Two Generations

Aim: To be a faithful generation of the church of Christ.

Doctrine: Two (contiguous) generations can be as different as night and day. This may be because only one has any vital experience of the Lord, and/or because the covenant was not faithfully passed on (or received).

Exegesis: The transitional stages that characterized the two generation: the first generation somewhat honored the Lord (being graced with good leaders) (vv. 6-7); Joshua's death marked both a challenge and a fulfillment (of promise) (vv. 8-9); the next generation was rootless (and largely faithless) (v. 10).

Further application: How the church today is to manage the issues of two generations: we are not to blame our predecessors (for all of our problems); instead, we are to take our own covenant privileges and responsibilities seriously.

Key verse: v. 10 ''When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.''