Bible Lessons from the Lost Generation

The "lost generation" in this blog post refers to the Israelites who left slavery in Egypt but died in the wilderness without entering their Promised Land because they annoyed God.

This lost generation was made up of the 603,550 men aged 20 years or more who were counted in the first census. (Numbers 1) 

Believe God

The first lesson that these men can teach us is that you have to believe God.

If God gives you a word about a certain situation, decide to believe Him and doubt those who are telling you the opposite.

God had told the Israelites that He was taking them to their Promised Land but when 10 of the 12 spies they had sent told them, "We are not able to fight those people because they are stronger than us". (Numbers 13:31) and "That land devours its inhabitants and the people we saw there are very big. We even saw giants and we were like grasshoppers in our own eyes and in their eyes" (Numbers 13:32-33) they decided to believe the 10 spies and doubt God. Their reaction made God say they would never enter His Promised Land and that is the reason they died in the wilderness.  

To learn more read Who Are You Listening To?

When God Says Something, It Happens

God said that this whole generation of men aged over 20 years would not enter His Promised Land but their children would enter it.

It may have seemed impossible to them at that time, but it came to pass because God made it happen using the various means discussed in Why Does God Allow Suffering?. Therefore when God says something, know that it is going to happen even if it seems impossible at the time.

Therefore if God tells you something, know that He can make it happen even if it seems humanly impossible for He says, My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than  the earth, so are My ways higher than yours and My thoughts above yours. (Isaiah 55:8-9) 

Avoid Generational Curses

God told the Israelite men who had refused to fight for their Promised Land, "Your children whom you said would be victims, I will bring to the Promised Land." (Numbers 14:31)

He continued by saying, "Your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the brunt of your infidelity." (Numbers 14:33) 

So God made the children of these men wander in the wilderness for 40 years waiting for their fathers to die because of the sins of their fathers. Therefore avoid doing things that anger God and bring repurcussions to your children.