In a previous article, I argued that true societal change must come from God through his Word and prayer, which will primarily be taught and exemplified in the home. I introduced the idea of family worship, and I want to start unpacking that concept here by appealing to Scripture. Our opinions may fall, but the Word of the Lord endures forever (Isaiah 40:8). We will look at one verse here, and then, in the next article, survey other examples in Scripture to ground this principle in our hearts and minds.

The most famous verses on this subject are found in Deuteronomy 6:1-9, also known as the Shema. Deuteronomy is written by Moses on the banks of the Jordan River as God uses him to prepare his people for the Promised Land. Great promises for obedience are given, along with a much longer and sobering list of curses for disobedience (ch. 28). Israel’s purpose is not only to enter the land, but also to stay in it, which requires keeping all of God’s statutes and commandments (6:1-3). However, Moses will not cross the Jordan with them (3:23-29). How, then, will these statutes and commandments be passed down for future generations? The Shema answers in 6:7:

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and 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.

How will the commands be passed down? By parents teaching their children. This is where the weight falls, and rightfully so: who knows children better than their parents? Who loves children more than their parents? Who has greater influence on children than their parents (for good or ill)? The Hebrew word under “shall teach diligently” carries the idea of repetition and implies intentionality and planning. The “talking” aspect—which is also repetitive but more spontaneous in nature—takes place throughout everyday life: at home or away, from morning till night. This task cannot be limited to one significant sit-down conversation, but must be composed of hundreds of intentional moments that are eventually built up into the house that is your child’s spiritual life.

So, what is the “them” we are to teach? 6:5 tells us:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

This, as you likely know, is what Jesus calls the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-40). But before we can even talk about loving God with our whole being, we must know who He is, which is ultimately where Moses starts in 6:4:

Here, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Here is the sum and substance of what parents are to teach their children. Here is the goal of all theology. If there is to be love for God, it must be for the God who is one – along with everything else God has revealed about Himself in the Bible. Family worship happens wherever the truths about God are taught and discussed—with genuine love for God—in the family. We cannot love who we do not know, and we will not teach who we do not love. Josh Mulvihill says it well: “The goal of family worship in the home is to help children see and feel the greatness of God and place their affections on Him.” Just like we cannot love a God we do not know, we must know and teach about this one God – and all He has done – to our children. This is the calling of every parent and grandparent (Deuteronomy 4:9).

If we look at Israel’s history following these words in Deuteronomy, a generation rises up that, at large, trusts the Lord as they follow Joshua into the Promised Land. Once Joshua dies, however, we read that the people did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Judges 2:11). Among other things, a strong argument can be made that the fault lies in the neglect of this society-shaping parental responsibility. May it not be so among us!