After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10 NLT
That verse is one of the most heart-breaking sentences in all of the Bible. Joshua’s generation had seen so many miracles. The Israelite families served God as long as Joshua, Caleb, and his elders were alive. This was the generation who walked through the Red Sea and ate the manna. They saw God keep their sandals from wearing out for forty years. He provided everything they needed. As long as they lived, Israel knew the Lord. They remembered God. They worshiped God.
But after Joshua, Caleb, and the elders died, the next generation was wildly different. These families “did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.” What does it mean? Does it mean they had never heard the stories? Does it mean they never celebrated the Passover?
Timothy Keller, in his book Judges for You, says, “(It) probably does not mean that they did not know about the Exodus, the Red Sea, the crossing of the Jordan, and the walls of Jericho falling, but rather that the saving acts of God were no longer precious or central to them.”
Judges details how the new generation lived out their lack of reverence and awe. Verses 11-12 say that they intentionally did explicit evil in God’s sight, worshipped images, and “went after the false gods of the people around them.” They abandoned the God of their fathers, the God who had delivered their families. And what followed? Oppression and destruction. Their enemies conquered over and over. They had not learned what was most vital – relationship with God.
It’s not just a quote, it’s a fact: The church is always just one generation away from extinction.
The goal for the present generation must always be to mentor the next generation in deep faith and awareness of Almighty God and His plans and purposes. We cannot get so caught up in our own concerns and busy lives that we assume the next generation knows enough and that their knowledge will be adequate to make the commitment to follow the Lord. The future of our children and grandchildren, the future of the church tomorrow, depends on our choice to prioritize intentional passing of the faith. Anything less is a fatal failure.
- The truth is that our world since sin in the Garden always deteriorates without consistent care and intentional maintenance. It is certainly true of faith, especially since we have an Enemy. Father, help me! I don’t want my legacy to be, “And when she died, the next generation did not remember the Lord.”