Day 20

Judges 1-3

THE LOST GENERATION

Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord – Judg. 2:10

            The Book of Judges is one of the most unusual books in the Bible.  It records a span in Israel’s history that is utterly chaotic and irresponsible.  Few bright spots are seen in this book, and difficulties with God’s people are seen from the opening pages.  People served the Lord under Joshua and during the time of the elders who outlived Joshua.  Suddenly a generation appeared who did not know the Lord.  Or, was it suddenly?  A whole generation lost.  How does that happen?

            There are clues that this “X” generation did not appear so suddenly, and that the previous generation failed to pass down the baton of faith.  Over and over again chapter one of Judges records the failure of the tribes to resist their enemy, settling for a non peaceful coexistence (Judg. 1:19, 21).  The grandchildren of Joshua’s generation find themselves living in the “thorns” (Judg. 2:3).  The lesson we learn here is that we can compromise for only so long before the balance tilts in the direction of our enemies we have refused to drive out.  In this case a whole generation hit bottom because their fathers would not obey God.  Therefore they forsook the God of their fathers and followed the lesser gods.

            Previous generations had seen all the great works of the Lord.  Yet the youth generation did not know…the work He had done for their parents and grand parents (10).  That’s the reason they did not know the Lord.  When personal faith is diminished to propositions about faith, the faith is lost, even if the propositions are true.  Instead of sharing the living Christ, we preach our distinctives and judge those who don’t believe them.  We reduce a Jesus relationship to a world religion. 

            There is something very attractive about a new believer who doesn’t know enough to be mixed up yet knows that loving Jesus is his reason for living.  There is something very unattractive about the “elder brother” who is critical toward those who haven’t arrived at his state of spiritual understanding.  I wouldn’t call it maturity.

            Today we are in danger of dropping the baton.  It is tragic if the “X” generation uses us as a reason for unbelief.  Let’s get back to our miracle-working Savior.  Let’s talk about what we’ve seen Jesus do.  Let’s proclaim the great works of the Lord that He has done for us and can do for any generation.

Faith produces love, not religion.