Scripture
A generation who did
not know the Lord
Judges
2:6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites; they went to take possession of
the land, each to his own inheritance. 7. The people served the LORD throughout
the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all
the great things the LORD had done for
8.
Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and
ten. 9. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in
the hill country of Ephraim, north of
10.
After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another
generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for
“Another
generation grew up…” It is generally thought that this is referring to the
grandchildren and great grandchildren of the Joshua generation and the “elders-who-outlived-him”
generation.
That
is not uncommon. It has been a pattern down through history - even today. Probably
most of us know grandchildren and/or great grandchildren of Godly people who
are anything but…
What
happens? What happened in this story related here in Judges? Why is this
narrative even here in this passage?
My
intent isn’t to find someone to blame. There’s enough blame assessment to go
around in our world and it really doesn’t solve or change anything. I’m just
really concerned about the last part of that 10th verse: “another
generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for
“…who
knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for
Is
it possible that we have become so busy in our taking “possession of the land,
each to his own inheritance…” that we have failed to
pass on the real heritage?
Are
we are so methodically “serv(ing) the LORD” that our values fail to get
translated two or three generations down?
In
this particular passage the answer is simple – a generation grew up who did not
know the Lord, nor did they know what God had done for his people.
The
bottom line is this: kids can’t see how you feel when you are ‘experiencing
God,’ but they can see how you respond to the world around you.
They
cannot hear the communication of your soul, but they can hear your voice of
anger, fear, doubt, malice, envy, strife, contention and ambition.
Do
they hear God? Do they see God? Do they know God?
What
do they know of God’s deliverance? What do they know of God’s provision? What
have they seen of victory that comes from Jesus? What have they experienced of
the joy of the Lord?
The
experience of life comes at you hard and all too quickly.
A
child needs the preparation:
·
Of
admiring a life that has tasted of the Lord and shown that it is good.
·
Of
watching one who knows what it is like to have had plenty and to have been in
want and has found the peace of contentment regardless of resources.
·
Of
knowing that the ones who love him most have a solid confidence that God is in
control and has a plan.
·
Of
believing that God loves him and all will be well.
·
Of
finding that not only is God the same yesterday, today and forever – but so are
those adults who claim to know God.
What
happens to a child who doesn’t have these experiences?
They
know neither the Lord, nor what He can do for them.
The
generation surrounding Joshua, and following those who survived him, knew the
Lord and what He had done for His people because of the bold, courageous, good,
generous, consistent and encouraging life lived by Joshua day in and day out
even as he drew his last breath.
When
that living breathing example of God’s great grace and mercy and forgiveness
was gone – so was the pattern that led children to know God and to know what He
could do for them.
Where
are the Joshua’s of the Lord God today? Are we
literally condemning another generation to judges and judgments?
It
was Joshua’s ability to lead which gave him the boldness to say, “As for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord.”
God
give us leaders in this generation, leaders in our churches, leaders in our
homes, so that future generations will know God and His goodness to His people.