Judges 2:7 &10 “And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel…and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”
As I walked through the park, I found myself intrigued over a conversation between two pregnant women discussing their birthing plans. I resisted the urge to inquire about a “birthing plan,” fearing I might expose myself as an eavesdropper.
My thoughts were taken back to the excitement my husband and I felt when we discovered we would be parents. But a birthing plan? I could not recall one. We showed up in the maternity ward, that baby popped out when he was good and ready, then we took him home. I left the hospital with my beautiful newborn in arms thinking, “If this nurse only knew I had no clue what to do with this baby when I got home, she should never allow me to leave with him.”
We gratefully found the plan in Deuteronomy 6. It went something like this: Parents must fill themselves so full of God’s love and truth that the stories of Him would constantly overflow into our children – when we walked together, sat together, and even as we lay down at night.
What could happen if we failed to follow this plan? We could suffer the same catastrophe the children of Israel suffered long ago. You see, Israel had witnessed God’s incredible miracles, yet they neglected to tell their children those stories. So, an entire generation grew up without any knowledge of God.
Since the children were never taught God’s stories, consider what principles they missed:
Their children were blind to the power of God because they never heard the story of creation.
The story of the Tower of Babel was never shared, so children were unaware God hates pride.
The children never heard of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, so there was no concept of the importance of trust and obedience.
The story of Lot’s wife went untaught, so children were unaware of the consequences of sin.
The children did not know the story of Joseph, so forgiveness was irrelevant.
Their children were never told of brave Rahab, so the Father’s loving redemption was lost.
What happened next was inevitable: “There arose a generation who knew not the Lord.” The trail of blame lead right back to parents who failed at the most important task God placed in their hands.
Friends, our children grow up quickly and there will come a day when opportunities for training them will diminish. We must be diligent, for if we fail to teach our children who God is, the world is ready to teach them that God is not!
Blessings,
Rita Cochrane