In our culture, we kowtowed to the god of relativity. Therefore, in the name of relativity, we frowned whenever anyone claims that anything is wrong. In our postmodern world, since all truths are relative to one’s opinion, the only thing wrong is when someone says that something is wrong. Put it another way, everything is right except wrong itself (So, is it true that everything is right?). Therefore, there is little room for discernment or even reason upon which one decides what is right or wrong. Therefore, it seems almost vulgar to us when we hear the biblical writer’s absolutist commentary on the ancient Israelites, “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals.”

“Oh come on, God, don’t be so petty about your people turning to idolatry! After all, it’s a matter of perspective and preference!” One might possibly think this way.

But God will not practice relativity when it comes to the truth. The sin of idolatry violates His very person. In our relativism or even or lack of understanding, we might not consider it as so serious a sin but we must remember the hurt is upon God not us. Only He knows what is right and wrong. He is both the reason and the giver of reason upon which one can measure what is right and wrong, good and evil. The confusion between right and wrong, good and evil grows when one moves further away from Jehovah God as the reference point.

The book of judges paints a poignant picture of this kind of backsliding – the gradual moving away from God as the central point of reference in one’s life. The book of Judges speaks of the shift that began slowly but later become a permanent fixture in Israel’s life. Judges 2:10-13 describes a new generation growing up “who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.” To forget one’s root is sad. But to forget one’s reason and cause of existence is tragic.

The new generation of Israelites had forgotten the God who delivered them out of Egypt and made them a nation when they were only slaves. They had turned from the God who mothered them and adopted foreign gods as mothers. They rejected the God who fed them since birth and embraced the bosom of another. But how is this possible? What can explain such ungrateful, flagrant rebellion?

Sin. It is our human nature to rebel against God. It is wired into our brains, encoded into our DNA. Like cancer, the power of sin and death spreads and infiltrates every part of us since the fall of mankind in Eden.

One might easily think that our devotion to God is directly proportionate to how good He is to us. We are apt to believe that if God were to answer our prayers and perform miracles when we ask of Him, thereby demonstrating that He is “good” to us, it might serve well to bring us to deeper faith and devotion in Him. I think to some degree this is true. If God doesn’t answer our prayers, how ever will we know of His presence? Won’t our prayers be like talking to a blank wall? God will not stay silent when his beloved creatures call out to Him for help. But the history of the ancient Israelites vetoed against such naïve thinking. It was in spite of what God had done for Israel that they still chose to forget Him and serve foreign gods.

But how is it possible that an ENTIRE generation had forgotten about God? This is impossible because theological education was weaved into the fabric of the family system. The previous generation was given specific instructions to “fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds” and “teach them to your children talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road when you life down and when you get up (Deut 11:18-19).” It is impossible unless they were so busy settling into the Promised Land and adjusting to their new life that they had forgotten to teach their children about God. But worst still, that old generation consciously or unconsciously never truly acknowledged the importance of God in their lives. They may worship God with their lips but their hearts were far away from God. Thus, the next generation might have heard of what God had done in the past but they may have never seen the reality of God in the lives of their parents, elders and leaders. Empty religion in one generation bears its fruit of backsliding and apostasy in the next.

Pray that our generation of believers will be one who truly hold firm to our God and live out the reality of His life. Amen!