The Role of Parents as the Primary Discipler of Their Children

We’ve all heard the command of God through Moses to parents. These familiar words found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 encourage parents to be about the business of teaching the things of God to their children. This passage was one that was recited each day by faithful Hebrews. Today this passage is often used to encourage parents to be the champion for their children’s spiritual growth. The part that seems to be missing is the why. Why was it important for parents to teach their children the things of the Lord and recall the great and mighty deeds that God had done? A clue can be found in the Book of Psalms. 

Psalm 78 is a song of Asaph. The psalms of Asaph were written by either Asaph a temple leader under David’s reign, or any number of temple leaders given a similar designation. This Psalm reviews the history of Israel’s walk with God and sheds light on the importance of parents being responsible for teaching their children about the things of God. 

In the first eight verses of this Psalm, the writer illuminates the why behind the command. In one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture, Psalm 78:6 tells us that we are teaching our children, so not just our children, but a future generation—children yet to be born—might know. God’s command to parents to be the spiritual teachers of their children is not just to benefit the current generation, but to influence a generation that is yet to be born. By discipling our children, we also pass on the teachings of God’s wonderful works to the generation beyond. 

God’s Word is full of the mighty deeds that God has done. We as parents can pass on that knowledge, not just to our children, but to our children’s children and beyond.