READ - Judges 2.6-3.6 Psalm 137
Verses Meditated on - Judges 2:10-2:11
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.
11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
REFLECT
We read from the first 2 chapters of Judges and noticed that the Israelites did not completely drive out all the enemies from the land and they continued to dwell among the Canaanites. Upon the death of Joshua and the generation, the next generation had totally forsaken God. The 2 verses (2.10 -2.11) told us another generation did not know God and they served Baal. How would they not know God after all He had done for the nation? We can be sure that they would have heard from their previous generation about God’s greatness. Deuteronomy 6:20-25 for instance emphasised for the laws to be taught to the next generations and for God’s greatness to be told to the children. And why did they worship Baal when they have a greater God - Yahweh?
I don’t think the next generation was not taught about God’s law and who He was. The 12 stones of Jordan was one such example to commemorate God’s power to help Israelite cross the Jordan River. The new generation had simply not experienced first hand (like their ancestors) God’s wonder such as the parting of the sea, the crossing of the Jordan River, the fall of Jericho, to name a few. They had not even experienced war (Judges 3.2). Hence they may have heard of God but have not personally encountered Him and known Him.
As for Baal, the pagan “god” was associated with fertility and rain, which may very be important in those days when there was no technology to assist with child bearing and the rain was important to crops. Indeed it was an attractive proposition to worship this “pagan” god especially when the generation was living among pagan worshippers (made worse with intermarriages with the pagan nations). And perhaps it gave that generation more assurance to worship something “tangible” (statue of Baal) to give them the sense of realness verses the creator Himself (Yahweh) whom they cannot see and touch? This reminded me of the golden calf in Exodus 32 where the Israelites worshipped something they created with their own hands!
RELATE
Do we know God or do we simply hear stories about Him? I heard about Him when I was a Sunday School going kid. I only started to know about Him when I have that first hand encounter with Him when He delivered me out of the deepest and darkest pit of my life. That was when I really know Him - that He is all powerful and loving.
Hebrews 11 taught me this - “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” I tend to rely on “reliable” information that I could see or on my own limited wisdom to justify every decision that I make. I tend to depend on things that can be seen or touched as they seem more real. But I should not disregard God’s plan in my or my family’s future just because I can’t see them now. I do not need to see the tangible God to know that He and His plan for us is real!
REST
Heavenly Father, You are a creator and therefore we do not need a tangible statue or altar to worship You and to know that You are real. Help us to know you and not just to hear about You, through our regular prayer and serving, for faith without action is dead. In Jesus name we ask, Amen.
Alan Wong
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