“Then another generation grew up that didn’t know anything of God or the work He had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10
This was part of my reading the other morning, and it reminded me of some statistics I heard in a message by Craig Groeschel.
A Harvard Business Review article says only 10% of family businesses survive to the third generation. The first generation starts the business. The second generation runs the business. The third generation ruins the business.
Unfortunately we see this pattern in Scripture too. Think about Joshua. He leads the people into the Promised Land with great risk and reward. The second generation inherits the Promised Land. They haven’t fought any battles, they’re just preserving what’s been given to them and their worship of God becomes half-hearted. The 3rd generation sees the preservation and half-hearted worship without any risk or vision and they turn away from God.
Judges 21:25 says, In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
It’s incredibly difficult to pass anything from the first to the third generation. What does that say to us who are parents? What does it say to those who are children of faith? Continue reading
