How does Proverbs 3:1 connect with Deuteronomy 6:6-7 on teaching children? A Shared Pulse: Keeping and Teaching the Word Proverbs 3:1—A Father’s Appeal “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7—A National Mandate “These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” How the Verses Interlock • Same starting point: the heart – Proverbs: “let your heart keep” – Deuteronomy: “upon your hearts” First, parents internalize God’s truth; only then can they pass it on. • Same content: commandments/words – Both passages treat God’s instruction as non-negotiable, worthy of memory and obedience. • Same goal: generational transfer – Proverbs speaks from a father to a son. – Deuteronomy commands parents to teach children “diligently.” The family is the primary classroom. • Same method: constant remembrance – Proverbs warns against forgetting. – Deuteronomy pictures talking of Scripture “when you sit… walk… lie down… get up.” Everyday life becomes a living lesson. Practical Picture for Today 1. Internalize first • Schedule daily reading—Psalm 1:2 reminds us to “meditate day and night.” • Memorize verses; hide them “in your heart” (Psalm 119:11). 2. Teach naturally and repeatedly • Mealtimes—share a proverb or gospel truth. • Travel time—review memory verses in the car. • Bedtime—recount God’s faithfulness (Psalm 78:4). 3. Model obedience • Children learn more from what parents do than what they say (1 John 3:18). 4. Mark milestones • Celebrate answered prayers; frame them as evidence of God’s Word at work (Joshua 4:6-7). Reinforcing Passages • Ephesians 6:4—“Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” • 2 Timothy 3:14-15—Timothy learned Scripture “from infancy.” • Proverbs 22:6—“Train up a child in the way he should go.” Key Takeaways • God’s Word moves from head to heart, then from parent to child. • Continuous, life-woven teaching fulfills both wisdom’s counsel (Proverbs 3:1) and covenant command (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). |
    |