Whatever choice parents make about the ongoing education of their children, they are responsible for the instruction of their children in the Law of God from their earliest days. Paul warns fathers about exasperating their children and directs them to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). The Shema (Shama’, Hebrew for “hear,” Deuteronomy 6:4–9) gives guidance on how this may be achieved. The commands of God are first to be upon the parents’ hearts so that they are not merely providing head knowledge. They are to impress them upon the children in the context of everyday family life.

The picture is not one of formal instruction but the kind of learning that takes place as the family travels, lies down for the night, and rises to the opportunities and demands of a new day. In this way, a child begins to develop a biblical-walk view without even realizing. After we have said their prayers with them, in those precious moments before sleep takes them away, we are confronted with such questions as, “Where was I before I was born?” We need to be ready to tell them: “You did not exist before you were conceived. You were created uniquely by God and given to your mom and dad as a gift, and we’re so thankful.”

The child nurtured by a biblical view of life’s origin will enjoy a security that can’t be shared by the youngster schooled in evolutionary theory, which is forced to inform him that he exists as a matter of time plus matter plus chance. Susan and I found that it was often when we were lying down at the end of the day or driving on a vacation that we were able to help our children work through questions raised in their local elementary school. It would seem the task is never complete. Even now, our adult children are ready to receive instruction from their elders. — Alistair Begg, Pathway to Freedom: How God’s Laws Guide Our Lives (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003), 123–124.

I have just completed a seven-part Bible Study called Ancient Words. It explores seven key Hebrew words we need to understand in order to really understand the gospel. This article is an excerpt from this Bible study. The Bible Study is available on Amazon. It is also avail as well as part of my Good Questions Have Groups Talking subscription service.

This service is like Netflix for Bible Lessons. You pay a low monthly, quarterly or annual fee and get access to all the lessons. New lessons that correspond with three of Lifeway’s outlines are automatically included, as well as a backlog of thousands of lessons. Each lesson consists of 20 or so ready-to-use questions that get groups talking, as well as answers from well-known authors such as David Jeremiah, Charles Swindoll and Max Lucado. For more information, or to sign up, click here.