Ecclesiastes 1:4a One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh:
(GI Generation 1901-1927 - grew up reading books
Silent Generation 1928-1945 - grew up listening to radio
Baby Boomers 1946-1964 - early childhood watching B&W tv
Gen X 1965-1980 - grew up with watching color tv & using pushbutton phones
Millennials 1981-1996 - grew up using computers, as well as Betamax & VHS videos
Gen Z 1997-2011 - grew up connected to the internet
Gen Alpha 2012-2024 - grew up online with social media
Gen Beta 2025+ - growing up with AI)
(In Proverbs 30, a generation is mentioned four times, and some people have considered that it describes the same generation.
However, others consider it a possible picture of four successive generations, each ending up further away than the previous.
So, considering that, looking at the first of the four generations, is this how the Baby Boomers may be remembered?)
Proverbs 30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
(Then, after them, is this how Gen X could be thought of?)
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
(Then, after them, is this possibly what the Millennials may be like?)
13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
(So, then, could this possibly describe Gen Z?)
14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
(So, if these are possible descriptions, then how is Gen Alpha beginning to manifest itself, the older ones, now, as young teenagers?
Then what kind of generation could Gen Beta end up being?)
(How could this kind of thing be? There are different contributing factors, one of them is the lack of correction.
David was a man after God's own heart, and Israel's greatest king, but he apparently may not have corrected his sons:)
I Kings 1:6a And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?
(This manifested itself, first, with these three sons of David, then his other son, Solomon, and finally Solomon's son, Rehoboam:)
II Samuel 3:2a And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon,
3b and the third, Absalom
4 And the fourth, Adonijah
II Samuel 13:3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab ... and Jonadab was a very subtil man.
4b And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.
5a And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick:
14b being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
II Samuel 13:22b for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants ... Smite Amnon; then kill him,
II Samuel 15:4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
6b so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
I Kings 1:5a Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king:
6a And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?
18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:
(However, Absolom was stopped, as well as Adonijah, yet they were both eventually put to death.)
I Kings 11:1a But king Solomon loved many strange women,
4a For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods:
6a And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD,
I Kings 12:6a And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
(In addition to no correction, some mimicked bad behavior of parents or others, and some simply rebelled against what was right.
Jotham was a good king in Judah, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but his son went completely the other way:)
II Chronicles 28:1a Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign,
2b and made also molten images for Baalim.
3b and burnt his children in the fire,
22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.
25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.
(Interestingly enough, his son, Hezekiah, didn't follow his evil ways, but instead, was one of the better kings that Judah had.
But Hezekiah's son was very young when he became king, and utterly rebelled against everything that his father did for the LORD:)
II Chronicles 33:1a Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign,
2a But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD,
5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
7a And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God,
II Chronicles 33:21a Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign,
22 But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;
(His son Amon only reigned two years, but followed his father's evil ways.
Yet, Manasseh’s grandson, Josiah, whole heartedly followed the LORD, and like Hezekiah, was also one of the better kings that Judah had.
But Josiah died in battle with the Egyptians, and the people of Judah made Josiah's second oldest son king:)
II Kings 23:31a Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign;
32a And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD,
(However, he only lasted three months, and the Egyptians came and took him to Egypt.
The Egyptians also took Josiah's oldest son, Eliakim, changed his name to Jehoiakim, and made him king of Judah:)
II Chronicles 36:5a Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
(Nebuchadnezzar came, took Jehoiakim to Babylon, and made Jehoiachin, his son, king in Judah, in the place of Jehoiakim.
His son was but a child when he became king, but for a little over three months, as king, he did evil:)
II Chronicles 36:9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
(But Nebuchadnezzar came back, and took the child king, Jehoiachin, to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar then made Josiah's youngest son, Mattaniah, king of Judah, and changed his name to Zedekiah:)
II Chronicles 36:11a Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign,
12a And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God,
(All three of Josiah's sons chose to be evil, and to go in the opposite way of their father, who did right in the sight of the LORD.
Josiah was only eight when he began to reign, yet as king, he chose to walk in the ways of king David.
But sadly, his grandson, Jehoiachin, was also only eight, but he, instead, as king, chose to do evil in the sight of the LORD.)
(Then there is the case where someone fully follows the LORD, and yet grew up around those who did evil.
They walk in completely opposite ways, yet one trait seems to show up with both.
This appears to have happened with the high priest Eli, and Samuel the prophet:)
I Samuel 1:3b And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
20b Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel,
25b and brought the child to Eli.
I Samuel 2:11b And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
I Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
13b when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came,
16b but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
I Samuel 2:18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
I Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress.
27a And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him,
29b and honourest thy sons above me,
34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
(The LORD even told Samuel why it came to this:)
I Samuel 3:11a And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel,
12a In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house:
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
(The Philistines came to fight, so Israel had Eli's sons bring the ark to the battle, which went badly, and a messenger told Eli:)
I Samuel 4:17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18a And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died:
(Samuel, walked in the ways of the LORD, yet possibly without fully realizing it, he also may not have restrained his sons:)
I Samuel 8:1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
(Only that one poor trait managed to slip through and possibly affected how Samuel was with his sons.
David was influenced in a great way by the prophet Samuel, following fully in the ways of the LORD.
But is it possible that David likewise was influenced by Samuel, with this one trait, and then he didn't restrain his sons?)
(In a similar way, even beginning in a godly family, one trait can slip through to each generation.
Abraham asked Sarah to say she was his sister, instead of admitting that she was his wife.
Yes, she was his half-sister, yet she really was his wife, so was it only half true?
Then later, he even said the same thing about her being his sister:)
Genesis 12:3a Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake;
Genesis 20:2a And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister:
(However, the next generation, Isaac lied about Rebekah, who was not his half-sister:)
Genesis 26:7b and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife;
(The next generation, Jacob lied, saying he was Esau, in order to take the blessing away from his brother:)
Genesis 27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
(The next generation, the sons of Jacob lied about their brother Joseph:)
Genesis 37:13a And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them.
18b even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
20a Come now therefore ... and cast him into some pit,
31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
32b and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found:
33a And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him;
(Are there any poor traits coming down through us, passing on to the next generation, and the one after that?
Or possibly, are we not restraining our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren?
No doubt our primary prayer for our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren is that they would be saved.
But do we not continually pray that far more than their success and enjoyment in life, that they would love the Jesus?
Solomon was very successfully wealthy, secure, and enjoying life, yet he moved away from loving the LORD.
What good is it if they are financially secure, yet Jesus is no longer the greatest love in their lives?
The greatest treasure in this life is to love Jesus in a personal relationship with him, no matter what else is going on.
Is this the main thing that we pray for our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren?
Or is it possibly the last thing we pray for, or maybe we don't even pray for that at all?)
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