Judges 2:10-11
10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for
Just before this passage Joshua had passed away. He had been a commander at the right hand of Moses and he was then commissioned by God to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land. Joshua had seen a lot in his one hundred and ten years. Imagine how heart broken he would have been to know after all his work that the people turned away from the Lord.
Had Joshua done something wrong? His generation had passed away and another generation arose that didn't know the Lord. How can this be? Did Joshua's generation not tell the next generation about the Lord and all He had done for them? As a result of them not knowing the Lord, they did evil in sight of the Lord and served the false gods.
Here is what Joshua told his people when he was advanced in years.
Joshua 24:15
14 "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in
Joshua saw it as a decision that had to be made. As a leader he could stand before his people and proclaim the word of the Lord and talk of all that He had done for the people. He made it clear what decision he had made and how his house would be devoted to the Lord. Is it possible the next generation saw the Lord as something for the older folks? Did the kids roll their eyes at the stories their parents told? Did they not believe because they had not seen the hand of the Lord on their life?
When Joshua made this statement, they were at peace for a short time. It appears the youth had decided to let the older folks take care of all the spiritual stuff while they had fun. Then, when that generation passed away, they had no foundation. The solid faith and leadership from the Joshua generation was gone. How would they find their way?
With no moral compass and no foundation the people turned to Ashtoreth and Baal, the false gods of the Canaanites. Ashtoreth was the goddess of sex and fertility while Baal was the god of weather, crops and agriculture. That generation turned away from the Lord and turned toward gods that were made up to make their life easier. They looked to a false god for good crops instead of the real God. They worshiped Ashtoreth in ways that God considered adulterous and worse.
The next generation didn't like the God that Joshua's generation worshiped. They decided to pursue the gods of their making. Instead of a God that struck fear in their hearts because of His holiness, they wanted a god that they could control, one they understood.
Are things any different today? Do you feel the passing of a Godly generation? There is a generation of kids growing up today that have no concept or knowledge of the Lord. This has never happened in
The next generation is going after other gods, smaller gods they understand and can control. In their mind, the God of the bible is old fashioned and outdated. He was someone that mom and dad or grandpa and grandma worshiped. They believe they have found a better way. Throughout history a falling away from the Lord nearly always leads to sexual immorality and worship of mother earth. Today, our kids are exposed to more sex than any generation ever before through the TV and internet. This is just a more modern day version of worship of Ashtoreth. Also on the rise is the Wicca witchcraft. Kids are embracing this and it not much different than the worship of Baals in the time of Judges.
There are probably a lot of factors as to why this happens. Here is what I think:
- Kids rely on the faith of their parents and the parents allow it.
- Parents protect their kids from the world instead of teaching them about the pitfalls.
- Every teenage kid believes his parents are old fuddy duddies. And with no foundation, they go where the wind blows.
I believe the characteristics of Joshua's generation are not much different than the generation growing up today. They had life easy. They followed the faith of the parents to some extent, mostly going through the motions. They never had to really dedicate their life and grasp a real faith, it just wasn't necessary. The kids were protected from the bad things of the world. They were told they were special, what they want and think matters, and no one can take that from them. Most have never felt real pain or suffering of any kind.
It's clear in our time that this kind of upbringing results in a prima donna attitude that their generation is somehow special, they've figured out the world more than anyone else. They figured out that we should just all cut loose and enjoy life in whatever way that makes them happy. They've decided guilt was the invention of the past generations and it was just to take their fun away. As a whole, they have no real spiritual beliefs. If they do, they range from an agnostic view of 'if there is a God, he'll understand' to a more selfish and self righteous attitude of 'if there is a God, he has some explaining to do.'
It's easy to fall into a trap of generalizing about any generation. I am amazed at dedication to the Lord I see out of some of the youth today. It seems there is a great divergence. There's not much in between. The kids either love Him or want nothing to do with Him. These kids who love the Lord are in a tough place because they are a minority in the world, sometimes even among their peers.
In the book of Judges, the anger of the Lord burned against that generation for their abandonment of their dedication to Him. He turned them over to their enemies who conquered and plundered the Israelites and made them subservient to them. Then the people cried out to the Lord and He raised up judges to judge the land. God raised up men and women to lead the people back to God.
Maybe that is where we are today. It's time for us to cry out to the Lord and pray that he will deliver us from our enemies. Our enemies are mostly from within but no enemy is beyond the hand of the Lord. God will raise up Godly men and women to proclaim his word and lead the people back.
Does that excite you? Are you ready to be led? Maybe you aren't to be led, though, maybe you are the leader. God has called each of us to a ministry. Your ministry starts with proclaiming God to your children and family. If we don't teach the next generation, our future is already written.
It can start today. Tell someone about Jesus then take a stand. Let them know, as for you and your house, you will serve the Lord.
Just thinking.
Doug
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