Dear Friends,
We are nearing the completion of our study of how to teach the fear of the
Lord. As time goes on, we are more convinced of the importance of this subject
above all academics etc. Material things will pass away, whether by a
tyrannical government, a hurricane or the final judgement, but for him who
fears the Lord, the most important thing in life will remain.
NOTE
- Next month, we list a number of very practical steps from the
Bible which are ways to teach the Fear of the Lord.
We have been concerned of late at the rising tide of slick educational toys and curriculum materials being advertised to home educators. The home schooling market has been discovered! The world of working parents who abandon their children to others is ripe for the marketer of "educational" toys because the guilty parents are looking for something to make them feel they are helping their children. Unfortunately, Christian home educators often deal with similar insecurities, although for different reasons. First generation Christian home educators, having themselves been trained in schools, have to overcome their own training which said that only "professionals" can teach.
With the above background, we note a very fancy advertisement received in our mail for a magazine entitled, Kids Discover We do not know if we received the ad due to a home education related mailing list or some catalog mailing list so perhaps others of you may or may not see it.
The ad came with a premier issue on the subject "Pyramids." The magazine is very pretty to the eye and would appear informative at first glance. However, there are problems! Specific problems with this slick presentation are:
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
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The Fear of the Lord