Rhetorical Aptitude

It has become commonplace for primary grade education (K-12) to be dominated by female teachers. While I am in no way opposed to female teachers, this does seem to be an indicator of a deeper problem, namely, the abdication of the role of teacher by men. I don’t expect, or desire, that every man who reads this quits his job and becomes a full-time teacher. What I do desire is for men to see that they are divinely called to be teachers in every area of life, from home to church to the job-site.

Deuteronomy 6 gives us a clarifying description of the man’s role: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7). The ‘them’ in the verse above is all the statutes and commands of the Lord to his people. This charge is given solely to the men, establishing male responsibility in teaching, but not necessarily male exclusivity in teaching. As a man of God, you must seek every opportunity to instruct both your children and those around you in the ways of God, as he has shown in his Word. The biblical instruction and upbringing of your children rests primarily with you, not your wife, or Sunday School teachers, or a godly coach. You will be judged on how you taught your children the Word of God. You should also be looking at opportunities to teach others outside of your family. The world needs men who are willing to sit down with the written words of the living God and explain and apply them to individual lives, all with an eye to Kingdom growth.

Part of skillfully teaching the Bible to others is simply spending time in it with the Holy Spirit. There is no substitute for experience, and this is evidently true with teaching. Anyone can gather knowledge and regurgitate it but having the wisdom to rightly apply that knowledge and the discernment to know when to apply the wisdom is something else altogether. Part of your growth in teaching ability is your practicing of the truths you discover. Ezra is a great example of this. In Ezra 7:10 it says, “…Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” There is an important order of events here. First, Ezra “set his heart.” He pre-decided in his inmost being to do something. This is crucial for a man to do when looking to teach his children the Word. Then he studied. Again, there is no substitute for experience, and the best experience someone can get is on the job. Dig into your Bible. Learn context and grammar and Christ-centered points of application. Next it says he did it. He didn’t just study the Scripture; he did what it said. He didn’t simply consume knowledge for the sake of pride; he learned what God said so he could do what God said. Understand, though, that our obedience is not what creates God’s approval of us; obedience is the fruit of a proper recognition of how loved we are by God. Finally, after all that, it says he taught it. After having pre-decided to be devoted, to study, and to practice, he then opened his mouth to tell of the things he had learned. When he did this, there was a nationwide revival. Go read about it in Nehemiah 8. Please don’t miss this, men. This is the biblical method and short-circuiting it will cause great damage.

God has given men a special calling to know and teach the Word. Women are capable and called as well, but in a different capacity. The burden of instruction for the home and society rests upon men, and it is time we started gladly assuming that responsibility. One of the best ways you can do this is by having regular family worship in your home. This sounds difficult, but it’s not. Take 10 minutes every night and pray with your family, sing a song together, read a passage of Scripture and have conversation about it, and be done.  Don’t burden yourself with outlandish expectations right out of the gate. Start humbly and realistically, aiming for 10-15 minutes of conversation around God’s Word. It may take a while to see the fruit of your labors, but don’t grow weary. You are doing your duty as a husband and father.

A man equipped with the Word, practiced in it, and prepared to open his mouth and speak of it is a man prepared to be used by God for the sake of his family, community, and world. Let us be those kinds of men. We have enough men who are willing and ready to pass the buck to whoever will take it. Let us be those who take responsibility by faith, ready to live and die every day for others.