Psalms 78:5 “For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:”
The LORD’s “testimony in Jacob” and “law in Israel” were entirely unique in the world; for, “He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalms 147:19-20). Thus, the Psalmist proclaimed, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” (Psalms 33:12)! And, Israel was abundantly blessed in their obedience to the LORD, but they were also severely chastened when they rebelled against the LORD and turned to carnal idols as Isaiah warned: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20). It is called a “testimony” because the LORD appeared to “Jacob” and gave witness of Himself and told “Jacob”, “for as a prince thou hast power with God” (Genesis 32:28); that is, “God” will especially bless you and your offspring in extraordinary ways; even the lineage to the Messiah! Furthermore, He both Commanded His “law” in the days of Moses, and He faithfully demonstrated it in the Nation of “Israel”. The Ten Commandments, the heart of God’s “law”, is given in Exodus 20 and again in Deuteronomy 5; then, under Divine Inspiration, Moses issued this Commandment: “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Over and over again, we are Commanded to “make them known to” our “children”! In our day, this Commandment is still present with us; for, we are Commanded to “bring” “up” our children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Sometimes, for a while, our children may stray away, but we are encouraged this way: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). John Quincy Adams (Sixth President of the United States) said, “So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society. … I have for many years made it my practice to read through the bible once every year.” Thus, like Israel of old and our national forefathers, we must be serious about making the Word of God “known to” our “children”!