Never Quit

Exodus 2:23

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

An amazing statement is made about Israel that they cried unto God in their bondage. This is amazing because they had been in Egypt for over four hundred years. For four hundred years, they had not seen anything spectacular. For four hundred years, they did not have a leader like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph. Yet, four hundred years in Egypt, and they are still calling on God in prayer.

A fundamental truth is missed in this verse, and that was someone had to continue to teach Israel about their God for these four hundred years despite nothing changing in their lives. From generation to generation, Israel was taught the truths about God to the point they knew Who to pray to when they were in bondage. You must understand that Egypt was a land of many gods, but Israel only cried to Jehovah God. Though Israel could have easily succumbed to Egypt’s religion, they stayed true to God these four hundred years and never quit teaching the next generation these truths that they were to only serve Jehovah God.

I point this truth out because we are always one generation away from losing what we know about our God and our heritage. All it takes for the next generation not to know how to serve God is for one generation not to teach or to compromise the old paths. We must never quit teaching the next generation the truths of God’s Word. It does not matter what the land around us teaches or what culture dictates, God’s children must always teach the next generation His Word and methods of how to carry on the old paths. There are three things we must do if we are to teach the next generation these truths.

First, we must never close down our Sunday schools. The canceling of our Sunday schools will bring up a generation that will not know the truths of God’s Word. Sunday school is critical to teaching doctrine and the stories in God’s Word. If we cancel our Sunday school, the next generation will grow up not learning what God’s Word teaches. My friend, we don't have Sunday school because it brings in great crowds, but we have Sunday school so we can teach God’s Word. It is not a matter of whether we have a small or a large crowd in Sunday school; we must have it so that we can teach God’s Word as we are commanded to teach it.

Second, we must never stop teaching our own children God’s Word. Every parent has a great responsibility to teach their children God’s Word. No parent should push their responsibility to teach God’s Word off on the Sunday school, the Christian school, or the youth pastor. It is your job to teach your children God’s Word. You are derelict in your duty if you don't teach your children all of God’s Word.

Third, we must show our children the power of God’s Word so they will want to learn it. How do we show them this power? We show it to them by living by faith. When we live by faith and follow God’s Word, God shows His power to do the miraculous through our lives. When God shows the miraculous through our lives, it whets the appetite of the next generation to want to have in their lives what they have seen in ours. Never quit teaching God’s Word and living by faith; the next generation needs to see that God is real.