Judges 2:6-10
A Generation That Had Not Known the LORD
Read the passage
6After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance.
7And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.
8And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
9They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The story looks back to the days when Joshua sent the Israelites to settle their inheritances. During his lifetime, and during the lives of the elders who outlived him, the people served the LORD. Those elders had seen the great works God had done for Israel.
Joshua dies at the age of one hundred and ten and is buried within his inheritance. Eventually that whole generation dies. Then comes a sentence that changes the direction of the book: another generation grows up that does not know the LORD or the work He has done for Israel.
This passage does not explain every reason for that change. It does not tell us what each parent taught or how each child responded. It places two generations beside one another and shows that faithfulness in one does not automatically continue in the next.
The land can pass to new households, while knowledge of the God who gave it is lost. Remembering names and places is not enough. Israel's children need to know the LORD Himself and the mighty works that shaped their people's life.
Questions
1 When do the Israelites serve the LORD in this passage?
AnswerThey serve Him throughout Joshua’s life and the lives of the elders who outlive him. Those elders have seen the LORD’s great works.
2 What happens to Joshua and his generation?
AnswerJoshua dies at one hundred and ten, and later the whole generation dies. Their firsthand experience does not continue forever.
3 What is different about the generation that follows?
AnswerIt does not know the LORD or what He has done for Israel. The passage names this loss without explaining every cause.
4 How can we help one another remember what God has done?
AnswerWe can read a Bible account together and talk about what it shows us about God. Older and younger family members can ask questions and learn together.
What This Means for Us
Faith is not an inheritance we can hand over like a house. We can teach Scripture, answer questions honestly, and let our conduct show that God's word matters to us. We also pray for the people we love. Their response belongs to them before God; our task is faithful care, not control of the outcome.
Prayer
Lord, make Yourself known to the next generation. Help us speak truthfully about Your works and live consistently with what we teach. Keep us patient in teaching and faithful in prayer. Amen.