Joshua and his generation knew the Lord and witnessed the way He worked to force Pharaoh to release them. They saw His care in the wilderness. Joshua’s generation remained true to God’s will. However, they seemed to have failed to tell the next generation of the Lord’s powerful deliverance (Judges 2:7-10).
The nations Israel failed to drive out were polytheists. They had no problem worshiping the true God and their false gods at the same time. Israel was to forsake all other gods (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 6:10-25; 13:6-18). Israel failed, though, to see the danger. She is described as laying down to prostitute herself with false gods (Judges 2:11-13). Israel committed spiritual fornication – sinning against God, its husband (Hosea 2:2-13).
God had to punish such wickedness to remain righteous (Psalm 89:14). He delivered Israel into the hands of enemies who took the spoils of its land (Judges 2:14-15). Yet, the Almighty did not cease to love the Israelites. He sent judges to deliver them when He heard their groaning (Judges 2:16). They enjoyed the blessings of deliverance but went right back into idolatry when the judge died, which resulted in God becoming angry with them (Judges 2:17-23).
We are blessed far beyond physical Israel (Ephesians 1:3). We should make it a point to emphasize those blessings to our children (Ephesians 6:4). Teach them the will of God (2 Timothy 3:15). Help them recognize the blessings to be found in Christ. We must demonstrate the love of God in all that we do. Pray our children will follow our example and not suffer the wrath of God when He is spurned.
[Editor’s Note: Everywhere – or so it seems – the churches of Christ have become shrinking and shriveling congregations composed largely of members sporting gray hair and balding heads. The combined challenge of lax biblical teaching and examples in the home coupled with relentless universal worldly pressures have taken a horrific toll on subsequent generations of Christian families. Christians urgently need to take more seriously their responsibility to, first, wholly embrace Christianity and, secondly, to immerse their children in meaningful Christianity. The Lord’s church needs an injection of conviction and conversion, beginning in the home. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
