Joshua 2:6-10
6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
This was Joshua’s time to say goodbye to the people he had led. It was clear that Joshua and his friends (mostly older friends) loved God and profess that they are worshippers of God. They have seen and experienced the power, might, and love of God. In verse 9, we see that even when Joshua died, his friends continued in the faith, loving God the way they know how. But verse 10 gives us a glimpse of the past, the present, and the future.
And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
After Joshua and his friends died, a generation arose that “did not know” or chose not to declare and acknowledge the goodness and greatness of God. For sure, they knew about the miracle of the manna, the red sea crossing, and the other supernatural works of God yet they chose to follow the gods of their neighbors and their captors causing massive stress and destruction because they broke the covenant with the Lord. This generation grew up not seeing the value of what God has done for their ancestors. They forgot what made them free men and women.
One of the striking things in this verse is that all these things happened in one generation. From God-worshippers to a generation who did not want to do anything with God. What could have happened?
It is possible that many younger people saw the older generation lived out their faith and choose not to look at God’s power and goodness and focus on the older generation’s fault. Timothy Keller said, “mistakes made by a Christian generation are often magnified in the next, nominal one.” Commitment is replaced by complacency and then by compromise.
KEYPOINT #1: How we live our faith today can determine the fate of the next generation.
KEYPOINT #2: Never underestimate the power of imparting to the next generation. Everything you have built for in your life can be used for the glory of God or not.
Talk it Over:
- How am I living out my faith today? Have I exemplified a life of faith to myself and the people around me?
- How am I building the faith of the next generation? If not yet, how can I start doing that?