“After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10 NLT)
This sad text reminds the reader that we are only ever one generation from God-worship going extinct. We can know God intimately, experience His power and presence expansively, and follow Him wholeheartedly but our kids can still miss Him entirely.
“The Israelites did evil and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt.”
(Judges 2:12)
This verse hurts my heart; both for the ancient Israelites but also for our current culture. I see a people bowing down to everything but the One True God. Yesterday, I was in a number of home stores and they were clay, porcelain and stone carvings of false gods throughout the aisles, ready to be bought and carried into people’s homes. I doubt folks know the power of what they are purchasing.
As I inch towards my mid-forties, I am realizing I am on solid footing with God. Years of trials have carved out and reinforced a foundation that cannot be washed away. But it’s time to fight for the next generation. In the words of Doc Brown from Back to the Future, “It’s your kids, Marty, something’s gotta be done about your kids.”
So how do we build Jesus into the next generation? We see the Israelites struggled to sew God-belief permanently into the seams their nation. A few generations later, Judge Deborah secured a victory and a song was sung, reminding us that music influences culture.
“Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount righteous victories of the Lord and ht victories of His villagers in Israel.” (Judges 5:11 NLT)
We are reminded that songs were the way to reach a generation that didn’t read. After Deborah’s victory, the town musicians sang songs of praise, recalling the faithfulness of God on the battlefield. We must keep singing. As believers, we keep the legacy of God’s faithfulness in front of the next generation through songs and storytelling. Music falls on ears and climbs in hearts and minds. The Broadway musical now on Disney, Hamilton, proves this theory. Suddenly hundreds of thousands of teenagers are singing about American history. It’s great, but Christian history is far more essential to their eternity.
Lord, we lift up the next generation, acutely aware of our responsibility to it. Help us share our stories. Give our children ears to hear. Set our hearts to song. Let Your faithfulness shine through and impact our people for many, many generations to come. Keep us from bowing to lesser gods. Remain Lord of our home forever. Amen.