September 2 – LD 35, Day 7: The Promise of the Second Commandment
by Rev Rodney Kleyn

Read Psalm 89:20-37

Attached to the Second Commandment are a threat and a promise. Both of them mention the future generations.

To those who will not worship God as He commands, He says that He will “visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” It is striking that God attaches this to the Second Commandment. We might think that the sins of adultery, murder or theft are the ones that will really have consequences in the lives of children. But God says that those who do not worship Him correctly bring the worst consequences on their children. It is the breaking of this commandment especially that has spiritual consequences for children.

This is evident from the Scriptures. Just think of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. It was because of Jeroboam's sin of setting up the golden calves, that Israel went into a downward spiral and became apostate. Never again did they have a good king, and never as a nation did they return again to the proper worship of God. We can see the same thing happening in our day too. In places where the gospel was once faithfully preached, because worship has deteriorated, new generations have risen up that are not interested in worshiping God at all. How sad this is! It should make us take the proper worship of God very seriously.

God promises to show covenant mercies to those who keep this commandment in their generations. There is no greater heart-ache than to see children and grandchildren go astray. There is also no greater joy than to see our children with us, walking in the truth, worshiping God with us, hearing and believing the true preaching, and loving to live out of the Word. God will use our faithfulness in worship as a means to preserve our children with us. Today, many churches try to cater to the young in order to keep them in the church. It doesn't work. What works is the faithful preaching of the Word.

We also keep this commandment for the sake of our children and the church of tomorrow. May all who come behind us find us faithful.