All Our Children Belong to the Lord — Zac Poonen

Dedication Is Voluntary, Not Commanded

As we have said many times, Jesus did not command children to be dedicated. He only commanded water baptism and breaking of bread. But we still do it because, I mention that because if you didn't dedicate your child, it's not a crime.

It's not a disobedience to God's word. But we do it because there are many things we do which are not commanded. And we do it because Jesus was dedicated as we read in Luke chapter 2 and verse 21. The eight days were completed before his circumcision.

Jesus Presented to the Lord in Luke 2

His name was called Jesus. And verse 22, when the days of purification were over, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. So dedication is presenting a child to the Lord. And that was because there was a law, Luke 2 verse 23, which said, Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.

The Firstborn, Passover, and Deliverance from Egypt

So if you turn back to the book of Exodus, we read there in Exodus chapter 12, that at midnight, verse 29, the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. From the firstborn of Pharaoh, the firstborn of the captive, and the firstborn of all the cattle.

And that was why the Israelites kept a Passover feast. We don't keep that, but we can learn something from it. If you turn to Exodus 13, the Lord said in verse 12, You shall devote to the Lord, that means completely give to the Lord, the first offspring of every womb and the first offspring of every beast.

Teaching Children the Meaning of Spiritual Practices

All the males belong to the Lord. And it shall be, verse 14, when your son asks you in time to come saying, What is the meaning of this? It's very important that fathers explain to their children why we do certain things in the church and why we do it in a certain way.

It's very important to know. Why do we baptize people? Why do we break bread? Why do the sisters wail their heads? We must know the answers to these things that even in the Old Testament, when they didn't have a Bible, now we have a Bible.

If your son asks you, the father must explain. Yeah, you know, the thing is when our fathers were slaves in Egypt and when Pharaoh was stubborn, verse 15, he wouldn't let us go. The Lord killed every firstborn.

And the firstborn of all our fathers would also have died, but the Lord spared them. And therefore, we dedicate them to the Lord. So today, it's not the firstborn alone. Everything that was partial in the Old Covenant is complete in the New Covenant.

The Completeness of the New Covenant

Like they had only one day holy, the seventh day. For us, all seven days are holy. They gave only 10 of their income to the Lord. Whereas we say, Lord, everything we earn is yours, tell us how to use it.

There is no 10 or one day and seven. See, people who give only 10 to God must also keep one day and seven and also dedicate their firstborn male to the Lord. But inconsistent, because they don't know the Scriptures, they don't know that the New Covenant has come.

Everything that was partial in the Old Covenant is complete in the New Covenant. Not one day and seven, but seven days and seven to the Lord. Not one-tenth of our income, but all our income belongs to the Lord and we ask Him how to use it.

And not only the firstborn male, but all our children must be devoted to the Lord, must be dedicated to the Lord. Because, like he said here, they deserve to die. All the firstborn in Egypt died, but the firstborn of the Israelites were saved.

What they are saying is, our firstborn children should have died, but they were saved. That's what we've got to explain to our children right from childhood. That all human beings deserve to go to hell, but Jesus died to save us.

Daily Dedication and God-Given Responsibility

So that's why we dedicate our children to the Lord. And as I said, not just in one act, but this is the beginning of, in a sense, every day, even if you don't do it actually, to recognize this child is not mine, it's the Lord's.

He has given me, this child is alone. Just like Hannah said about Samuel, I have to bring up that child. For each one of our children, I have to bring up this child God has given me to the Lord. If I don't do that, I'm saying that it wasn't the Lord who gave me this child.

I and my wife just produced it, so it's ours. But those who are humble enough to say that children are the gift of God, we recognize that we have a responsibility to explain to our children that they don't belong to us or to themselves.

Raising Children to Live for Christ

That they deserve to go to hell, everyone. But God has saved us and waited away for our salvation. And therefore, from early on in their life, we have to teach them that they must live for Christ. They must live according to the principles of His Word and in obedience to His Word.

That is the meaning of the simple act of dedication we need to do today. So all of us who are parents, I hope we will remember that as we pray for this child. Please come, brethren.