That they may hear

When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. – Deuteronomy 31.11-13

In preparation for handing over the reins of power to Joshua he gave him instructions for leading the people.

One of the most important things Joshua had to do was to take over the role of teaching the people. He was a good one to do it because only he and Caleb had seen the workings of God since the very beginning of the exodus from Egypt. He himself had been a witness to all the good and bad in the wilderness. He had watched God meet needs and shows mercy and dispenses righteous judgement so now he could bear witness to the rest of the people.

Teach the people the word of God so that they will hear it and know it and teach it to their children so that they may all learn to fear the Lord.

The purpose of Bible teaching hasn’t changed a whole lot since Joshua’s time. We should all desire to hear the word of God to learn how to live for God and what it means to fear Him.

We don’t have to be a pastor or Sunday School teacher or church leader in order to teach others. As God teaches us lessons we all ought to be witnesses of what He has taught us.