originate from God.
Ephesians 5:13
14. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
Colossians 1:16
17. For by Him all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him.
18. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Hebrews 3:4
5. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
Only pride keeps us caught in the educational methods of the world. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the source of all knowledge and wisdom concerning all of creation and all that has to do with man. There is not one educational subject that can be taught correctly from a human perspective. Only when we learn to remain in God's presence, as Jesus did, can we begin to acquire godly wisdom and understanding into these subject areas that will counter every lie and deception that dominates modern culture. Peter said it this way:
II Peter 1:2
3. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
4. seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
5. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
John also reveals the submission and dependency that the members of the Godhead possess. Man's finite mind can only grasp the triune nature of God by faith, and when we do, we should also move in the same character quality of submission and dependency that is revealed to us. Verse 13 of the following quote teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and He is the one who can guide us into all truth for every educational subject we seek to understand.
John 16:13
14. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
15. "He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose {it} to you.
16. "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose {it} to you.
Most Christian home educating parents know this is true, but many find it difficult to put into daily practice. Because most of us equate truth, wisdom and understanding as subjects to be studied, we ignore the Biblical Method of Education. These are not subjects to be studied. These are the character or quality of God Himself that makes up His being and as we read in the quote from Peter, God Himself freely wishes to share His nature with us if we abide in His presence and in His Word.
John 14:23
24. Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.
John 15:7
8. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.
9. "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and {so} prove to be My disciples.
Paul says it this way
II Corinthians 3:15
16. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
17. but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
18. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, {there} is liberty.
19. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
It is the presence of the Lord and not just the reading of the Word of God that brings liberty and transformation. It is the Lord Himself that takes the written word and removes the veil so that we understand what we are reading. This Biblical Method of Education is true not just for understanding the written Word, but it is also true for every thing we need to know about all of creation - man, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, native and foreign language, (written and spoken), government(s), economics, etc.
Many homeschooling families get weary in their calling because they move out of the dimension of the spiritual realm (God as the center) and slip back into the flesh (Man as the center or humanism).
Galatians 6:7
8. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
9. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
10. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
We must be very careful that we don't reserve for heaven those things which God designed for us to experience on earth because we need them now. Jesus makes the Biblical Method of Education very clear:
Matthew 11:28
29. " Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
30. " Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
31. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
It is in His presence, yoked to Him, that makes learning exciting. It is in His presence that humility triumphs over human pride and presumption; submission to His ways triumphs over human ignorance and independence; and obedience to His commands conquers human rebellion and sin.
Teaching the Fear of the Lord
The following scripture implies eight activities that are necessary to create a home environment where the fear of the Lord can be nurtured.
Deuteronomy 10:12
13. "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God , to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
14. {and} to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?
15. "Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.
16. "Yet on your fathers did the Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, {even} you above all peoples, as {it is} this day.
17. " Circumcise then your heart , and stiffen your neck no more.
18. "For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.
19. " He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.
20. "So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
21. "You shall fear the Lord your God ; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.
22. "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.
23. "Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons {in all,} and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
The following outline displays God's commands and within that list are some activities which home educators need to prioritize just as if they were academic subjects.
Walking in God's Truth
Deuteronomy 13
:1-11 brings God's presence into a modern satanic stronghold.
Christendom is full of false teachers, false prophets, false signs and false
wonders. God warns us that our own family members may entice us to rebel
against
God's ways by leaving His presence to walk on a broad path that leads to
destruction. The following passage explains that these types of situations are
tests we must pass in God's method of learning.
Deuteronomy 13:1
2. "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
3. and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,'
4. you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
5. "You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him ; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
6. "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
7. "If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods' (whom neither you nor your fathers have known,
8. of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end),
9. you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him.
10. "But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
11. "So you shall stone him to death because he has sought to seduce you from the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
12. "Then all Israel will hear and be afraid , and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
The warnings just listed are not things to fear. They are things to discern so that we fear only God. Each home schooling family must abide in God's presence and know the truth to discern false prophets, false teachers and false activities. When we abide with Jesus, who is TRUTH, He can then teach us to recognize true teachers, true prophets and true activities that reflect His character and nature. As we recognize and fellowship with TRUTH, we do not follow strangers. (John 10 :4-5). Jesus warned us this way,
Matthew 7:13
14. "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
15. "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
16. "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
17. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn {bushes,} nor figs from thistles, are they?
18. "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
19. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
20. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
21. "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
22. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
23. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
24. "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
25. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.
26. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and {yet} it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.
27. "And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.
28. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall."
29. The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching;
30. for He was teaching them as {one} having authority, and not as their scribes.
Home educating families must be confident that abiding in Jesus' presence, hearing His voice and obeying Him is the educational method that produces discernment. Jesus' teaching had authority because it came from heaven not from earth.
The book of James reveals this same educational method. Heaven is the source of life, where we start - not just where we end up when we leave this world. Heaven's wisdom obtained from being in God's presence has the power to change earthly situations of jealousy, pride, ambition, error and demonic conflict. James teaches:
James 3:13
14. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
15. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and {so} lie against the truth.
16. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
17. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
18. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
19. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
A UNIQUE TITHE
A unique tithe teaches the fear of the Lord.
The following scriptures indicate that obedience to the Lord's commands in these areas will teach the fear of the Lord. The book of Deuteronomy gives us five subject areas which promise to teach the fear of the Lord, if obeyed. Home educators must have faith and believe God will show each family how He wants each family to obey the following scripture. Each family must also have faith to know that these activities which are not required subjects in most of the countries of the world are high on God's list of educational priorities. However, we must also continually remind ourselves that we need to see and hear the way in which God Himself wants these works done. We fear Him by abiding in His presence in our own lives first.
After Moses gives some dietary laws (which Jesus declares unnecessary for cleanliness in Mark 7 :19), he then teaches the Israelites on the tithe (which Jesus says is not to be neglected in Matthews 23 :23).
Deuteronomy 14:22
23. "You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year.
24. " And you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always
25. "And if the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring {the tithe,} since the place where the Lord your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the Lord your God blesses you,
26. then you shall exchange {it} for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses.
27. "And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.
28. "Also you shall not neglect the Levite who is in your town, for he has no portion or inheritance among you.
This unconventional but Biblical method of tithing includes:
This passage is seldom explained when tithing is taught in Christendom. It may shake some man made doctrines, but please remember as you meditate upon it, the obeying of it will teach the fear of the Lord Verse 2 of Deuteronomy 14 reminds us of God's purpose for His commandments and statutes. Its says,
Deuteronomy 14:2
3. "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Your family must seek the Lord together to know the specific details He wishes for your family to do to obey this principle.
COPYING GOD'S LAW
Copying God's law teaches the fear of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 17:18
19. "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
20. "And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,
21. that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left; in order that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.
The following are the steps involved to do this:
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
Corporal punishment teaches the fear of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 21:18
19. "If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them,
20. then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his home town.
21. "And they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.'
22. "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear {of it} and fear.
23. "And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
24. his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.
As we have pondered over the implications of these verses, we realize how far removed our modern culture has become in dealing with family rebellion. Even though most people in our western culture recoil from any thought of corporal punishment that results in death, the ever-increasing crime statistics and the need for more and larger prisons indicate that this denial and refusal to acknowledge God's ways are destructive to all elements of our society.
While we know the New Covenant doesn't promote the stoning of children who refuse to obey their parents, we must acknowledge that the severity of the consequences of such rebellion needs to be instilled within our children so that they see the wisdom of fearing the Lord and obeying Him.
This passage is pivotal because it reveals God's heart toward rebellion as well as His remedy. Many Biblical scholars believe verses 22 and 23 describe Jesus Christ's death on the cross. This passage can be used by those of us in the New Covenant to clearly share the gospel with our children when chastisement is necessary, when the wisdom of Proverbs is being obeyed.
Proverbs 29:15
16. The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.
Jesus Christ has paid the penalty of death for all of mankind's rebellion. Every rebellious child of God needs to know that Jesus became that curse and took the full vent of God's wrath, anger and justice. In that exchange, we owe our allegiance, obedience and love to Him now and for eternity. However, the rod of correction in this life reminds us and our children of the pain Jesus suffered for us and reinforces the need to joyously accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior.
Some Christian educators feel to put a child under such teaching is not necessary until 10-12 years of age. Perhaps our children are more prone to rebellion than those of other Christian families, but we have seen the hopelessness of man without Christ in our selves and in our own children at an early age. To put off teaching them about sin, death, hell, the cross, the resurrection and the need for a personal Lord is cruel. How can a child overcome the sin nature unless he has been made a new creature? How can he have a desire to be a new creature unless he understands the power of sin? How can he acknowledge the utter hopeless condition of overcoming sin in his own strength? How can he admit his desperate need for a Lord and a Savior? The Hebrew culture understood the power of rebellion to destroy a family and thus a whole nation. However, they chose to disobey the ways of the Lord. Christian home educating families have numerous times throughout the day to deal with rebellion as soon as it rears its demonic head. We have the precious Holy Spirit to show us how to act wisely with each confrontation over rebellion, and we must rely on Him for His direction. If we do not deal with rebellion early, it will cause much sorrow and grief later.
In I Kings chapters 1 and 2, the story of Adonijah, one of King David's sons, is told. While David was still alive and on his death bed, Adonijah declared himself king, threw a huge party and neglected to invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah (and David's other mighty men) and Solomon, his brother, to his "kingly" celebration (I Kings 1 :10).
After Nathan steps in and corrects this error, Adonijah exposes his wicked heart by asking for David's handmaid to be his wife. Even though Solomon had pardoned Adonijah's earlier rebellion, he did not tolerate this challenge to David's honor. Solomon had Adonijah killed.
This seems like a drastic measure to us today who are so used to licentiousness, lawlessness and permissiveness. However, a person who is not properly disciplined will keep pushing the limits until he loses all his freedom.
David did not seem to know or wish to exert his parental role as father over Adonijah.
I Kings 1:6
7. And his father had never crossed him at any time by asking, " Why have you done so? " And he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after Absalom.
Adonijah was allowed to do as he pleased and eventually his life was taken from him. God's perfect will is the self-government of each individual under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. He longs for each man, woman and child to deny himself.
Matthew 16:24
25. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself , and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Luke 9:23
24. And He was saying to {them} all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily , and follow Me.
Mark 8:34
35. And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself , and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Titus 2:11
12. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
13. instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
14. looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;
15. who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
16. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
An individual is to learn self-denial from his father's instruction, discipline and correction. A much fuller development of this concept is available in a booklet series entitled, "Dealing with Anger."
ORAL BIBLE READING
Oral Bible reading teaches the fear of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 31:9
10. So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
11. Then Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of {every} seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths,
12. when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing.
13. "Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, in order that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.
14. "And their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess."
The following steps are involved:
Most Christian families can read through the Bible each year in daily family worship times. However, it would be interesting to see this scriptural command become part of a family's sabbatical, a celebration that occurred every seven years or part of each year's vacation or holiday.
We have estimated that it would take seventy-two hours to read aloud through the Bible. With hour breaks for walks, swimming, a game of tennis, basketball, puzzles, board games, etc. and substantial breaks for meals, the Bible could be read aloud from Genesis to Revelation in twelve days. If questions come forth, these may be written down to discuss on a walk or at dinner. If discussions and questions are allowed during the reading time, it will take longer to read through the Bible. Whatever a family may decide to do, time spent in this worthwhile activity promises to bring a fear of the Lord and is certainly more profitable than most activities the world has to offer for family vacations. The eternal benefits far outweigh those of Disneyworld.
EXPOSURE OF THE HEART
Exposure of the heart teaches the fear of the Lord.
I Kings 8:37
38. "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight {or} mildew, locust {or} grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is,
39. whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man {or} by all Thy people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands toward this house;
40. then hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest, for Thou alone dost know the hearts of all the sons of men,
41. that they may fear Thee all the days that they live in the land which Thou hast given to our fathers.
When Solomon dedicated the temple, he asked the Lord to do many things in response to people humbly seeking God in prayer. In His prayer Solomon asks the Lord to hear, forgive, act and render to men according to their ways so that they would fear Him. The following verses show the circumstances a family needs to take to the Lord in prayer so that He can bring a reverential fear of Him into that family. Even though the context of these verses is in the natural realm, they may be applied to the spiritual realm as well.
This study has been offered as a look into the Laws of Israel that we might be prepared to serve the Lord in the freedom of the Holy Spirit. Each family should discover its unique way to obey the Lord in finding His plan for teaching the fear of Him. There are no shortcuts to instill and teach the fear of the Lord. It takes the dedication of each family member to earnestly desire the fear of the Lord and the willingness to then set aside the time necessary for God's promises to become a reality.
II Corinthians 5:11
12. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
Further Discovery
The following are further topics a family may research together to discover
much more about
The Fear of the Lord