Joshua is used by God to lead Israel into the Promised Land after Moses leads Israel out of Egypt and dies. Then when Joshua dies, Judges arise to watch over Israel until God would place a King over them granting the desire of Israel to be like the other nations.
Soon after Joshua’s generation dies off, Judges 2:10 says, “there arose another generation after them, who did not know the Lord or the work which he had done for Israel.”
Each generation after Joshua served idols, and declined morally and spiritually. As each generation gave themselves to idolatry and immorality, they would suffer a foreign invasion and oppression. They then would cry out to God for help and He in His mercy would deliver them. This cycle happened seven times in the Book of Judges with six major invasions.
God gave Israel a strict command to drive out all of the Canaanites from the land. They failed to do so. The result was God’s judgment upon their disobedience. When they repented, God sent a Judge who would deliver them from their enemies. But then they would disobey and the cycle repeated itself.
The Canaanites worshipped Baal, Asherah, and Dagon. Israel intermarried with the Canaanite women and learned idol worship, practicing the same sacrifices to these idols. This is why God wanted the Canaanites destroyed so they would not defile the Israelites bloodline leading to the Messiah.
It is interesting to note that not all Judges were righteous in character, yet God used each one to accomplish His purposes among Israel.
Entitlement Generation
I hear many people today speaking of our present generation of young people as the ‘Entitlement’ Generation. The generation born between 1980 and 2000 are called the Millennials or Generation Y and the present generation known as Generation Z, born after 2000, make up this ‘Entitlement’ generation of today.
The previous generations known as Traditionalists or the Silent Generation (born before 1945) and the Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) on the whole worked hard with no expectation of anyone else providing for them. . Traditionalists and Baby Boomers who in their youth happily took odd jobs to provide for their families, have raised children who would rather not work at all then take a job they do not believe is luxurious enough for them, and have no shame in sucking society’s economic pool dry.
Generations X, (born after 1965 to 1980) Y and Z all have declined in morals and ethics compared to previous generations. The movies, music, television shows, government leaders, world insecurity, professors, teachers, coaches, clergy, peers, and broken families have influenced our young people in negative ways in regards to morals, ethics, and broken lifestyles. Our young people today attend church less, pray less, believe less, and party more. Morals and ethics are daily redefined in the name of tolerance, meaning you have no right to judge me or to tell me I am doing wrong, or what god to serve. Everyone is entitled to his choices and all ways lead to God.
What Baby Boomers considered scandalous, today’s youth flaunt opening without shame or guilt, while calling Baby Boomers ‘old-fashioned, bigots and intolerant’.
Is this the generation of Gentiles that has arisen to not know God?
Israel was chastised by other nations invading her land and oppressing her for disobeying God’s Word, and is still struggling to be accepted as a Nation. Spiritual Blindness has covered her spiritual eyes until she turns to Jesus Christ as her Messiah.
Is God using President-elect Donald Trump as a Judge to bring America back to God and the keeping of His Word, or will he be a judge who is used by God to bring in other nations to oppress us for disobedience to His Word? Do the lessons from Judges apply to America today?
How did we get to Generation Z? Have we Failed to teach God’s Word to our offspring?
Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words which I command you shall be upon your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children.”
God commanded Israel to keep His Law and to teach this Law to their children. From Abraham to Joshua, we find the leaders of Israel teaching God’s commandments. After Joshua and his generation dies, there arises a generation who does not know God’s Commandments nor how God has moved miraculously in the lives of their ancestors.
Our Presidents used to teach Americans to give credit to God-
George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”
“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which heaven itself has ordained.”
John Adams, “We recognize no sovereign but God and no King but Jesus!”
J.F.K. “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”
Ronald Reagan, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
Today our Presidents, leaders of society, movie and music idols, fail to uplift God and His Commandments, and many Baby Boomers have provided broken homes with one parent via divorce; we can expect that there will be a generation that will arise that knows not God, nor His mighty works among mankind.
What kind of Judge is God placing over America? Will we be led back to God, or will be led into oppression?
Maybe instead of blaming our offspring, we need to face up to our own failures in promoting God in our nation and families, and go down to our knees as Israel, asking Him for forgiveness and another chance to educate our young people that true morals, true ethics, true values should be based on God and His Word, along with a honest day’s work in doing what is right before God and our neighbor.
Father, forgive us for failing to keep your commandments, for failing to teach our offspring your Word, and for failing to make sure they know how to live out your moral character in their daily lives. Please help us to pray for our children, and future generations, that they will be given a heart that believes in you as the only true God, and as the only way to eternal life; that they will live out your moral character in their daily lives and cause all future generations to know that there is no God like the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who manifested His love for us in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Please forgive all leaders in our country and help them to be drawn to you with an obedient heart, so that they may set the example by giving you all the credit for everything that you make America to be for the blessing of Israel and the world. In Jesus Name. Amen!