THE GENERATION TO COME

Let's read Psalm 78:1-8, "Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth...showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments...

We must teach our children the ways of God so diligently that they will never forget them. We must imprint them so strongly in their hearts that they will faithfully pass them on to the following generations. One preacher said, "The test of a parent's Christianity is his children's children!" It is not enough that my children walk in the ways of the Lord. The true test is whether my grandchildren and great-grandchildren continue to walk in God's ways.

Now let's look at some Biblical examples. There are so many but we will list just a few:

ZEPHANIAH

Zephaniah 1:1 says, "The word of the Lord which came unto

Zephaniah

the son of Cushi,

the son of Gedaliah,

the son of Amariah,

the son of Hezekiah..."

Now what is so amazing about this scripture? Let's think, about it. God doesn't waste words. Although it is our custom today to introduce someone by their name only, in God's Word people were introduced by their lineage. When Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh he put his name, his father's name, and his grandfather's name upon them! Isn't that powerful?

Genesis 48:16.

"The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads;

 and let my name be named on them,

 and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

 and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

This would give a great sense of roots and security, wouldn't it? I would be happy to be introduced as "Nancy, wife of Colin Campbell and daughter of Ivan and Joyce Bowen, Ivan is the son of Walter Eugene Bowen." If we did this today it would help us to give respect and honor to our forefathers, wouldn't it?

The Bible reveals Zephaniah's parentage back to the fifth generation! Hezekiah was Zephaniah's great-great-grandfather! This king of Judah "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord...he trusted in the Lord...he cleaved to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments..." and now five generations later, his great-great-grandchild is a prophet to the nation! (2 Kings 18:1-6; 2 Chronicles 29:1,2; 31:20,21). This is such a challenge, isn't it? Will our great-great-grandchildren still be walking in the ways of the Lord? Will they remember us as godly mothers?

SAUL

When Saul is introduced to us in 1 Samuel 9:1,2, God takes us back six generations!

"There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish,

the son of Abiel,

the son of Zeror,

the son of Bechorath,

the son of Aphia, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

And he had a son, whose name was Saul..."

ACHAN

I am sure you remember the story of Achan who disobeyed Joshua and took for himself silver and gold, thus causing the defeat of the Israeli army in their battle against Ai. When God revealed Achan as the culprit, his whole family was implicated! He was exposed as:

"Achan,

  the son of Carmi,

  the son of Zabdi,

     the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah..." (Joshua 7:17,18,24; 20:22-20).

Even his great-grandfather had to bear the shame of his disobedience! In v.24 Achan is called “the son of Zerah”. The Bible uses the name of his great grandfather rather than his father! Not only did Achan’s sin affect the name of past generations but his own sons and daughters were also judged because of his sin.

JAHAZIEL

"Then upon Jahaziel

the son of Zechariah,

the son of Benaiah,

the son of Jeiel,

the son of Mattaniah,

a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation..."

(2 Chronicles 20:14-30).

Once again six generations are mentioned! Are you getting the picture of the power of the generations? We are tied, not only to the present, but also to the past and future. In this story, Jahaziel is used mightily as a prophet of God to bring a word to King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah that gave them a strategy to win the battle against the Ammonites and Moabites. This prophetic word through Jahaziel saved the nation! Not only was Jahaziel remembered and recorded in scripture because of this, but even his great-great-great-grandfather! Wow!