Exodus 10:9 (KJV)
“And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.”
One of the most overlooked lessons in the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is Moses’ refusal to leave the children behind.
As Pharaoh’s heart grew harder, he began to negotiate with God’s command. At one point, he was willing to let the adults go but wanted the children to remain in Egypt. It sounded like a reasonable compromise. Yet Moses refused.
He boldly declared:
“We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go…”
Why?
Because worship is not only for adults. Serving God is not something children should discover later in life. They are to be part of God’s people from the very beginning.
This truth is echoed throughout Scripture.
Train Them Early
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Notice that Scripture says train up a child, not an adult. God places the responsibility on parents and guardians to begin early, laying a biblical foundation before the world lays its own.
Every child is a gift from God and should be introduced to God’s Word from the earliest years.
God Knows Every Child Before Birth
God’s purpose for our children does not begin when they become adults. It begins with Him.
Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee…”
If God knows a child before birth, then parents should recognise that raising a child is a sacred stewardship. We are nurturing lives that God already knows and has a purpose for.
Timothy Learned the Scriptures from Childhood
Timothy became a faithful servant of Christ, but that did not happen by accident.
Paul reminded him:
2 Timothy 3:15 (KJV)
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Timothy’s spiritual strength was built on a foundation laid in childhood. Someone took the time to teach him God’s Word while he was still young.
What an encouragement to every parent, grandparent, guardian, and teacher.
Jesus Was Brought Up in the Things of God
Even our Lord Jesus Christ gives us an example.
The Scriptures tell us that His earthly parents faithfully took Him to Jerusalem every year according to the Feast of the Passover.
Luke 2:41 (KJV)
“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.”
By the age of twelve, Jesus was found in the temple, listening, asking questions, and speaking with understanding.
Although He was the Son of God, His parents still raised Him in a home where worship, obedience, and the things of God were part of everyday life.
Godly parenting is not simply providing food, clothing, and education. It is intentionally surrounding our children with God’s Word until His truth becomes the foundation of their lives.
Don’t Leave the Children Behind
Today’s world has many attractions competing for the hearts of our children.
The greatest mistake parents can make is assuming children are too young to know God.
Moses understood something every parent should remember: the whole family belongs before God.
- When we pray, let them pray with us.
- When we study God’s Word, let them study with us.
- When we worship, let them worship with us.
- When we serve the Lord, let them serve alongside us.
Don’t leave the children behind.
Bring them into God’s presence while their hearts are still tender.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the children You have entrusted to us. Give us grace to faithfully teach them Your Word from their earliest years. Help us never to leave them behind but to lead them into a genuine relationship with You. May they grow to love, obey, and serve You all the days of their lives. In the name Jesus the Christ, Amen.
Please Note:
The best inheritance we can leave our children is not wealth or success, but a life firmly rooted in God’s Word. Start early. Walk with them. Worship with them. Teach them faithfully, and trust God to establish them in His perfect will.
I pray that God empowers every parent, every guardian, every teacher, and everyone entrusted with the responsibility of raising children to faithfully train them in the way of the Lord. May He grant us wisdom, patience, discernment, and grace to lead the next generation into a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
May God help every parent in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Grace and peace.
Keep building godly homes, one Scripture at a time.
Remain ever blessed.
Jesus is Lord!
