Psalms 78:4
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
The command is not to hide but to show to children and to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, His strength, and His wonderful works that He has done. This showing is a passing on of God's testimony and law and of true divine knowledge from parents to children and from one generation to the next. Its purpose is that those who come after may know His deeds and set their hope in Him. Those taught in this way are thereby to remember His works, keep His commandments, and avoid the stubborn rebellion of earlier generations.
The psalm containing this command recounts the rich blessings God bestowed on His people and their poor return for those benefits. It shows that the children of Israel worked constantly against a good God, that through disobedience they were brought into the state that was the sure result of their own course, and that they repented under rebuke and chastisement but fell again under temptation, self-indulgence, and self-gratification. The psalm was composed into song so that Israel marching in the wilderness could sing it and keep time in step as they journeyed.
The psalm reproves dishonoring God by consulting lawyers and leaning on the arm of the law instead of coming into harmony with the church. It demands unity, harmonizing, and coming into line. This requires health workers uniting with ministers of the gospel and ministers changing the attitude that has blocked health reform, so that the world is not given a testimony of division, the Sanitarium is not made a commercial enterprise, and point after point of present truth is not given up.
The verse and its psalm call for earnest study and careful reading, bring glory to God when read attentively, and are a source of instruction and admonition suitable for study in school lessons. Making these entrusted truths known from one generation to the next is part of worship, connected with gathering to listen to the appointed message. The command extends beyond children to explaining the truths of the Word to those who do not know them, through earnest, self-sacrificing effort for those perishing in sin.
This witness means dwelling on the simplicity of faith and teaching people how to give to others the saving truth for this time, holding to the simple yet essential teachings, looking for guidance, and being taught of God. God's people have a solemn work and must stand far in advance of where they now stand in understanding eternal realities, becoming fishers of men who arouse to this duty. The power of the gospel rests on those who bear witness to the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus, and those who sow the seeds of truth will reap a rich harvest whose good from unselfish effort no human mind can estimate.