By Pastor Dave Peterman
We need to let the reality of what is read hear to sink in. Joshua represented the generation of people that were led out of the land of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. This was the generation that witnessed the plaques upon Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. The Generation of the elders that outlived Joshua, these were the children of them that died in the wilderness, these are the ones that crossed the Jordan into the Canaan land THESE WERE THE MEN OF WAR! God gave them that land! Who was this generation that knew not the LORD neither the works of the LORD?
Judges 2:6-12 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 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. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
Note: who it was that saw the walls of Jericho fall, saw the inhabitants of AI defeated, stood on the necks of their enemies… The generation of the elders were men of war, and they warred well! But what about the “other generation”? They were too young to be present at the battle and had to stay at Gilgal!
Joshua 4:13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
Joshua 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
Joshua 8:1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
Joshua 10:7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
Joshua 10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
Joshua 11:7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
They were mighty men of valour but were not men of vision for the generation to come!
I. The Tragedy of a lost Generation
Some Observations:
I do not aspire to be a great leader in “fundamentalism”, nor should I! I believe the greatest thing I can ever aspire to be a good PASTOR! I thank God tonight, that He has called me, and enabled me to be YOUR PASTOR! As pastor, I can’t help but to take notice of some tragic things, not in fundamentalism, not in Christianity as a whole, but IN THIS CHURCH. Those are the tragedies of losing and weakening of a generation of young people! We have lost many, and some that remain are weak. We must ask ourselves WHY?! If we do not come to grips with what has happened, we are doomed to repeat it is subsequent generations! It is not enough for us to WAR WELL, but we must also WALK WELL and WIN THE HEARTS OF THE NEXT GENERATION!
Note: who it was that saw the walls of Jericho fall, saw the inhabitants of AI defeated, stood on the necks of their enemies… The generation of the elders were men of war, and they warred well! But what about the “other generation”? They were too young to be present at the battle and had to stay at Gilgal!
Joshua 4:13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
Joshua 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
Joshua 8:1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
Joshua 10:7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
Joshua 10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
Joshua 11:7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
They were mighty men of valour but were not men of vision for the generation to come!
I. The Tragedy of a lost Generation
Some Observations:
I do not aspire to be a great leader in “fundamentalism”, nor should I! I believe the greatest thing I can ever aspire to be a good PASTOR! I thank God tonight, that He has called me, and enabled me to be YOUR PASTOR! As pastor, I can’t help but to take notice of some tragic things, not in fundamentalism, not in Christianity as a whole, but IN THIS CHURCH. Those are the tragedies of losing and weakening of a generation of young people! We have lost many, and some that remain are weak. We must ask ourselves WHY?! If we do not come to grips with what has happened, we are doomed to repeat it is subsequent generations! It is not enough for us to WAR WELL, but we must also WALK WELL and WIN THE HEARTS OF THE NEXT GENERATION!
