Focal Passages: Judges 17:1-21:25
Our lives that we live are a living instruction book to others on how to live. Someone has said that the Bible is not a book on how to make a living, but on how to live. The way we present ourselves to others becomes a workbook on how to live. We become examples and mentors, even if we don’t want to. And this is even more true in our families.
Consider these contrasting families. Family “A” had 10 dedicated, godly children. A study of their 729 descendants over five generations showed that 300 were preachers, 65 were college professors, 13 were university presidents, 60 were authors, three were congressmen and one was a vice-president.
Family “B” had 1,026 descendants which over five generations had 300 who died prematurely from wicked lifestyles, 140 spent an average of 13 years in the penitentiary, 190 were prostitutes, and 100 were alcoholics. They cost the State of New York $1.2 million to take care of them. The first family mentioned was that of the spiritual giant Jonathan Edwards. The second was the atheist Mack Duke’s family. You decide for yourself, does living a godly life as an example for others hold any importance? The sinful behavior of the Dukes led their children and other descendants astray. As we consider the whole picture, besides the immediate family that was away from God, consider how many others followed their example.
We might think that those little acts are harmless, those little white lies, taking the world’s way of achieving success, but who is watching? Casting Crowns have a song entitled “Slow Fade.” In this song we find the words, “People never crumble in a day, Daddy’s never crumble in a day, families never crumble in a day. Oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see.”
As a line of dominoes falls when the first one topples, homes, families, and nations fall because of one living astray.