by Dr. James and Natalie Ricks
The Appeal of Worldliness
One of the most frightening prophecies of the Bible is that each new generation would almost invariably go into paganism; that they would wish to be like the pagan nations around them. They would reject the true God for the failed ways of the world. The Bible makes clear this dangerous and negative tendency of human nature. While Moses was still alive he barely restrained the peoples’ hunger for paganism by his strength of leadership.
Deuteronomy 31:27, “For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death?” (NKJV).
The pattern of the history of God’s people, Israel, reveals that without strong Godly leadership the next generation would fall into apostasy and paganism. Moses prophesied this fate for Israel and he was totally correct.
Deuteronomy 29:26-28, “For they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them.
“Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book.
“And the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.”
Moses warned that other nations would say that Israel was overthrown because they forsook the God that rescued them from Egypt. Moses knew that this would happen! What did Moses want the Israelites to do about this danger?
Knowledge of God Must Be Shared With Our Children
Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Moses is saying those Godly teachings which are revealed to us must be shared with our children forever. The history of Israel and the Laws given by God to Israel should be passed on by each generation to the next. They belong to the young and are an important part of their heritage.
Deuteronomy 4:8-9, “And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?
“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”
Moses warned them to not forget the true God and all His wonders, but to teach all this to both their children and their grandchildren. This apostasy of the next generation, without strong and directly commissioned leadership, continued on in the history of the nation.
Judges 2:7-12, “So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.
“Now Joshua…died…
“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.
“Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;
“and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers,…they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.”
This pattern of the next generation being ignorant of the things of God and how historically He had blessed Israel happens repeatedly until their exile. People are naturally attracted to paganism and worldly things even when they include sacrificing babies to idols for false blessings. Jesus believed in teaching children because they are like empty vessels eager to have something put into them. They also are humble and open to teaching.
Luke 18:15-16, “Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
“But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.”
Children need their parents and grandparents the most in the early, formative years. We set about, whether we know it or not, teaching what a real family is like. We communicate how to be like Mom or Dad by our actions.
Proverbs 19:18-19, “Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction.”
We must think of what is best for our children in the long run when we discipline them.
Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”
It is not easy to transmit our values to the next generation. We can all see the difficulties of this historically.
1 Samuel 2:12, “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD.”
Remarkably, both the High Priest Eli and Samuel the Prophet had sons that proved to be totally corrupt. Even though they grew up in the priestly world of the Bible, they turned to evil as adults. Younger people have their own free moral agency, so even with exposure to Godly truth, you cannot predict their future actions.
Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
We must train our children and grandchildren as best we can, no matter all the worldly pressures they are under. Parents need to help develop discipline and character in children to help them resist the downward pull of human nature. Great parents can have evil offspring and bad parents can produce responsible children. But all parents and grandparents need to do our best to pass along Godly values in this increasingly secular society. This gives us the best odds of producing Godly offspring. Encourage them when they are doing good things and they will learn to appreciate good behavior.
The Dangers We Now Face
We face today some of the same difficulties that ancient Israel struggled with. Passing on good values and Godly knowledge to the next generation is harder in these end times than ever before in human history. Moses recognized that in the end times it would be even harder and even more vital to the people to retain the knowledge of God.
Deuteronomy 31:29, “For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”
It is painfully obvious that our youth have lost basic American and Christian values. Academia has now completely removed any awareness of the influence of religion and God in our nation’s history. A large number of young adults are unpatriotic and half of all millennials distrust capitalism. Seventy percent of young voters recently said they would vote socialist. In a few voting cycles this nation as we know it could be destroyed.
Why will the end time generations be so easily deceived by the Beast? Because they have not been taught the truth. The younger generation has not been taught to love or value the truth. They have been taught to blindly love only politically correct propaganda.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 warns, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
“Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
Verse 7 continues, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;”
Verses 9-10, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
“And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
The last generation in the West will be full of people who do not love the truth and can be easily led to oppose God and His Laws and ways. Many churches are drifting away from Biblical values. How can we protect ourselves and our kids from deception? Learn the Bible! Really learn the Bible and the true history of our primarily Bible oriented nation. Read the Mayflower Compact and see the prominence of the Bible in the founding of the United States of America.
2 Timothy 2:14-16, “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
“But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.”
Teach our kids and ourselves the basics of the Bible. We must stay with basic core doctrines and don’t let someone lead us or our kids astray over petty word issues.
