04/26/2026 Weekly Bible Lesson: Love That Shapes Society

Understanding the Text —

Deuteronomy 6:3-9. The Promise. God promised the Israelites that if they obeyed the LORD, all would go well with them in the Promised Land. As the history of Israel unfolds, we observe that when they obeyed, things went well. When they disobeyed, everything fell apart.

For us as Christians, as we obey Jesus, blessings will flow. It will go better for our families, our children, and our children’s children if we today obey the Lord. There are many blessings in following Jesus: forgiveness of sin, peace with God, and restoration from sin to good, godly ways of living. There is also the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who takes up residence within us. The Spirit grows peace, patience, self-control, love, and joy in our hearts—so many blessings from obeying Jesus.

Reaching the Next Generation. For the blessings of God to reach beyond our own generation, God intends for the family to be the primary vehicle of transmission of the faith. Notice verse 7: Impress the Word of God upon your children. Talk about the Word of God at home, when you walk around, when you lie down, and when you rise.

God starts with parents as the main disciple-makers in a child’s life. One of the best opportunities any Christian may have to disciple someone might be their own children. The main responsibility for raising a child to know the Lord is given to the parent.

The preacher does not have the main responsibility; the children’s minister does not have the main responsibility—we parents do, for good reason. There are 168 hours in a week. One hour a week at church with the preacher will not cut it. One hour a week does not foster an all-out, committed follower of Jesus.

How can we incorporate more of God into our daily family life? Think about mealtimes and ask, “What can we thank God for today?” Think about praying throughout the day when challenging circumstances arrive or vocally praising God for His Creation as we drive. Think about opportunities at night: tucking children into bed, singing praise songs together, and talking about God. Take time to reflect on ways you might want to incorporate more of God in your family life.

If we want to raise a Christian, we must be a Christian. Parents cannot give what they do not have. Therefore, verse 6 tells parents to have God’s Word upon their own hearts. To pass on the love of the Word of God to our children and grandchildren, the Word must be in our hearts. The first place to start with passing on the faith is by digging into the treasures of God’s Word, listening to God speak, and then applying His Word.

In my own life, I did not have this modeled at home. My father never talked about the Bible to me. More than that, he didn’t follow Jesus. He cheated on my mom and left us. Nevertheless, no matter the brokenness we inherit or the brokenness we’ve experienced in family life, we serve the Lord of grace, new starts, and second opportunities. God has given us a blueprint here in His Word to help us learn what we should aim for as a family.

My wife and I are trying to follow what God said here in Deuteronomy 6. We intend to have regular family devotions, but we don’t always hit our goal. Our God doesn’t call us to be perfect, just faithful. When we miss, we rely on Jesus’ grace, and we seek to do our best for our Lord. Little is much when God is in it; God will bless what we do. Faithful parenting is, as Eugene Peterson once said of the Christian life, “A long obedience in the same direction.” All the little acts of faithfulness add up. The mundaneness of daily parenting may overwhelm us, but keep in mind the goal is obedience to Jesus. Who knows what God might do with a long obedience in the same direction for our families and children?

Impact on a Nation. Finally, Moses directs this emphasis on the family in teaching the faith to the nation of Israel as a whole. The welfare of the nation rested on how the family would behave. The success of the nation rested on what the families were doing with the Lord. Faithful families would shape the country for good, for God’s blessing.

In America today, what government program can fix the moral freefall we see around us? What amount of public education and career preparation can fix broken homes and the darkness in our culture? In sharp contrast, God’s answer is the home. Honor marriage. Pass on the faith to your children. The world awaits!