Pastor Charlie Rousey
This week's Sunday School lesson took us to the book of Judges, specifically chapters 6 and 7. Israel was under attack from the Midianites, not because they were outnumbered or outmatched, but because they had turned away from God and were doing evil in His sight.
In an effort to keep the memory of God's faithfulness alive for future generations, the Israelites were commanded to take 12 stones from the bottom of the Jordan River and create a memorial. This was to serve as a reminder of all the great things God had done for them, bringing them out of slavery and into a land flowing with milk and honey. It was the responsibility of parents and grandparents to take their children to this memorial and share the story of God's faithfulness with them.
The story of Gideon in these chapters gives us a clear picture of the sins of Israel. Gideon was commanded to destroy his father's idol of Baal, which represented the idolatry that had taken hold of the people. Not only had the parents failed to pass down the story of God's faithfulness, but they had also turned to other gods.
As we read this story, it is easy to ask ourselves, "Why did they leave the true God for idols? Who would do something so stupid?" But the reality is that we too can be guilty of forgetting about the goodness of God in our lives. We may even neglect to share the story of His faithfulness with our children and those around us.
Let us be reminded of the importance of staying faithful to God and passing down the truth of His Word to the next generation. May we not allow the distractions of this world to take our focus away from God and may we always be ready to confront the sins in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.