The Moses Method

June 17, 2019

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates . . . In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9, 20-25

History, both biblical and personal, shows us mistakes made by one generation are often magnified in the next one. Commitment is replaced by compromise and complacency, and then coldness. God made Moses very aware of this tendency, and as the people of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, He clearly instructed them on what must be done to successfully pass on the faith.

Love God passionately and wholeheartedly. Any inconsistency or hypocrisy will be quickly noted by young people. They are figuring out their own values and almost instantly pick up a difference between what we say and what we do. They must see that our relationship with God is the major and central factor in everything we say and do. His commands are on our hearts. 

The Baby Boomer generation rejected mainstream Christianity. Historians show that a major reason was that they watched churches oppose the civil rights movement and saw their own parents and religious leaders claim to follow the Christ who died for the whole world, all people, yet support racist policies and practices. It’s worth considering what the young generation today is deciding about the faith as they observe the lack of love toward the LGBTQ community.

Impress practical truth. Moses talked to the Israelites about using the ordinary routines of life as a time and method of transmitting God’s truth. Parents don’t have to be degreed or able to teach a class or give a lecture. In fact, those are the least successful methods of passing the faith. We are to “impress” truths about God by naturally showing how he relates to our daily, concrete living, and how our relationship with God distinctly influences our priorities and decisions. 

Share your personal testimony. “We were slaves, but God brought us out.” Give your personal testimony to the difference God has made; how He set you free. Be open about your struggles, repentance, forgiveness, and victory. Warm, personal sharing wins, especially in your own family.

 • How can I apply Moses’ methods in my own family?