Sunday Evening Bible Study

July 29, 2001

Introduction

The nation of Israel has just started a review of the Law with Moses.  They’ve been in the wilderness for forty years and are about to cross over into the Promised Land.  Moses has been reviewing their history and is about to review the Laws of God.

Illustration

A professor was giving a big test one day to his students. He handed out all of the tests and went back to his desk to wait. Once the test was over the students all handed the tests back in. The professor noticed that one of the students had attached a $100 bill to his test with a note saying "A dollar per point." The next class the professor handed the tests back out. This student got back his test and $64 change.

With the things of God, there’s no way of bribing yourself out of not being prepared.  We, like the Israelites have a Promised Land ahead of us to conquer.  That’s the “big test” of life.  The way of obtaining God’s promises is to learn to live life the way God wants us to.

Deuteronomy 4

:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it

Lesson

Don’t mess with God’s Word

We saw a similar warning in the book of Revelation –

(Rev 22:18-19 KJV)  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: {19} And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Sometimes we “add” to God’s Word.

The Bible says that we must believe in order to be saved.  Yet the things that God says can seem too simple, and we think that people ought to do more, so we can add to God’s word and say, “You must believe, and be baptized, and go to our special church, and climb Mount Everest, etc.”

Sometimes we “diminish” God’s Word.

Sometimes the Bible tells us things that we don’t like to hear.

The Bible tells us that we must forgive each other.  This is one that I find quite “diminished” for some folks.  They don’t mind forgiving when it comes easy, but when it comes to forgiving someone like a family member who has done something really, really bad, well there’s reasons not to forgive.

We would be much better off if we just learn to do what the Bible says.

This is the “key” to possessing the “Promised Land”.

If we want to get to the place where we are experiencing all that God has for us, we need to learn to follow all that God says.

:3-4 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor

Baalpeor

For the Israelites listening to Moses, this is very recent history (Num. 25).  It was an incident that took place after Israel had finished conquering the Amorite kings Sihon and Og.  The nation was camped on the plains of Moab, possibly in the very same place they are sitting right now.  Balaak, the Midianite king tried to hire a prophet named Balaam to place a curse on Israel so he could conquer them, but instead of cursing them, Balaam was only able to bless them.  But Balaam wanted his promised paycheck, so he came up with a plan to have some young, good looking gals go into the Israelite camp and tempt the men to have sex with them and worship their gods through sex.  These young gals didn’t have any problem finding willing men, and as a result of this horrible sin, God sent a plague on the nation and 24,000 people died.

This was a great example to the people of how it paid to follow the Lord.  The people that had followed the Lord were not touched by the plague.

It’s very similar to the lessons of venereal disease today.  Some people would like to tell us that to stem venereal disease, we need to teach people how to have “safe sex”, meaning the use of condoms.  But God’s idea of “safe sex” is to keep sex inside the boundaries of marriage.  If our world practiced God’s kind of “safe sex”, would we have an AIDS epidemic today?  I don’t think so.

Illustration

I heard about a young man who asked his grandfather about what his generation used for “safe sex”.  The grandfather responded, “Yes, in my day we had a device for “safe sex”, it was called a “wedding ring””.

:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb

These events happened in Exodus 19.

:13  even ten commandments

The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20.

:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven …

Lesson

Images of God

God has reminded the people that when they stood before Him, they didn’t see anything that they could copy or make an image of.

He is now warning them that they don’t try to make images of Him, and then call it “God”.

Our images always fall short of the real thing.

In reality, God is a whole lot bigger than our ability to comprehend Him.

(Isa 55:9 KJV)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Whenever we start to think we’ve got God figured out, we’ve stopped far short of who He really is.

:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God

Lesson

Short memories

When you look at the history of Israel, you see how over and over they go through these cycles where they follow the Lord, then begin to backslide, then get into trouble, then repent and follow the Lord again.  As you read through the book of Judges, you can get kind of frustrated at Israel for repeating the cycle so many times.

Yet in reality they would follow the Lord for 40 years before falling away.  We read about it in a few paragraphs and think that they are constantly wavering in their relationship with the Lord.

I think that with many Christians, we go through similar cycles between one month and the next.

We need to remember what God has saved us from.

:24  For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

(Heb 12:29 KJV)  For our God is a consuming fire.

Fire can be a good thing or a bad thing.

1)  Fire can take wood hay or stubble and burn it up –

(1 Cor 3:12-13 KJV)  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; {13} Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

When we have our lives filled with worthless, flammable things, we ought to be a little concerned that God is a fire.

2)  Fire can take iron and turn it into steel.

(1 Pet 1:6-7 KJV)  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: {7} That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Fire will melt the metal and bring the dross to the surface where it can be removed.

Fire can take weak iron and harden it into steel.

Trials can remove the impurities in our lives and make us stronger than ever.

:31  he will not forsake thee

This is incredibly prophetic.  This is exactly what would happen.  The nation slowly degenerated and began to fall away from worshipping God.

When the nation split into two kingdoms at the time of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the northern kingdom (known as Israel) went immediately away from the Lord.  This nation was finally taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 BC and were scattered around the world.

The southern kingdom (known as Judah) had times when they were close to the Lord and times when they were far from God.  Eventually, they too were conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BC and taken off to Babylon.

It was the remnant of the nation of Judah in Babylon that began to call upon God for mercy and under the Persian emperor Cyrus were allowed to come back and rebuild their nation.

:33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

The people in Exodus 19 had actually heard God’s voice.

Lesson

God is there for you.

Sometimes we can lose hope in thinking that we’ve just gone too far from God.  But God is never that far away.  All you need to do is turn around.

Illustration

I do not know if this is a true story or not, but it’s certainly an interesting one, and it certainly makes a point –

ALMIGHTY GOD

A man named Rich volunteers with prison ministries, and in his work has become friends with the pastor of a store front church called the Almighty God Tabernacle. On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. The pastor let it ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. The brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry way. The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man on the other end wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. The pastor was dumbfounded and couldn't figure out what the guy was talking about. Then the caller said, "It rang and rang, but I didn't answer." The pastor remembered the apparently misdirected call and apologized for disturbing the gentleman, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife. The called said, "That's OK, let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, 'God if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now.' At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. I was afraid to answer!" The man who had intended to commit suicide is now meeting regularly for counseling with the pastor of Almighty God Tabernacle.

God may not work exactly like that in your life, but He hears you.  He wants you to call on Him.

:34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation

The nation of Israel is indeed a unique people.  They are God’s chosen people.

:41-49  Cities of refuge

In those days, when someone died either accidentally or by murder, it was the family’s obligation to revenge the death.

Today, if your aunt was driving on the freeway and a trucker’s tire blew and his truck collided with your aunt and killed her, you would be obligated to hunt the trucker down and kill him. 

These are known as “blood feuds”.  The person who went out and killed in revenge was known as the “avenger of blood”.

In order to stop these senseless, never-ending feuds, God developed a system called the “cities of refuge”.  Whenever a person accidentally killed another person, they would have to run to the nearest city of refuge.  When the “avenger of blood” showed up, a trial would be held to determine whether you were guilty of murder or just accidental manslaughter.  If you were guilty of murder, you would be put to death.  If you were guilty of manslaughter, you could continue to live in the city of refuge, protected from the “avenger”.  You were required to live in the city until the high priest died and another took his place.  At that time, you were free to go home.

In order for this system to work, six cities were to be set aside.  Three cities were on the east side of the Jordan, three cities would be on the western side of the Jordan.  The cities were scattered throughout the nation so that no matter where you were, you were within a days’ running distance from a city of refuge.

:41 Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sun rising;

Moses would set aside the cities of Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan, all on the east side of the Jordan (from the land they had already conquered from Sihon and Og).

Deuteronomy 5

:2  the LORD our God made a covenant with us

The Ten Commandments were part of a legally binding contract that God made with Israel.

The signing of the contract was in the sprinkling of blood –

(Exo 24:3-8 KJV)  And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. {4} And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. {5} And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. {6} And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. {7} And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. {8} And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

(Heb 9:18 NKJV)  Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

As Christians, we don’t fall under this contract, but a newer contract, one that does away with the old one.

(Mat 26:26-29 KJV)  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. {27} And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; {28} For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. {29} But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

There is great value in understanding the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, the Old Contract.  God’s nature hasn’t changed, and the Old Covenant tells us much about God’s nature.

But God’s conditions for approaching Him have changed, so that we now come through the blood of Christ, and not the obedience of the Law.

Lesson

The value of the Law

The Law shows us how much we need the Lord.

One of the things the Law produces in us is the awareness of how far short we fall of God’s ways.

(Gal 3:24 KJV)  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

The Law shows us God’s ways.

When we are filled with the Spirit, God will begin to produce all these kinds of things automatically in our lives under the Spirit’s power.

(Rom 8:3-9 NLT)  The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. {4} He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. {5} Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. {6} If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. {7} For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. {8} That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. {9} But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)

:7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

This begins a review of the Ten Commandments.  This is the first commandment.

:8-10 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image

This is the second commandment.

:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain

This is the third commandment.

Using the Lord’s name for the wrong purposes, such as manipulation or magic or selfish desires. This can even be done when we pray (James 4:3).

:12-15 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it

This is the fourth commandment, the end of the first “table” of the Law.  The first four laws (or, the “first table”) deal with man’s relationship with God.  The last six laws (or, “second table”) deal with man’s relationship with man.

When Jesus was asked what He thought was the greatest commandment, He summarized each “table” of the Law.  The first was to love the Lord, summarizing the commandments about God.  The second was to love your neighbor, summarizing the commandments about men.

There is a balance we need to consider with the Sabbath Law.  First, understand that it is intended for the Jews (“thou wast a servant in Egypt”).  But there are still valid principles to follow.

Work hard.  In our times, some people are experimenting with the four day work week.  We can become overly protective or our “free time”.  But sometimes I wonder if our culture is conditioning us to thinking that we aren’t able to work very hard.  The Bible’s idea of work is a six day work week.  Hmmm.

Don’t work too hard.  Some people over-do it and never take a break.  God wants you to take a break.  He wants you to honor Him by taking a break.  Not only is it good for your health to take a break, but it’s a step of obedience and faith.  Do you trust God to take care of your needs enough that if you give Him a day of rest, you believe He’ll take care of your needs?

:16 Honour thy father and thy mother

This is the fifth commandment.

Paul says this is the first commandment with a “promise” – if you obey this commandment then God will prolong your life.

:17 Thou shalt not kill.

This is the sixth commandment.

Literally, “thou shall not commit murder”.  No, this does not mean that a state should not put a murderer to death.

:18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

This is the seventh commandment.

:19 Neither shalt thou steal.

This is the eighth commandment.

:20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

This is the ninth commandment.  Do not lie.

:21  neither shalt thou covet

This is the tenth commandment.

Lesson

Learning contentment

I think this is certainly one of the things that can get us into great trouble.  It seems that we never have “enough”, but always want “more”.

(Prov 27:20 KJV)  Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Illustration

A customer in a bakery was observed carefully examining all the rich-looking pastries displayed on trays in the glass cases. A clerk approached him and asked, "What would you like?" He answered, "I'd like that chocolate-covered, cream-filled doughnut, that jelly-filled doughnut and that cheese Danish." Then with a sigh he added, "But I'll take an oat-bran muffin."

Paul wrote,

(Phil 4:11-13 NASB)  Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. {12} I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. {13} I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

:27  speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee

The people were terrified with who God was.  They were afraid that if they spent too much time in God’s presence that they might die.  They were correct.

:28  they have well said all that they have spoken.

God agreed with their assessment.

Lesson

We don’t need a mediator anymore

In Moses’ day, the people needed to go through a mediator to talk to God.  They couldn’t dare talk to Him themselves because of their sin.

We too need a mediator.  Jesus is our mediator.

(Heb 4:14-16 KJV)  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. {15} For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. {16} Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We have the blessing of approaching God at any time, even with boldness.

We can approach God because we need Him, and He can help us.

Sometimes I wonder if I really understand all this.  An indicator that I don’t take this as seriously as I should is the fact that I worry so much.

Paul said,

(Phil 4:6-7 NLT)  Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. {7} If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

If I am really putting my problems and worries in God’s hands, and if I really believe that God is going to do what is best, then I am able to receive God’s peace.

Deuteronomy 6

:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

dxa hwhy wnyhla hwhy larvy ems

(shmah yisrael adonai elohenu adonai echad)

This is what is known as the great Shema, the basic cry of a Jew.

Shema comes from the first word, “hear”.

According to rabbinical tradition, the Shema originally consisted only of verse 4 but was later expanded to include verses 5-9; 11:13-21; and Num. 15:37-41.  According to verse 7, it was to be recited morning and night.

There are two emphases in this verse.

1)  Yahweh is unique, and the only God of the Jews.

It could more properly be translated, "The LORD is our God, the LORD alone."

2)  He is one God.

This doesn’t contradict the doctrine of the Trinity, since the word for “God” (Elohim) is a plural word, and the word for “one” is also used of the union of Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:24) to describe two persons in one flesh.

:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Jesus said this verse was the GREATEST COMMANDMENT. (Mark 12:30).

Everything in life flows from this.  God desires that we have a strong, intense, love relationship with Him!

Illustration

A. W. Tozer said, "We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God."

heart – lebab – inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding

soul – nephesh – soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

These two words are very close in their definitions, yet in comparing other Scriptures where these two words are found together, it would seem that the word for “heart” might indicate more things like emotions and passion, while the word for “soul” might indicate things like the mind and understanding. (Deut. 19:6; 4:9; Ps. 13:2)

Loving God isn’t the only thing we’re supposed to do with our heart and soul, we are also to seek Him (Deut. 4:29), serve Him (Deut. 10:12), and put God’s Word into our heart and soul (Deut. 11:18).

:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

It is a parent’s responsibility to teach God’s ways to their children.  It should be a natural, way of life kind of thing.  God isn’t saying you have to sit them down and have a Sunday School class once a day.  It’s more than that.  It’s teaching them all throughout the day, learning from all of life’s situations.

teach them diligently – shanan – to sharpen, whet (as in sharpen a knife); when in the “intensive” form (as it is here), it means “to teach incisively”.  It’s not just running the knife blade a few times over the pumice stone, it’s going over and over and over it until it’s razor sharp.  The idea is that we are to keep going over and over and over God’s Word with our children until they’re “razor sharp” in God’s Word.

Lesson

Sharpen your kids with the Word.

It’s not about learning to be a great Sunday School teacher at home.  It’s learning to talk about God’s Word at home.  It’s making God’s Word a part of your vocabulary.

God’s Word isn’t going to be a part of your vocabulary with your kids unless it’s a part of your life. You need to spend time in God’s Word.  You be sure to be hearing what God is saying to you.

In Paul’s teaching, he wrote,

(1 Cor 11:23 KJV)  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you …

Have you received from the Lord?  Do you have anything to share with the kids?

Late at night and early in the morning.

Our responsibility is to be teaching them at both ends of the day. It should be a natural, way of life kind of thing.  God isn’t saying you have to sit them down and have a Sunday School class once a day.  It’s more than that.  It’s teaching them all throughout the day, learning from all of life’s situations.

:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

The Jews took this literally, and developed “phylacteries”, which are little leather boxes with a bit of scripture inside.  They wear them on the hand or on the forehead.  They were originally intended as ways of reminding people to think about God’s Word but eventually became a religious ritual kind of thing, where you make a show of how spiritual you are to impress others.

:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

This too has been taken literally.  When Calvary Anaheim used to meet that the Jewish Community Center, you would see these little clay scroll things with Hebrew lettering on them nailed to the doorframes.

It is called a “mezuzah” (= doorpost)

Lesson

Which Jesus lives at your house?

It’s not uncommon for us to be giving our kids the wrong idea about where Jesus lives.

We can give them the impression that church is where Jesus lives.  We tell the kids that on Sunday we’re going to the “Lord’s house”.  But what they need to see is that Jesus lives at their house too.

When our kids see us be all nice and sweet to people at church, but yell, kick, and scream when we’re at home, then they’re not learning about the real Jesus.  Your kids will learn most about Jesus by watching what you do at home when you relax in front of them.

:10  to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

This is something so true in Christianity.  It’s never really about what we have done for God, but what God has done for us.

:12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD

Lesson

Beware of good times

If we had to choose between “good times” and “bad times”, we’d all choose to live our lives in “good times”.  But in reality, it’s during the “bad times” that we tend to seek the Lord more and it’s during the “good times” that we tend to slip into destructive behavior.

This was what happened to King Uzziah:

Uzziah followed the Lord for most of his life, and God blessed him.

(2 Chr 26:5 KJV)  And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

But one day, Uzziah seemed to have thought he had “arrived”.

(2 Chr 26:16 KJV)  But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

Uzziah crossed the line of doing the things God wanted him to do, and he did something that was not lawful for him as a king to do, he went into the temple and started doing something that only priests were allowed to do.

As a result, God struck Uzziah with leprosy.

:16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

Jesus quoted this verse when He was tempted by Satan:

(Luke 4:9-12 KJV)  And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: {10} For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: {11} And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. {12} And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Massah

The name “Massah” means “temptation”. The event mentioned was in Exodus 17, when Israel had just entered into the wilderness and had run out of water.  The people began to complain and gripe to Moses about the harsh conditions.  God told Moses to strike the rock, and water came out.

(Exo 17:7 KJV)  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

Lesson

Complain or praise?

There's a special Psalm that relates to this incident.

(Psa 95 KJV)  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. {2} Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. {3} For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. {4} In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. {5} The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. {6} O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. {7} For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, {8} Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: {9} When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. {10} Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: {11} Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Verse 8 can and should read:

(Psa 95:8 NASB)  Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness;

We have a choice, hardening our hearts and testing the Lord, or yielding to Him and worshipping Him.

:25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments

Lesson

Passing it on to the next generation

There seems to be two steps involved in passing it on your faith to the next generation.

You have to be living the life.

How would your children ever ask you about the Lord if they don’t first see you living it?

You need to talk about it.

Talk to your kids about what God has done in your life.