Pass It On

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.”  Judges 2:10

In sports, one of the primary reasons players choose to become coaches or instructors when their playing days end is so they can pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation of players. The younger players benefit tremendously from the wisdom, insight, and techniques they learn from those who played before them.

That’s how it’s supposed to work spiritually too. Each generation is responsible for passing on to the generation following them the benefit of their insights, experience, and wisdom. But go back and reread the verse above and sadly we see that the generation of Israelites God led into the Promised Land had failed to pass on their knowledge of the Lord and his ways to the generation that came after them. As you read the rest of the book of Judges you see that this had disastrous consequences.

Like players passing on their knowledge of the game, Christians need to pass on their knowledge of God and of their faith in Christ to those who come after them. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9 Moses instructed the Israelites to do this. “ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” And in vs. 12 he adds, “be careful that you do not forget the Lord.”

As Paul had taught Timothy, he admonishes him to do the same: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2).

God expects us to do likewise—pass it on!