Zach McClure

What does the perfect parent look like? Is it someone who never yells? Who is always present with their children? Maybe it’s someone who cooks food that the kids never complain about. The Book of Judges teaches us that even with specific rules and expectations, the children of Israel had a habit of returning to sin and idolatry time and time again. Even after they sinned or complained yet again, the Lord always invited them to start new and return to Him.

Most of the Israelites heading into the Promised Land had been born in the wilderness. Few remembered the treacherous journey across the bottom of the Red Sea, yet all would experience the miracle again as they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. This time, however, it was not a crowd of fleeing former slaves who worshipped golden calves. It was the camp of Israel, a covenant-making people who had proven their faithfulness to the Lord.

Moses taught that faith is best nurtured through the natural rhythms of family life rather than through formal lessons alone. He commanded parents: “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” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Integrating gospel conversations into daily activities helps our children guard against “forgetting the Lord” during times of ease and prosperity.

Moses did not have an easy time being the Israelite’s prophet. From constant squabbles amongst the people to outright apostasy against the Lord, there was plenty of drama he had to deal with. As a prophet, Moses knew what the Israelites could be if they stayed faithful. He told Joshua it would be less of a struggle if everyone could see what the Lord had shown him: “would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29).