The book of Judges is one of the most interesting Old Testament books. It's an acount of the children of Israel following the death of Joshua. Joshua was the man God had chosen to lead Israel after the death of Moses. Joshua picked up the mantle left by this great man of God and carried Israel to new heights. Israel is now living in the "Promised Land". However, they continually went back on their covenant with the Lord.
Before Joshua's death we heard those words that are often quoted today, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." Not only did Joshua make that statement but the Israelites joined him in the declaration. But in the book of Judges we find in chapter 2 verse 10 that "another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel."
Here's the problem: The generation that has come to power did not know the Lord. Not only that, but they had no clue as to what God had done for the previous generations. This verse provides a great warning for those of us who are following the Lord now. We need to ensure that we are passing the knowledge and blessings of God to the next generation of believers.
There is a part of me that wants to blame Israel's problems on the current generation. However, when I understand this verse I recognize that the previous generation failed them. The reason they did not know what the Lord had done is because it had not been passed along to them. Dear friends, the next generation will not know if we do not tell them. We can sit back and blame all our problems on a new generation if we choose, but we better start looking in the mirror. The reason we have a new generation that does not honor the Lord is because we have not taught them. The reason that we have a new generation that lives for itself is because that is what they have seen in us.
We must pass along the knowledge of God's Word, God's blessings, and God's standards. We must pass along the testimony of God's faithfulness in our generation if we ever expect a new generation to know what God can do in their generation.
I'm a firm believer that we are seeing a generation coming up that is hungry for the things of God. They want to encounter the God of the Bible. They want to see signs and wonders. They want to experience His presence. We should lead the way. They ought to experience all of these things through us so that they will experience Him one day without us. We are the ones responsible for shaping and molding the next generation. We cannot allow them to grow up in a society that does things that are right in their own eyes.
The book of Judges shows us that God had to raise up men and women to bring Israel back to Himself. They were the ones who would bring deliverance to their generation. People like Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, and Gideon were the ones that God brought forward to bring Israel back to God. Our generation has witnessed the passing of men like Adrian Rogers, Jerry Fallwell, and James Kennedy. These were men of great character and vision. These were men God has used to bring about change. Whom will God raise up next? It could be you.
One thing is for certain. Each of us are responsible for our own homes. Each of us are responsible for our church. Will we be up to the challenge of bringing forward a generation that is pleasing to the Lord? The future of our faith and our nation is at stake. It has been said that we are no longer a "godless" nation but rather a nation with many gods. It's up to us to ensure that we are a nation under the one true God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who has revealed Himself in nature and the Bible. The God who sent Jesus Christ into this world to die upon the cross for the sins of humanity. This is the God we need to preach. This is the God we need to remember and pass along to the next generation.
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