You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

June 23

Read: Judges 2:6-10

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

“And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.” (v.10)

Here are two things we must never underestimate: the influence of Godly leaders over his people and our ability to forget. Judges 2:10 to me is the second scariest verse in the bible. It is shocking to think that an ENTIRE GENERATION could rise up that “did not know the Lord or the work that he had done.” It is tempting for us to gloss over this, or dismiss it. We think to ourselves that it must really just mean “a lot” of the people forgot about God… but it says “another generation”. This is not trying to paint the picture that just a few forgot or wandered off… no… it is more epidemic than that. How could this happen?

Maybe we want to blame their parents, their pastors, or some other leaders for their not knowing. The problem is that we have the verse immediately before hand: “And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel.” (v.7) This “unknowing” generation had parents and grandparents that “served the Lord” all the days of their lives. This forgone generation has experienced Godly worship. They had sat through the feasts and heard the reading oft he Torah. This “unknowing” generation didn’t lack knowledge because it was unavailable to them… they rejected it! That, or they simply discarded it… tossed it aside… forgot it. Exposure to ideas about God and casual participation in worship of God DOES NOT equal “knowing God”.

There is one other piece that is odd to me from vs. 10: it says they did not know the LORD “or the work that he had done for Israel.” They didn’t know the “work that God had done” for his people. To “know God” means to know Him in relationship to the work that he is doing IN AND THROUGH HIS PEOPLE. It is not a purely “personal pursuit”… it means having the “big picture” of how God is working through those he is calling to himself. It is so easy for us to forget all of the amazing ways God has worked in our lives! We are great “forgetters” which is why God is consistently asking us to remember. Knowing God means knowing his work in his people and intentionally remembering the past miraculous ways he has worked and provided and saved and protected and etc.

One of the ways this takes place is through sound leadership by biblical people. Look at Joshua and the elders here: “And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel.” The Godly leadership of Joshua and the elders carried an entire generation. These were men and women who KNEW God and KNEW the works he had done. I believe they tried to hand these values down… and the next generation forgot or dismissed them as antiquated. You can’t “hand down” your faith as someone else’s… they need their OWN!

Do you remember all of the ways that God has worked in your life? Or have you forgotten? It is easy to get caught up and forget. It takes energy to intentionally remember. Do you “know God and the works he has done for his people” or have you simply been exposed to it by those around you… with no experience of your own? Take some time today to REMEMBER. Write what God has done for you down… type it out… email it to a brother or sister in Christ and share with them. Secondly, who is leading you? Who are you allowing to give you guidance and direction? Who are YOU leading? Never underestimate your leadership for others OR others leadership and its influence on YOU. The faithful work of godly men and woman can set the tone for ENTIRE generations of people around them! Love you guys. - JDP