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As I read through these first chapters of the Bible, I am always intrigued by the fact that within a matter of a few generations, the entire population of the earth will forget God’s obvious presence.

The picture above is a timeline that I made from the genealogies and stated life spans in chapters 10 and 11. In the fifth generation from Noah (and Noah is still alive), mankind is living in direct rebellion to the Lord and God splits them at the tower of Babel. Five generations after that, God singles Abram out (again, Noah is still alive!). We don’t know that Abram is the only guy following God at this point, but it surely doesn’t seem like he’s in the majority. Why isn’t the Truth of God’s plan being passed down? Why aren’t people following?

Obviously, a big piece of this is the fact that man is inherently sinful. Way back with Adam and Eve, we experienced a very real spiritual death. We are born sinful, we stay sinful, and even our best efforts to be “good” result in corruption and reveal our depravity. Paul explains this very clearly in Romans 3:10-12:

“There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.”

In addition to our inherent sinfulness, I wonder how much of this falling away from God that cyclically happens is because people weren’t teaching the next generation Who God is and what He did. How could they believe the promise and enter into a relationship with God if no one ever really explained the promises and character of God to them?

This is always very compelling to me, especially now as we raise our own children. We must teach them the Truth! We must show them who our God is! They must know that He is holy, we are not, and that faith in the promised one, Jesus Christ, is the only way back to Him! I haven’t seen a worldwide flood, had audible conversations with God, or experienced His divine wrath on all of mankind, but I know whom I have believed. I have seen the Truth of His Word in my life and in the world around me. I have experienced His miraculous work in my own heart. I have seen Him answer prayer. Our children must make the choice to follow Him for themselves, of course, but they have to hear and see the Truth lived out.

It is no wonder that the pounding refrain we hear again and again in the book of Deuteronomy is “DO NOT FORGET.” We are prone to wander. We are prone to forget.

“Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren…” Deuteronomy 4:9

**For more reflections on the Old Testament with personal application, you might want to download a free Bible study ebook!**