Passing It On

One of the lessons that will be repeated over and over as we study through the book of Judges the consequences of what happens when one generation fails to pass on to the next generation the truths of God. This is not just about failing to teach the truths but also a failure to create situations and environments for each succeeding generation to experience the love, forgiveness, intervention, guidance and provision of God.

Judges records it this way: “After that generation died (the generation that had been in the desert and had crossed the Jordon River), another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10 NLT)

The instruction to the children of Israel was clear. They were to pass on to each generation the truths of Scripture. The book of Deuteronomy starts with these instructions: “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT)

When grandparents and parents fail to pass on the truths of God and create situations and environments for their posterity to experience the work of God, there are disastrous consequences to future generations. Passing on the truths and creating situations and environments for the next generation to experience the work of God will not guarantee that loving, fearing and serving God will take, BUT failure to pass on the truths and failure to create situations and environments for the next generation will almost certainly destine the succeeding generations to forget God.

Judges continued to record history: “The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the LORD. They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.” (Judges 2:11-13 NLT)

The number one priority of grandparents and parents is to pass on the truths of God and to create opportunities for the next generation to experience God.