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Parents, Tell Your Children

Originally written on July 17, 2005

Anyone who has ever read through the book of Exodus cannot help but notice the many commands of God to the people of Israel. These many commands can at times feel burdensome, especially when we don’t have a good idea as to why many of the commands were given to Israel.

If we look carefully into the text we can find the occasional glimpse into what the Spirit intended when these Scriptures were written. As I look at the ministry of Youth and Children, all new verses leap out at me as I read through the Bible again this year. The other day I could not help but notice a few verses out of Exodus 12 and 13 that specifically speak to Youth Ministry and parenting.

After God had told Moses what to do for the exodus and the preparation of the Passover (before the event actually occurred) he told them the reason why they must reenact this event yearly. In Exodus 12:26 God tells Moses "When your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean to you?’ you are to reply ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for He has passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and spared our homes.’"

God has designed children to be "question askers." When our children ask these important questions, especially why we do the things that we do in church, we need to be ready with an explanation for them. Since our events at church can all too often seem like a ritual, especially to our children, let’s remember that they are not without reason.

We go to church each Sunday, the Lord’s Day, to remember that on the first day of the week two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus arose from the dead to proclaim that death again will pass over all those who are covered in the blood of the Passover Lamb. Our rituals are not without reason and if we take the time to explain what we do to our children, they will put their trust in Him. Let’s remember that God gave us these inquisitive minds for a purpose and that we should take the time out of our busy schedule to answer them. For in doing this we will bring glory to our God.

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