Deuteronomy 6:22, commentary and pictures

The Lord displayed great and severe signs and wonders upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his household, before the eyes of Israel, working with a mighty hand to bring them out of the bondage of slavery in order to bring them in to give them the land promised to their fathers. This was the answer parents were to give when their children asked what His testimonies, statutes, judgments and commandments mean, as part of the gracious history of deliverance they were to repeat. That history was to be kept constantly before Israel and their children as an expression of His love, taught and sung in language suited to their understanding so they would gain correct impressions of His acts and dealings with His chosen people. The deliverance is given as the reason He commanded them to do all His statutes and to fear Him, that righteousness by observing His commandments might be for their continual good, preservation of life, blessing and prosperity. That instruction through Moses, showing what He required that they might be a holy people unto Himself, is to be studied and taught to children from their earliest years now, because the world is nearing His great final review when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity.

Words and Historical Setting

The Lord displayed signs and wonders, great and sore, severe and terrible, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before the eyes of Israel. They were great and severe workings witnessed by the people in Israel's sight and in their presence.

Those signs and wonders were God's mighty power working by special workings to bring Israel out of Egypt. There they had been Pharaoh's bondmen in the bondage of slavery, and the Lord brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand through mighty miraculous judgments on Egypt and Pharaoh's house witnessed by Israel. God kept that wonderful deliverance and the remarkable circumstances that called for it constantly before the Israelites as an expression of His love for them.

The deliverance was wrought in order to bring them in to give them the land sworn and promised to their fathers and ancestors. He freed them from slavery and bondage and led them toward that promised land and their journey toward it.

The verse belongs to the prescribed answer parents were to give when a son or children asked what God's testimonies, statutes, judgments, and commandments mean. It is part of the gracious history of deliverance they were to repeat to their children in explaining the commandments and God's law.

Instruction for Parents Today

This verse belongs to the instruction in Deuteronomy 4-8, communicated through Moses, that shows what God required of His ancient people that they might be a holy people unto Himself. That law was communicated by Jesus Christ through Moses. That instruction is to be studied and read with profit now, because the world is nearing the day of God's great final review when all must stand before the Judge of all the earth to answer for their deeds, in this present time of investigation when every character will be investigated and every case decided for eternity.

Parents are to understand this instruction and be prepared to speak it to their children when the son asks what the testimonies, statutes, and judgments mean, so the children gain correct impressions of the Lord's dealings with His chosen people. It is presented as words important enough to teach and display to the people. Parents are to teach the Scriptures to their children from their earliest years so they may learn wisdom and the way of salvation.

The history of deliverance was to be kept constantly before Israel and before their children as an expression of God's love. It was taught to children and repeated in song during the wilderness journey. Parents were to explain God's acts, His dealings with His chosen people, and the reasons for belief in language suited to the children's understanding. Remembering the deliverance is part of teaching the next generation to fear and serve God. He gave this remembrance to place them under the most favorable circumstances for loving and serving Him, and the great object in obtaining a knowledge of His laws is to become acquainted with His will in order to obey Him.

The deliverance is given as the reason God commanded Israel to do all His statutes and to fear Him for their continual good and preservation of life. Righteousness comes by observing to do all the commandments before Him. Obedience to His specified statutes brings rich blessings and prosperity. Studying and faithfully following this instruction of the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy brings Christ's saving grace to youth, for children trained to love and obey God and who yield to the molding power of His Word are objects of God's special care and blessing.