Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Deuteronomy, Discourse Five

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

And so we come to the final discourse and conclusion of Deuteronomy, chapters 31 - 34.  There is only one verse that mentions heart...and that is Deut. 32:46, following the passage known as the 'Song of Moses', verses 1-43 of chapter 32.  I'm going to include the whole sentence, lol.

When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law."

The Hebrew word for heart is,  as almost all have been, Strong's H3824, Lebab.  

As I typed that verse out, the word command stood out.  Command your children.  

And it hit me...IF the words are taken to heart, THEN the result is that the next generation will be diligently taught...commanded...to carefully obey all of those words.  Which will include taking the words to heart and doing the same with the generation following them.

Take a selah moment right there.

I am reminded of a situation I had back years ago, teaching young people in our denominational church.  One family stood out to me; with a single child, they stated that they were 'going to let [the child] decide what to believe and not push their beliefs onto [said child].'

That wasn't an isolated opinion, although it was more rare in that particular denomination than in more...progressive...churches.

Now, I totally get that forcing kids to toe a religious line just purely from a legalistic stance often produces rebellion and pushes the kids away from faith altogether.  I have seen it happen.

Which is why the phrase take to heart is so key.  We are not talking about an externally enforced list of  requirements.  This is about living out of personal, heart- felt convictions.  Part of teaching the kids to carefully obey the word of God includes teaching them to take those teachings to heart.

And the word 'command' makes it clear that such teaching is not optional, is not left up to the kids to decide what they want to believe.  No, from a very young age, the kids are to be taught to take to heart  the words of God, so then carefully obeying those words will be part of who they are.

So...I have to ask...how are we teaching our children to take God's word to heart?  

Because, has we have found in earlier lessons, obedience is a heart issue.