Each Generation Must Learn To Obey God

The older generation of Israel knew how dependent they were on God but the younger people had never had to depend on him.   As a result they began to take his blessings for granted when things were going well, and Israel’s failure to drive the original inhabitants out completely left them in constant contact with their ungodly practices.  As a result, the younger group tended to adopt their standards and practices, angering God, who allowed them to be taken captive as Judges 3:12- 14 describes.  “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.  And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.  So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.”

 

When they finally figured out they had to have God’s blessings, they turned back to the Lord, and he sent a judge named Ehud to set them free, as Judges 3:15 describes.  “But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.” 

 

After killing the Moabite king, Ehud led the Israelite army against the Moabites, defeating them as Judges 3:26-30 describes.  “And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.  And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.  And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.  And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.  So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.”

 

Eglon’s reign over Israel had lasted long enough and been cruel enough that the Israelites made sure their children knew about it.  As a result they didn’t turn away from God for eighty years, but eventually all the ones like Ehud, who could remember what it was like died off, and the younger ones began to turn away again.   When they did, Philistine bandits began crossing the border into Israel and robbing travelers.  It reached a point where people were afraid to travel along the highways but were forced to sneak along little used paths, as Judges 5:6 describes.  “In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.”  The Philistine bandits quit coming into Israel to rob people after Shamgar killed six hundred of them with a pointed stick like they used to keep their oxen moving, as Judges 3:31 tells us.  “And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.”

 

It seems every generation has to go through some hard times before they understand their need for God.  It is easy for them to think they are the only ones who have ever had these problems.  I Corinthians 10:13 reminds us, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Like he did with Israel, God provides a way to overcome those problems, but we are required to be obedient before he does.  Too many people try to claim this verse without obeying him, and then blame God when they don’t get the victory.