Scripture Reading: Judges 2:7-12
“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.”—Judges 2:10
In Rocky V, Rocky Balboa invests himself in a young boxer, Tommy—heart, mind and spirit. Rocky trains the young man and tries to mold him, not only as a solid boxer, but as a man of character. Tommy loses patience with Rocky’s methodical path to success and latches onto a promoter who promises him immediate fame and riches. After winning the title, Tommy attributes his victory to the new promoter, forgetting Rocky’s contributions to his success.
Like Rocky, have you ever invested yourself into someone—heart, mind, and time—only to have them forget all you have done for them or see them attribute their success to someone else? That is what God experienced after guiding the Israelites into the Promised Land. God gave the Israelites a land of abundance, homes they did not have to build, crops they did not have to plant, and victory over enemies they could not subdue otherwise. Yet, after all God provided them, the Israelites chose to worship gods who played no role in their success.
Despite the promises previous generations made to serve God in this new land, a new generation arose who chose to worship new gods. How could a people so dependent on their faith become so distant from God in such a short time? Did the previous generation fail to teach their children about their God? Did the new generation simply choose not to listen and learn? This generation did not witness the days of struggle, warfare and miracles, they only knew the aftermath of those years—prosperity. So they forgot God.
Today, we live in a world of abundance, freedom and prosperity most of our forbearers could never imagine. With those gifts come a responsibility to teach and remind those who come after us that such blessings did not come at the hand of the god of coincidence, the god of hard work, nor the god of personal ingenuity. We are where we are as a result of The Almighty’s providential care.
In the end, Rocky realized he had invested himself in an unknown boxer, while neglecting his son. He failed to teach his own son the lessons of his past and the values he cherished. What about us? Will our legacy to the next generation be to instill a strong work ethic, leave them with a financial portfolio, or even encourage them to pursue higher education? While all that is important, our greatest legacy is the one many of us learned from earlier generations and from our own life experiences—faith in God. Our greatest legacy is to ensure the God we serve is not forgotten by those who come after us.
Question to Ponder: What legacy can we leave that will never be lost? Our faith!
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”—Deuteronomy 4:9
This was a great teaching post!! Thank you!!