Readings for today: Judges 2-5
Every time I read the Book of Judges I think about the consequences when one generation fails to pass on the faith to the next generation. The people of Israel serve the Lord faithfully while Joshua and the other leaders from his generation are alive but after they pass, a new generation rises that knows nothing of God. This is how the Book of Judges describes it, “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.” (Judges 2:10 MSG) How is this possible? How is it possible that the generation who just passed failed to tell the next generation of the miracles of God? How did they fail to tell their children and their children’s children of the deliverance of God from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the manna in the wilderness, and all the other wonders they had seen? How did they not tell their kids about the special relationship God desired to have with them?
The Bible is silent on the issue but I think I can make an educated guess. They simply got caught up in living. The holy rhythms established by Moses and Joshua had yet to take hold. They were still working hard to conquer the land and drive out their enemies. They were working hard to plant their fields and build their homes. They were working hard to dig wells and tend their flocks and establish themselves in the land. These things became higher priorities than knowing and serving God. As a result, their faith began to fail. Their courage left them. They settled for less than what God wanted for their lives.
Don’t we all do the same? Don’t we get so caught up in living that we forget all the things God has done for us? Don’t we take His presence for granted? Don’t we cheapen His grace? I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve heard someone say to me, “I’ll focus on God later. Right now, I’ve got to build my career. Right now, I’ve got to make sure my son or daughter makes the team. Right now, I have to focus on my health or retirement or any number of other priorities that get in the way of God.” The sad reality is the person rarely actually returns to faith. They rarely ever make room for God in their lives. And the result is a whole lot of heartache, pain, anxiety, and broken relationships. We’ll see this pattern play itself out over the next week in the Book of Judges. The people of Israel will forget God and it leads to all kinds of horrific sin and corruption and oppression and violence. Then God raises up a judge to remind them to turn back to God. And for a time there is peace and freedom and worship but then the judge dies and the people return back to their pagan ways.
So what’s the answer? How do we keep from falling into this same trap? We must build relationships across generations. Relationships built on a spiritual foundation. Relationships centered on Jesus Christ. Each generation must take seriously their call to pass on the faith. To make sure that those who follow in their footsteps know all God has done. They must tell their stories of God’s faithfulness over and over again. They must root themselves in holy rhythms like daily time with God, weekly time in corporate worship with God’s people, small group interactions where one can be truly and fully known, finding a place to serve God, and sharing their faith with those who do not yet know God. They must invite older and younger people into the journey alongside them. This is how God designed the faith to pass from one generation to the next. May we be found faithful when our time comes, having passed on a legacy of faith to those who come after us.
Readings for tomorrow: Judges 6-9