Raise The Standard
Scripture: 1 Kings 14:21-24
"21 Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah...His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 22 Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done. 23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree...;the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites."
Observations:
Soon after Solomon's reign, all Israel began a rapid spiritual decline due to repeated failed spiritual leadership. Since Israel settled in the Promised Land, things had slowly gotten worse with each succeeding generation. The first generation failed to drive out the pagan inhabitants of the Land. Because of their tolerance of these corrupt cultures, the next generation embraced their sinful practices more than the previous one. After that, King Solomon's generation not only tolerated pagan culture but intermarried with them and began incorporating sinful religious practices into their lives. Not surprisingly, the next generation tolerated even more than the ones before them and instituted widespread blatant idol worship as a substitute for worship of the one true God. That was the staw that broke the camel's back. To that generation God promised certain judgment and exile.
Application:
It's a true fact, what we do in moderation, the next generation will do in excess. The sins we may not commit but tolerate, our children will actively participate in. The sins our children participate in, their children will institutionalize and propagate as truth. Each of us has a responsibility to the next generation to live a life that is intolerant of things God, not our culture, has labeled as sinful. (see Galatians 5:2-4, 19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). When it comes to sin, the question is not whether or not it we are guilty of crossing the line. The real question is, "how much sin do I tolerate?" We may be "innocent" when it comes to actually committing sin, but by tolerating certain sinful attitudes/actions we only do a little bit, we are in essence enrolling our kids in the Sin Advanced Placement Program and giving them permission to take it to the next level in their own lives later on. The sins it has taken us a lifetime to develop a tolerance to will be the entry level for the next generation, who over their early years will develop an even greater tolerance more quickly and push the envelope well into active participation, and over time, what was once forbidden is now tolerated, and what was once tolerated becomes the norm.
Prayer:
Father, open our eyes to see ourselves (thoughts, words, action, attitudes) in light of Your Word and do not allow us to tolerate sin in and around us any longer. Teach us to love th next generation by raising the standard and living holy lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
"21 Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah...His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 22 Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done. 23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree...;the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites."
Observations:
Soon after Solomon's reign, all Israel began a rapid spiritual decline due to repeated failed spiritual leadership. Since Israel settled in the Promised Land, things had slowly gotten worse with each succeeding generation. The first generation failed to drive out the pagan inhabitants of the Land. Because of their tolerance of these corrupt cultures, the next generation embraced their sinful practices more than the previous one. After that, King Solomon's generation not only tolerated pagan culture but intermarried with them and began incorporating sinful religious practices into their lives. Not surprisingly, the next generation tolerated even more than the ones before them and instituted widespread blatant idol worship as a substitute for worship of the one true God. That was the staw that broke the camel's back. To that generation God promised certain judgment and exile.
Application:
It's a true fact, what we do in moderation, the next generation will do in excess. The sins we may not commit but tolerate, our children will actively participate in. The sins our children participate in, their children will institutionalize and propagate as truth. Each of us has a responsibility to the next generation to live a life that is intolerant of things God, not our culture, has labeled as sinful. (see Galatians 5:2-4, 19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). When it comes to sin, the question is not whether or not it we are guilty of crossing the line. The real question is, "how much sin do I tolerate?" We may be "innocent" when it comes to actually committing sin, but by tolerating certain sinful attitudes/actions we only do a little bit, we are in essence enrolling our kids in the Sin Advanced Placement Program and giving them permission to take it to the next level in their own lives later on. The sins it has taken us a lifetime to develop a tolerance to will be the entry level for the next generation, who over their early years will develop an even greater tolerance more quickly and push the envelope well into active participation, and over time, what was once forbidden is now tolerated, and what was once tolerated becomes the norm.
Prayer:
Father, open our eyes to see ourselves (thoughts, words, action, attitudes) in light of Your Word and do not allow us to tolerate sin in and around us any longer. Teach us to love th next generation by raising the standard and living holy lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
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