There Arose Another Generation - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
There Arose Another Generation
Judges 2:10 “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”
Introduction: The tragedy of this verse is not that a generation died, but that an entire generation’s faith died. They had seen God work, but somehow failed to pass that faith on to their children. Israel went from revival to ruin in one generation.
When young people forget God, it’s not long before they forsake Him.
And when a generation forgets God, judgment always follows.
I. The Promising Devotion
7 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.
8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
· 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
Under Joshua’s leadership, Israel was a nation on fire for God.
· Joshua 24:15 Choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Their devotion was genuine because it was based on personal experience with God’s power and presence.
· They watched God rain down manna.
· They saw God bring water out of a rock.
· They witnessed God send quail to feed them.
· They were there when God met with Moses and delivered the law.
· They participated in the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
· They had witnessed miracles;
· They participated in the Jordan crossing,
· They were there when the walls of Jericho fell
· They witnessed Joshua pray and the sun standing still.
· Their clothes didn’t wear out or get old for 40 years.
They served faithfully as long as their leader and the eyewitnesses of God’s mighty acts were alive.
Moses trained Joshua to lead (Deuteronomy 31:7–8).
Joshua, however, did not train another leader as Moses had.
The chain of mentorship was broken.
Their devotion was promising, but it wasn’t perpetuated.
Illustration: Timothy and Paul: Paul taught Timothy,
· 2 Timothy 2:2 “…the things that thou hast heard of me… commit thou to faithful men”
That’s how God designed for faith to survive generations.Faith must be transferred, not just experienced.Parents, teachers, pastors - it’s not enough that we walk with God; we must make sure the next generation knows how.
· Psalm 105:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
II. The Perplexing Disregard
· 10 “…and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”
How could they forget so quickly?
Apparently, their parents did not tell them the stories of God's mighty works.
· Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
These were the children of those who had seen miracles firsthand.
They grew up around altars, memorial stones, and stories of deliverance, yet they did not know the Lord.
Their parents knew facts about God but failed to create faith in God within their children.
It wasn’t ignorance of information; it was indifference to relationship.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6
“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” Psalm 78:7
“Train up a child in the way he should go…” Proverbs 22:6
Hophni and Phineas - 1 Samuel 2:12 “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.”
Even though they were raised in the tabernacle, they had no relationship with God.
King Joash - SEE 2 Chronicles 24:2, 17–18
While Jehoiada the priest was alive, Joash did right; but when his mentor died, he turned to idols.
His obedience depended on a person, but not on principle.
His respect for God’s man did not mean he had a relationship with God.
The greatest tragedy in a Christian home or church is when children grow up knowing about God, but not knowing God.
Each generation must have its own encounter and relationship with the Lord.
· This is why we make such a big deal out of preaching.
· This is why we have Bible classes every single day in every single class.
· This is why we have your kids memorize Scripture verses.
· This is why we have chapel revivals to kick off every year.
· This is why we have chapel every week.
We do not want your children to just know ABOUT God; we want them to KNOW GOD!!
III. The Provoking Disobedience
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
The Bible says it multiple times in these three verses.
· And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD
· And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers
· … and followed other gods…
· And they forsook the LORD
When you FORGET GOD you will inevitably FORSAKE GOD.
And failure to develop a personal walk with God paves the way to cave to peer pressure.
Notice verse 12 – “…they followed the gods of the people that were round about them…”
Why would you follow a bunch of handmade, homemade gods that can do nothing?
Simple. - They “…knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”
Why would they worship the true God? They were never taught to!
Their worship shifted from Jehovah to Baal; from Creator to the created.
Disobedience always begins with forgetfulness and ends with idolatry.
IV. The Punishing Distress
· 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
· 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
The results of their disobedience was God’s hand was against them and sent them “great distress.” (vs. 15)
The consequence of disobedience was severe discipline.
The Bible is clear that God was very displeased.
· 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel…
· and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them
· and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about
· so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
· 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil
God’s hand was against them.
Does it really matter if a generation does not know God? You tell me!
The older generation was once victorious; the new generation became victims.
The older generation was once invincible; the new generation was now incapable.
The older generation was once protected by God; the new generation was now punished by God.
The older generation served God; the new generation served their enemies. (vs. 14)
The Lord withdrew His hand of blessing and allowed their enemies to triumph.
In just one generation…
They went from blessedness to brokenness.
They went from God’s hand being with them to God’s hand being against them.
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34
“The way of transgressors is hard.” Proverbs 13:15
When God’s people forget Him, He sometimes lets them feel what life is like without Him.
Conclusion: Who will rise up in this generation to know the Lord personally, serve Him faithfully, and teach Him passionately to the next?
· Psalm 145:4 “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.”