When I was in my teens and early twenties I was not considered a baby boomer. Slowly, over time, they kept expanding the range of birth years for the boomer generation until I became a member. I never really cared about that. In fact it seemed a lazy gloss used by reporters to lump a bunch of people together for some kind of generational point they wanted to make.
The biggest reason why being lumped into that group never bothered me was that I never really considered myself to be a true member of the baby boom generation. Whenever I saw the term used I recognized it to be a code-word for hippies and ex-hippies. I was never even tempted to be a hippie so I blew it off.
Fast forward a few decades and here we are. The United States is becoming more unstable by the week, or so it seems, and “Boomers” are getting a lot of the blame. It’s not that we don’t have a lot to be blamed for but there is plenty of blame to go around.
When I see the finger pointing I think back to high school to one of my Boomer teachers. The teacher I have in mind taught my Western History class and was a consummate leftist. She told us one day that when in college she felt so strongly about peace that she advocated bombing R.O.T.C. buildings. Of course we all knew what she really meant was that she felt so strongly about Viet Cong victory that she advocated bombing R.O.T.C. buildings. Sigh, what was a fifteen year old kid supposed to do?
I tell that story so anyone reading this will understand that I am not letting the Boomers off the hook when it comes to our current troubles. However, the Boomers have passed the torch on to the following generations where many have been more than happy to follow in their footsteps.
How does this relate to Scripture? When Israel was facing destruction by the Babylonians they also pointed fingers at their forebears and blamed them for the impending doom. Both Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 18 discuss this. Here is some of what Ezekiel 18:1-2 has to say:
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
Does this seem familiar? Isn’t this the same as saying the Boomers messed up and now we are paying for it? Not so fast. The Lord has a lot to say about this in both Jeremiah and Ezekiel and it comes down to we only pay for our own sins. If Generations X, Y, and Z (and any other age based collective they dream up) thinks they are paying for my generation’s sins they might need to rethink that. Later in the same chapter Ezekiel tells us:
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
I do want to make a couple of points about this passage. When Ezekiel speaks of being righteous he means living in a righteous manner. Righteousness in the Old Testament meant living a life in alignment with God’s laws (in this case the Mosaic Law). This wasn’t a reference to imputed righteousness but a way of life that was righteous in terms of action. If you don’t believe me just read both the chapters I referenced and you will pick up on it quickly.
The other point is that you need to keep in mind that when the Lord told the people to live righteously and “they will save their life” He meant it quite literally. When the Babylonians finally conquered Israel there was a tremendous loss of life. Sure some of the unrighteous survived but all of the righteous did.
The United States isn’t Israel and I have considered that maybe these passages don’t apply to us. However if we understand that Jesus, who is God, is the same yesterday, today, and forever I don’t see why he wouldn’t extend me the same grace he did to Israel.
Do you want peace of mind and confidence in these uncertain times? If your answer is “yes” then get your act together, act righteously, and let the Lord provide for you.