Proverbs 4:4

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight into teaching children God’s Word:

Proverbs 4:4 (ESV)

he taught me and said to me,

“Let your heart hold fast my words;

keep my commandments, and live.

We have all kinds of focus in our country on "how" to teach kids, "where" to teach kids, "who" should teach kids, and, "why" we are to teach kids.   There is even considerable amount of time spent on "what" we should teach kids.   The "what" can focus on the basics of math, science and reading.   It can boil down to thinking skills.  Solomon gives us God's formula.  It is simple and to the point.   We are to teach our children to hold fast to God's Words.  We are to instruct our children how to "keep" God's commandments.  The Hebrew word here, "keep", does not mean to keep as we would keep money in the bank.  That is passive keeping.  The word "keep" here is an active word.  God told Adam to "keep" the garden in Genesis 3.   So, the first use of the word is more in line of "tending" over the word. We are to "tend" it.  We are to cultivate it.   We are to put it in the right place to produce fruit in our lives.  We have to be careful that we don't "keep" the Word in the sense that it sits on our shelf via a dusty Bible.   Our responsibility is to teach our children to "keep" the word - put the Word in a place in our hearts that will allow us to be exercised by it (Hebrews 4:12).  This answers all the questions.  The what, why, how, when and even the who to teach kids.