Total Family Dedication - January 22, 2009

Title: Total Family Dedication Topic: Family

Scripture: Exodus 10:9 - 11 (NKJV) And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.” 10Then he said to them, “The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of you. 11Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

Observation: Time and time again, Pharaoh refuses to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt;; it’s obvious he suspected they were going to leave for good and he would not risk losing his work force. At first he told them they could hold their worship service in the land. Then he told them they could go in the wilderness, but not very far. Finally he agreed to let the men go, but not the women or the children. It is clear that Pharaoh never really intended to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt and stubbornly tested God. After each plague, the conviction of God’s mighty power should have been made clear and thus he should have been willing to submit to His command; instead, he hardened his heart and refused to allow them to leave.

Application: When it comes to the worship of God, it is not enough for the men to do so without the participation of their wives and children. The worship of God should be part of family life. My wife found statistics that point out that children drop out of the church a lot faster and in greater numbers when they attend church by themselves, or when they attend church with only their mom or dad. But when children attend church with both their parents, they tend to remain members of the church longer, many for a lifetime. Men are the priests of their household and as such they should lead in the worship of the Lord both at home and at church. This worship experience cannot and should not be a personal, private experience only, but a family experience as well.

Prayer: Loving Father, thank You for the opportunity You give us to be Your children and that together as a family we can worship You. Help us to set aside daily times for private and family worship and dedicate ourselves and our families to Your service for others.