Today's Reading: Judges 2

 

A Generation Without God

They started out so well!  Under Joshua’s leadership, the people of Israel had committed themselves to fear God, worship Him in total commitment, shun idols, follow the commandments, and serve only the LORD.  Joshua had even given them a clear choice – serve God or serve the false gods of the society around them.  They chose the LORD!  Even after Joshua’s death, the very first thing...

they did was to inquire of the LORD, seeking His wisdom and guidance for their nation.  The people worshipped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of God’s great work that he had done for Israel. It all seemed to be going so well.

Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn’t know anything of God or the work He had done for Israel.  And that’s when it all came crashing down!  The younger generation strayed from their commitment to God and began a downward progression toward apostasy. They began to do evil.  They served the Baal-gods and the Ashtarte-goddesses.  They deserted God and their parents. They took up the worship of the “gods” of the people around them.  At eventually, their true God, Yahweh, was provoked to anger.  So much so, that He removed His hand of protection from them and they became helpless before their enemies.

Thus begins a cycle of faith-deteriorating-to-apostasy that would repeat itself within the Nation for the next 400 years. And it all seems to begin with a “new generation” that didn’t know anything about the LORD or His relationship with Israel.  Somewhere along the way, the parents and grandparents failed to impart to their children the truth of God.  So, the children grew up being influenced by the cultural “norms” of the society around them.  Rather than “bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), the parents allowed the influences of the world to get into their children’s souls and minds.  The results of this are predictable – they end up going after “other gods” and bowing down to them and worshipping something – or someone – other than the LORD.

It has been said, “We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education, and be surprised when they come home as Romans” (Pastor Voddie Baucham). The society around us will influence our children and, if we’re not diligent, will lead them to apostasy.  Oh, how important it is for each generation to protect their children from the secular influences of the society around them.  Failure to do so can lead to a course of action that ultimately leads to spiritual defeat.  One of the most sobering and weighty commands in Scripture is God’s demand that parents impart to their children His truth.  It is sobering because the task is so big.  It is weighty because our child’s eternal life depends upon it.  But it must be done!