Generations (Judges 2:7; Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:6-9; 17:19; Joshua 1:8)

JUDGES 2:7

"...and the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had SEEN all the great works of the LORD, that He did for Israel" (KJV)

"...and the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders, as many as prolonged their days with Joshua, as many as KNEW every great work of the LORD, which He did to Israel" (Apostolic Bible, LXX)

"...and they served the Lord all his days, and the days of the ancients, that lived a long time after him, and who KNEW all the works of the Lord, which He had done for Israel" (Douay Reims)

"The people served the LORD as long as Joshua lived and as long as the elders lived that outlived Joshua and had SEEN all the great deeds the LORD did for Israel" (William F. Beck)

"...and the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived many days with Joshua, as many as KNEW all the great work of the Lord, what things He had wrought in Israel" (Brenton, LXX)

HEBREW & GREEK

The Hebrew OT and Greek OT [Septuagint translation (LXX)] words are contrasted, giving the English word "seen" for the Hebrew and the English word "knew", for the Greek.

KNOWLEDGE: GAINED by EXPERIENCE

The Hebrew word stresses the the fact that knowledge is derived through the senses, and this is the method of perception of reality. In fact, to the Hebrew mindset, the concept of "seeing" whether with the physical eyes, or the eyes of the soul/spirit, are the methods of gaining knowledge, of what is real. The Greek word also refers to knowledge that is gained by experience, so that both the Hebrew and Greek translations complement one another.

OBSERVATIONS

There are several observations from this scripture, given the meaning of the words in the Greek and Hebrew:

1) Unless we have a real experience with God, where we have "seen", and "know", the working of the Lord, we will not continue to walk with Him, because there is no real relationship.

2) When those who "knew" the Lord, died, so did the faith of a nation. The scripture stresses over and over again, to train up our children (Proverbs 22:6); and that we are commanded to teach our children diligently, to talk the word when we're sitting in our homes, when we're walking with our families, from the time we lie down and when we get up, 24 hours a day we are to talk and live the word, to the point that His word controls what we do; what we see; and how we think and behave. (Deut.6:6-9). If we fail, someone or something else, will be instructing our children in the way they should go.

3) Leadership is always responsible to impart faith into the next generation. Everything we do, whether it is our labor; our jobs or businesses; how we conduct ourselves, we are not just living for ourselves, we are living for, and imparting to, the next generation, and hopefully to many generations to come.

Every king was instructed to write out a copy of the scriptures, that he was to read every day of his life, so that he would learn the fear of the Lord, and he was to guard and do the word (Deut.17:19). Joshua was commanded, that the word was to not depart out of his mouth, but he was to be constantly muttering it; thinking on it, so that he would do it, and be successful in everything that he did (Josh.1:8).

NO KNOWLEDGE

The saddest part of this portion of scripture in Judges 2:7, is the obvious reality, that the following generation did not "know" the Lord, nor had they "seen" His mighty acts. The next generation had no relational knowledge of the Lord.

GENERATIONAL THINKING

Let everything you do, be not only for yourself, but for your family, and for the next generations to come. Live with generational thinking, to impact and impart, in the here and now, but for generations to come.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours