The Example Of Two Good Mothers — Zac Poonen

Dedicating Children as a Public Commitment to God

Only two we can say things that Jesus said you should do in a church is Meaningful rituals one is Baptism and the Lord's table both of which have meaning Related to our dying with Jesus Christ on the cross.

Dedicating children is not compulsory. There's no law if you don't you can do it on your own at home. Dedicate your child to God, but the reason we do it publicly is because Jesus was dedicated as a baby.

So that's a good example to follow like we follow His example in baptism. He broke bread we follow there so we also follow the example here as we read in Luke chapter 2 and Verse 21 and 22 rather When the days of their purification was over they brought Jesus to Jerusalem To present him to the Lord.

For it is written the law of the Lord every firstborn male Luke 2 23 that opens a womb shall be called holy to the Lord. Many commands in the Old Testament were partial. But they are fully fulfilled in the New Testament.

From the Firstborn Under the Old Covenant to Every Child Under the New Covenant

The reason why God told the Israelites your firstborn son Must be dedicated to me was Because when the Israelites were in Egypt The angel of death went through and killed all the firstborn children sons firstborn sons and the whole land.

But the firstborn sons of Israel were not killed they put the blood on the door. So the Lord said to them they should have been killed. But they were saved by the blood. So you must dedicate them to me.

So that was the law but that was only for the firstborn son. Now for us in the New Covenant all our children there's no difference between male and female now in the New Covenant. The Old Covenant the man was more important than the woman as you see right through the Old Testament.

But in the New Covenant, they are equally important to God. Baby boys and baby girls are equally important and We don't present the first only we present all of them to the Lord. See just like in the Old Covenant.

They had one day that was holy the Sabbath Saturday. Now all days are holy for us in the Old Covenant 10 of their income Belong to God and 90 belong to themselves, but in the New Covenant 100 belongs to God.

And we use it as God tells us to use it. We don't recognize anything as ours so all our children belong to the Lord and God gives them to us to bring them up in a godly way so that another generation also Will continue to be witnesses for him on the earth.

And then they will be witnesses to that and next generation. So the Lord's purpose is that generation after generation after generation. Right from the time the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost.

Right up under the time Jesus returned in all these 2 ,000 years if Christians had followed that Teaching in every generation that have been godly people holding up. The light of God being the salt of the earth in the light of the world.

The Remnant Who Put God First

But as you know 99 of Christians fail. They don't Care for the Word of God. They live only for money and honor and earthly things. God's purposes are not fulfilled, but the Bible speaks about a remnant.

Remnant means a small number. Do you know out of six hundred thousand men? Who came out of Egypt? Only two Entered the land of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb. And I think among six hundred thousand Christians on the earth There may be two who are really serious that God will be first in everything in my life.

I'm going to honor God in every area of my life. I'm going to honor God in my family, I'm going to honor God in my work. I'm going to honor God in my thought life, my speech, and there's no department of my life that God will not be honored.

I think it's about two out of six hundred thousand. I mean so many Christians, but I find very few who are really serious about their Christian life. Same way with bringing up children. Out of six hundred thousand children born to Christians, maybe two are brought up in a really godly way to grow up to be wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ.

Parents' Responsibility for the Spiritual Formation of Children

The failure lies 100 with the parents. Because the Bible says, pray to a child in the way he should go. And when he's old, he will not depart from it. God's Word cannot be broken. He will not depart from it means he will not depart from it.

She will not depart from it. So if a child departs from it, you can't say God failed, you can't say his promise failed. You have to say maybe parents did not bring them up in a proper way. And to me one of the greatest examples of that, one of the finest examples.

We read one example in the New Testament, one in the Old Testament. One is Moses and the other is Timothy, the mother, in both cases the mother. Not the father. The reason is even though it's the father who disciplines the children.

That's important. It's the mother who spends most of the time with the child at home. Unfortunately these days so many mothers are working. I believe it's unfortunate if the children are neglected. But I mean right up until about a hundred years ago almost from the beginning of history.

Mothers were at home. It's all different now in the last 40 -50 years, but from the beginning of time. And in every nation mothers were at home and If they worked like in Proverbs 31 we read, they worked at home and they cared for their children and Moses' mother is an outstanding example of that.

Moses' Mother and Faith in the Face of Pharaoh's Decree

We read in Hebrews in chapter 11. You know the Hebrews chapter 11 is a great chapter of people who split the Red Sea. Pulled down the walls of Jericho like Samson, shut the mouths of lions. Raised the dead like Elijah and in the midst of the list of these fantastic miracles.

You read about a woman set of parents. But I think especially the woman who brought up a child in a godly way. To bring up a child in a godly way, can you put it in the same category as raising the dead.

Splitting the Red Sea. I say yes, God has put it there because you read that chapter sometime Hebrews 11. It's fantastic miracles. Tremendous miracles which people are astounded by. But nobody thinks of the fact that you brought up a godly child as something to be astounded by.

But it is in an evil world. It says about Moses in verse 23 Hebrews 11 23 By faith Moses now, it's not talking about the faith of Moses here it's talking about more faith of his parents and Especially his mother by faith.

Moses when he was born was hidden by his parents so it's the parents who took that decision and They saw he was a beautiful child. I just want to tell you that every child is a beautiful child if you can see God's Purpose for that child that is given to you whether it's a boy or a girl every child is a beautiful child.

Don't ever look at some child and say this is not a beautiful child. That's the lie of the devil. And they were not afraid the king's edict and now what I want you to see is this. If you know the Old Testament story.

For those who don't don't know it. The king of Egypt was so afraid That the Israelites were were slaves. They were increasing in number by hundreds of thousands. That he was afraid that they will one day Start a riot and kill the Egyptians and take over the country.

So he passed a law Pharaoh. That every male child should be killed so that there will not be any riot in Egypt and the Israelites would not take over the country and So that's what all the Israelite. Many of these like mothers did of course some of the house some of the midwives would not kill them.

But God here he did not kill all the children, but Moses mother when this baby was born. She and her husband had faith. We got somehow God has got a plan for this child. It's wonderful when you have a baby born in your home to see God's got a plan for this child.

We must do everything to protect it from harm from the devil that case from Pharaoh today from the devil and so They kept the child at home, but as it grew up you can't keep it at home too long. Egyptian soldiers will come checking every house to see if any babies are there.

So they put it in a basket and put it into the river. Niles full of crocodiles and all that they trusted God to protect it and Moses mothers and sorry Moses sister older sister, maybe 10 12 years older there.

It was hiding in the bushes to see what would happen to this Baby in the basket. I'm sure enough how the leading of God because of the faith of that woman the mother. Amazing what God does when a woman when a mother has faith the right person comes along.

Pharaoh's daughter. It's got a kind heart. She sees this child and says oh this must be one of the Hebrews children. It's my father the Pharaoh told to kill so she picked it up and Moses sister. Wise little girl is instructed by her mother to go in.

Tell her they want a nurse to look after the child. Of course, he ran up to Pharaoh's daughter and said I get one of the Hebrew nurses to look after the child. She said sure and she went and called her mother and The mother came didn't notice the mother.

Pharaoh's daughter said you look after this child. And when he's grown up bring him to the palace because I don't want the hassle of Looking after the child when it's a little baby or ought to take care of it.

Can't take care of this. So Moses mother did that. And they kept Moses at home and at a certain age. They brought him to Pharaoh. No, it doesn't say in the Bible how old Moses was When he was brought to Pharaoh's palace.

Moses' Choices: Rejecting Honor, Sin, and Wealth

Okay, let's assume that even if he was at home for Half of ten years or seven years or ten years. That's a maximum ten years and you know had to take The child to Pharaoh's palace. Okay, now picture this child for ten years at home and 30 years in the most wicked place on the face of the earth with immorality loads of money and Power and position and all that from the age of 10 think of your child.

Say your little boy or little girl whom you have at home for 10 years, that's all. And at the age of 10 you send that child out to the most wicked worldly corrupt sinful wealthy place On earth and I'm not talking about America.

I'm talking about the palace of Pharaoh 30 years he grows up there. No, not a single godly person In that whole palace at the age of 40. Look at his decisions he takes number one. I Will not be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter verse 24.

I don't want the honor of this world. Okay second Verse 25. I don't want the passing pleasures of sin of Of sex and all that third Verse 26. I don't want the riches the treasures of Egypt. So after 30 years in this wicked surroundings, but there's plenty of money plenty of honor plenty of sex and pleasure.

He rejected all three. I Don't want the passing pleasure of sin. He knew there is pleasure in sin, it's one of the worst the Bible says it's pleasure and sin. But it's a passing pleasure. I don't want it all this wealth that I see in Egypt, I don't want it and I Don't want the honor of This big title Pharaoh's daughter's son.

What should I choose instead? I will choose to stand who has 25 with the people of God and I will choose verse 26 the reproach of the Messiah was going to come because the Israelites believe. Isn't it amazing that a ten-year-old boy Goes into the most wicked place on earth and at the age of 40 Turns out to take such important decisions in relation to honor money and pleasure of the world.

And there's only one reason for it his mother drilled into his mind by the time he was 10 the values that he should have and That teaches us in those days when there was no Bible No Church, no fellowship.

How a child could grow up? If a mother had done her job faithfully. And not played the fool here in those 10 years. No. She couldn't afford to play the fool. Every day was important because at the age of 10 she'd go imagine if you you knew that you're at the age of 10.

Your child is gonna go out of your house. How would it be? If most of you at the age of 18 they go to college. I Know all of my boys went to college and they were 18. You had them at home for a certain period.

That's it. And you have your children at home for a certain period. And if you don't make use of every one of those days. Later on you'll see you suffer the consequences of it. So it's an amazing. I really admire this lady.

Why do I say the mother because They were all slaves in Egypt in those days the Israelites. So I can imagine the father went for work at 6 o 'clock in the morning. They really treated those slaves badly and if you came late really Trouble you in some way so six o 'clock six o 'clock in the morning.

He'd have a quick breakfast at home and rush off to work and probably come home at nine o 'clock at night. Slaves work the whole day. I don't even know whether they had a day off. Maybe they gave them a half a day off on some day of the week.

I don't know. My point is he hardly ever saw his baby Moses except when he was asleep. The father hardly ever saw it. Maybe if they had a half day off in the week, he'd spend a little time with his Son, but all the time that boy was with the mother and that mother was such a godly woman.

Put so many values into this child's head. That he didn't forget 30 years later. That's quite a lesson for us parents. Today we have father and mother. Why should your child choose The riches of the world or the honor of the world or the pleasures of sin when he's old.

When this child. With a mother who had no Bible at all. No church fellowship. Nothing. All she had was God and Her faith which he wanted to impart to that child. It's a tremendous challenge to me. To every mother sitting here.

There's absolutely no excuse for your child. Follow the ways of the world. Absolutely. None. We have a hundred times more than his mother. The other example is in the New Testament is Timothy. You read about Timothy in one second Timothy chapter 1.

Timothy's Godly Heritage and Call to Christian Service

Paul says about him. I Want to tell you something about Paul's team. Paul had a team of workers. He was very very strict about who he got under this team. I mean if you got under Paul's team he was like The highest honor that you could think of in Christian service to be one of Paul's team.

He was very selective. He read a book of one man called John Mark. Who after one trip got a little found that it was too tough and he went away. Paul said I'll never take him back onto my team again. He was so strict.

He would not have any half-hearted compromises on his team and Paul was a person of great discernment about who he selected. And we read here that there was this disciple Jack 16 one called Timothy. And we're told something about his background.

Thus he was mother was a Jewish woman. Who was a who had become a believer? But she married a Greek. Now that means that she disobeyed God's Word when she was a young girl. Because the Jews were not allowed to marry the non-jewish people.

In the before they be they were not Christians and they were just Jews and they were not allowed to marry non-jewish people. If you married a nun you were cut off from God's people. So she must have been a backslidden Jew.

Backslidden Jewish young girl, but then married a Greek man probably was a businessman. Spiritual thing just making money. You know like some women their husbands are only interested in money in this world and this poor woman is.

Maybe was backslidden when she married him. And now she's come to the Lord and she got a child and I have a feeling that When she saw this child and saw the worldliness around she must have gone to the Lord to not forgive me for my backsliding.

That I stripped up when I was a young girl. But I want to make up for that by bringing up this little boy in a godly way and I reckon that he must have been 19 or 20 years old and Paul took him verse 3 with him and said I want you to be part of my team.

Can you imagine this strict Paul who would discern people and see people through it through. Selecting a young Man who's 19 or 20 years old, you know, like God selected David when he was 19 or 20 years old.

God selected Joseph when he was 17 years old. Selected Samuel when he was a little boy and God selected Jeremiah when he was a little boy. There are a lot of cases in history of God selecting small people before they're 20 years old.

God's laid hold of them. It's really amazing. And so the fact that God all could select this young man. Tells me something about his mother something like Moses. That she had brought him up so well. Even with a Greek worldly father imagine.

You're a godly woman and your husband is thoroughly worldly. In such a good godly way that the Apostle Paul says he should be on my team. Oh, you want to take your hats off to that mother? She must have been a fantastic mother.

None of us have any excuses. They didn't have a Bible in those days either. I mean the Old Testament was there in the synagogue. Parchment is very expensive. You didn't have one in your home. And here she was and what did she impart to the child?

It was not just knowledge. Very often today parents impart knowledge to their children, which is good Bible knowledge but here we read in 2nd Timothy now we go to 2nd Timothy chapter 1 and Paul says in verse 5.

I am mindful 2nd Timothy 1 5 of the sincere faith, which is first in your grandmother. Lois your mother eunuch. So the grandmother was a God-fearing woman and tried to bring up her daughter in a good way, but somehow she ended married a Greek man and.

But anyway, she repented and so Uniquely the daughter of God faith as well but the point is It is a sincere faith. Which was in the Timothy's mother a eunuch you which he passed on to Timothy not knowledge.

Teaching Children Faith Through Daily Trials

He says I've seen the faith Timothy that was in your mother. And what does that mean how did Timothy get faith he says I'm sure you got the faith inside you. Which was first in your mother's heart and now it's in you.

Now, how do you put faith into your child's heart Bible knowledge? We can put it to their mind if they are clever and intelligent just like you teach them mathematics or History or science you can put the facts of the Bible into the mind of a clever child but how do you put faith into a child's heart that's much more difficult and The important thing that you know, it's good to teach our children the Bible and all that.

But to put faith into their heart is much more important and that is by you know, when you read the Bible. You know, for example if you tell them a story of Jesus going through the storm. Stomping it.

I mean that's great to see it to tell them a miracle that Jesus still the storm but to relate that to practical daily life and Say to your child see we can also face difficulties like that small things big things.

Some little problem may come in your school when you're studying with other children. Or some other bigger problem in the house. There's not enough money or We had to vacate our house and find another one so many problems can come in life when you get a sickness.

Suddenly, that's unexpected. It's like a storm Timothy's mother would have said what shall we do Timothy? Trust God. Remember how Jesus still the storm? Do you remember in all the Gospels? There was never a storm which he could not stop.

So let's trust it. They would pray over that problem they faced and little Timothy learned from a very young age three or four years old. That when there's a problem or a storm I must pray. And then something else happens in some other situation some sickness or some other problem or anything.

Timothy let's pray and then pray and see how God wonderfully solves their problem. So we should not pray Lord take us through life without any problems. Whenever I see a person who's gone through life without any problems.

I can tell you a person who's got zero faith. He doesn't need faith. He's got enough resources in his bank and with his friends to take care of all his needs. Why does he need God? He doesn't need God at all.

He has no problems. But some other person who's faced all types of difficult problems and trusted God through them. They have something that's solid incitement that lasts for eternity and they can communicate something to their children.

Training Children to Trust God Rather Than Worldly Security

So it's not the only the children of rich people who have no earthly needs or problems. Very often many of them don't grow up to be godly. There's just normal Christians who just sit in a church and ease their conscience that they are born again as they call it useless to God and useless to man.

We should not want any one of our children To grow up useless to God and useless to man. If you have ten children all ten must be profitable to God and profitable to man and the way to train them up is Teach them to trust God in the trials of life.

And so if you have trials when your children are small praise God. Praise God there's a challenge there's a storm that's coming to our home and We're gonna trust Jesus to still it. Even if it's a small little thing.

So son, did you lose your pen somewhere? Let's pray to Jesus. I have a pen cost hardly anything. But teach that child to pray. Lord Jesus, please help me. I lost my pen somewhere. Can I find it? Mommy says I lost my misplaced my keys.

Timothy can you help me to pray. Pray. To teach our children to pray for every little thing and big thing not just when the house is on fire but small. Little by little by little faith came into Timothy's heart and that is the thing that Born discerning man that he was could say hey, here's a young man.

It's not just Bible knowledge. He has. That's the type of man I wanted my team. I think I would have considered it a tremendous honor if God Selected me or my children to be in Paul's team. That's how Timothy's mother felt.

She let him go. Okay. It's what I brought you up for. It's what I longed for you. Not that you should become a millionaire, but that you should be a servant of God. So she Wasn't there wasn't any hesitation in her heart because it's what she wanted that my child should grow up to be a witness for Christ on earth.

Raising Children for Christ's Service

And so I want to say to you. You know, we say you're a part of new covenant Christian fellowship. And the new covenant for a person newcomer Christian Christ is everything. Not just first. Christ is everything the whole circle is Christ.

There's no little segment of that circle for something for me and that is the way we must bring up our children also. So remember the responsibility is very much upon our parents and especially on the mother.

To bring up every child God has given you In a godly way and God will help you in that. Definitely. He's there to help us in our weakness. So let's trust him.