Deut 11:20: God's Word in family life?
What does Deuteronomy 11:20 teach about the importance of God's Word in families?

The Text of Deuteronomy 11:20

“Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.”


What the Command Meant to Israel

• “Them” refers to God’s commandments just rehearsed (vv. 18–19).

• Doorposts and gates were the most visible structural points of a home and community. Affixing God’s words there made His truth the first and last thing seen each day.

• The practice created continual reminders for parents, children, and guests that the household belonged to the LORD.


Timeless Principles for Families Today

• God’s Word is to be woven into the ordinary fabric of home life, not confined to worship services.

• Scripture is meant to be displayed, discussed, and delighted in where family identity is formed.

• The home is God’s primary classroom for passing faith from one generation to the next (cf. Deuteronomy 6:6-9; 2 Timothy 3:15).


Practical Ways to “Write” the Word in Our Homes

• Visible reminders

– Place framed verses in high-traffic areas (kitchen, entryway).

– Use Scripture art on walls, mugs, or screensavers.

• Spoken reminders

– Read a short passage aloud at breakfast or bedtime.

– Work a verse into everyday conversation when making decisions.

• Musical reminders

– Play worship songs based on Scripture while doing chores.

– Teach children simple Scripture memory songs.

• Routine reminders

– Memorize a family “verse of the week” and recite it together.

– Mark key family dates (birthdays, anniversaries) with a verse of thanksgiving.

• Community reminders

– Share favorite verses with guests, modeling a Word-centered home.

– Let neighborhood gatherings include a brief reading or testimony of what God’s Word is teaching.


Blessings Promised When the Word Shapes the Family

• Spiritual heritage: “So that your days and the days of your children may be many...” (Deuteronomy 11:21).

• Steadfast hearts: Hiding His Word guards against sin (Psalm 119:11).

• Generational faithfulness: Children grow “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

• Household testimony: “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

Deuteronomy 11:20 calls every family to make Scripture unmistakably central—seen, heard, and lived—so that God’s truth anchors the present generation and lights the path for the next.

How can we 'write them on the doorposts' in our modern homes?
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