In Judges, chapter two, verse seventeen, the understanding of the fundamental nature of Israel’s spiritual decline is in verses ten through seventeen. During the time of the judges, the new generation of Israelites departed from the ways and teachings of their fathers. They forsook their covenant relationship with God and turned to evil. They began to question the standards and laws of the founding generation. They turned aside from obeying God’s Word and lived instead according to their desires.
The Israelites failed to separate themselves from the evil culture of the Canaanites. Instead, they preferred the secular benefits and corrupt pleasures of the Canaanites. They intermarried with the Canaanites and began to worship Baal and Ashtaroth. Therefore, the inevitable syncretism of the two cultures and lifestyles took place.
History illustrates the natural direction of human nature since the fall is downward. The spiritual vitality of an individual or a group of believers will diminish unless spiritual renewal periodically occurs by God’s grace through repentance, prayer, and recommitment.
Today, the battle to keep the Word of God within our homes is more challenging than ever. First, schools in different countries endeavor to take religion out of education to replace it with irregular studies that defy nature. Then new learning books are on the horizon in an attempt to overlook or replace the good news, which is God’s Word. Nowadays, there is very little freedom to express God anymore, and some try to ignore someone who begins to speak about God.
The world’s systems have even tried to consume the new generation’s time with technology. Cell phones have become the way of life. The internet society has people online with social media and offline with God. People tune out the environment with Ipod or Ipad while pursuing ungodly ways that lead to destruction instead of salvation. Parents are not keeping up with their kids with the demands now, with both parents working.
How to get our family, loved ones, and everyone else going the right way to God? All we can do as believers are to pray, draw close to Him, and allow Him to work through us.