Chronological Snobbery

Readings for today: 1 Chronicles 1-10, Psalms 65

One of the major obstacles C.S. Lewis had to overcome when he came to faith was what he dubbed, “Chronological snobbery.” He defined it as “the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate of our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that count discredited.” Essentially, it is the false belief that we have it right and those who came before us had it wrong. We’ve figured things out and those who preceded us were operating from superstition, ignorance, and foolishness. We ask all kinds of critical questions of the past but are unwilling to subject our present to those same questions. Eventually, Lewis was challenged to think more deeply by his friend, Owen Barfield, who forced him to confront a series of questions like why did an idea go out of date? Was it ever refuted? If so, by whom, where, and how conclusively? In other words, which things are false—and why—and which things remain true?

I thought about Lewis as I read through today’s genealogies. It’s so easy to pass them over. Treat them as a series of names with which we have no connection. But if we will slow down, we will recognize quite a few of them. And if we have been keeping up on our reading, we will realize we do know their stories. We get to see God and the world and human life through their eyes. We get to learn some things from their example. Foundational beliefs that undergird how we understand the world even to this day. For example, we learn from the story of Adam and Eve that creation is ordered and regulated by God’s Word. This idea is what eventually will give birth to modern science. We learn that human beings are made in the image of God which is the fundamental underpinning to universal human rights. We learn from Abraham that God is personal and desires a relationship with us. We learn from Moses that God has a particular plan for our lives, to set us apart as holy and pure. Taking a step back and looking at the big picture, we learn about God’s faithful, covenantal love for His people. A love that endures despite our many failures and sin. It’s incredible when you stop to think about it.

Every generation naturally assumes they know what’s best. Every generation naturally assumes they are more enlightened than the ones who came before them. Every generation naturally engages in chronological snobbery. The challenge for the people of God is to humble themselves, recognizing we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We are challenged to be thankful of the sacrifices they have made and be appreciative of the things they have to teach us. The old cliches that those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it certainly rings true. If we forget the lessons of our past, we will repeat them in the present. If we forget what God has taught us about Himself and the world and the life He longs for us to live, we will have to re-learn it the hard way. It is much better to treat those who have gone before us with respect, learn from them what it means to follow God in their cultural context, and then seek to apply it to our own lives.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 11-14, Psalms 66

Generational Handoff

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 1-3, Psalms 53

One of the real challenges for every generation is to hand off leadership. It’s hard to give up power, influence, and control. It’s hard to come to grips with failing strength and mental decline. It’s hard to face our own mortality so we tend to hold on as long as we can. We see it in politics where leaders remain in office as long as possible, sometimes even until they die. We see it in business as founders of companies struggle to let go and let someone else take their place. We see it in the church as pastors can’t seem to give up the pulpit. The examples across every sector of society are legion right now. So many of us struggle to follow the model John the Baptist set for us in John 3:30, “He must increase, so I must decrease.”

If it’s any consolation, Moses struggled with this issue as well. Over and over again, he pleaded with God to let him lead the people into the Promised Land. Finally, God got angry with Moses and told him to not speak about it again and instead hand his leadership over to Joshua, one of the two faithful spies who had given a good report when first sent into the land. “The Lord said to me, ‘That’s enough! Do not speak to me again about this matter. Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west, north, south, and east, and see it with your own eyes, for you will not cross the Jordan. But commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit this land that you will see.’” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭3‬:‭26-‭28‬ ‭CSB‬‬) If Moses, the most humble man to ever live according to the Bible, struggled to let go, is it any wonder we do as well?

Raising up the next generation of leaders for God’s people is essential to any healthy organization but especially the church. As has been said, the church is always one generation away from extinction. Pouring into those who are coming behind us is critical if the church is going to continue to fulfill her mission. As believers in Jesus Christ, we must take seriously the call to set future generations up for success. How do we do that? Through intentional mentoring and discipleship. Older believers taking the time and making the time for younger believers. Younger believers humbly seeking the wisdom of their elders. Each generation seeking to lift up and learn from the other. It’s not easy. All of us are busy. All of us are running hard. All of us have other things we’d perhaps rather do. But is there any greater investment we can make? Think of the ripple effect we can have if we will take the time to come alongside those who are younger than us and help them learn from our experience. Think of the impact we can make on marriages and families as we pour ourselves out for those who are coming behind us. Think of the energy and excitement we will feel as we watch them rise up and take their place. Think of the joy we will have as we see them achieve great success. This is the same joy John the Baptist felt when He saw Jesus coming after him. It’s the same joy Moses felt when he raised up Joshua to take his place. Friends, this is the joy God wants us to experience as well.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 4-6, Psalms 54

Intergenerational

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