Something Changed

When Joshua became Israel's leader, the people made a commitment to him. "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you" (Joshua 1:16-17). At one point when I read this statement in my Bible, I made a little notation: "Oh, no!" After the trouble Israel had repeatedly given Moses, their statement to Joshua didn't seem very reassuring.

Continued reading and studying revealed that their promise wasn't that outrageous. True, Israel had sometimes failed (like with the golden calf). More frequent than disobedience, however, was grumbling and complaint. For the most part, Israel basically followed Moses' commandments. They just gave him a hard time in the process. Among the statements that Israel obeyed Moses are Exodus 12:28, Exodus 12:50, Exodus 39:32, Leviticus 24:23, Numbers 2:34, Numbers 31:7, and Deuteronomy 34:9.

Even under Joshua's leadership, the people continued to obey what Moses had commanded. "Thus the sons of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they divided the land" (Joshua 14:5). Joshua himself acknowledged this obedience. "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God" (Joshua 22:2-3).

As Joshua neared the end of his life and leadership, he challenged the people to continue in obedience. "But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day" (Joshua 23:8). Again, he states that they have been doing it, and he wants them to continue. They did. "The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel" (Judges 2:7).

I didn't realize Israel had been so obedient, yet I also knew there was some reason for my skepticism about their commitment to Joshua. Why did I think Israel was so disobedient? The answer came as I read what happened after the deaths of Joshua and the elders who survived him. Immediately after that point, the Bible records a multitude of negative statements about Israel's obedience. These statement include "did evil in the sight of the LORD," "served the Baals," "forsook the LORD," "followed other gods," "did not listen to their judges," "turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as their fathers," "when the judge died, ... they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers" (Judges 2:11-19).

Everything fell apart. Instead of obedience being the norm, rebellion became the norm. The book of Judges contains a well-known theme statement: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25, also 17:6). This was a far cry from obeying what Moses commanded. Now no commandment seemed to have any bearing on them. Individuals became their own law. This pattern of rebellion sometimes subsided temporarily, but for the most part it was indicative of their behavior from that point forward.

What made the difference? The Bible itself says obedience continued only through those "who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel" (Judges 2:7). The younger ones who did not see the great works of God also did not follow Him.

While there is a challenge for everyone to remember the great works he himself has seen, the greater challenge is to somehow help newer generations see God's works. No one is going to follow any god that he does not think is worthy of following.

It is a shame when people will not follow the true God, because He is indeed worthy of following. People have to know Him well enough to realize that. Certainly it is a great tragedy for children to grow up in Christian homes and solid churches and not come to that realization.

I don't have all the answers, but I believe we must do better at magnifying God. Instead of contributing to a diminished perception of God's greatness, we ought to be exalting Him at every opportunity. We need to be telling others what He has done in our lives. We need to publically share testimonies that highlight His great hand. We cannot take for granted the blessings that He routinely gives. We must help our children to see His works on a regular basis.

Sharing God's great works in our lives is important, but we must also help people to see God's great works in their own lives. Our young people need to realize that God is doing great things for them and that He is involved in their lives. They need to realize how actively He is involved and how very different their lives would be without His hand at work. God's action is constant but easily overlooked.

This must be why the Bible instructs as it does in Deuteronomy 6 that the teaching of our children must be constant. God states the purpose: "that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life" (v. 2). Then God tells how to achieve that purpose: "You shall teach [these words] diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up" (v. 7). May it never be that the young people within our sphere of influence fail to follow God because we failed to regularly make God big to them!