The Story: Chapter 8 The Bible: Judges 2-21
The full expression from which this devotional takes its title is Round and round it goes, and where it stops nobody knows. The expression is used to denote a situation or pattern of events that repeats itself seemingly endlessly. And so it was with the Israelite nation with the exception that God alone knew where the cycle would cease its repetition. Here is the summary:
Judges 2:7 The people worshiped the LORD throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.
Judges 2:10-13 That entire generation passed away; a new generation grew up that had not personally experienced the LORD’s presence or seen what he had done for Israel. The Israelites did evil before the LORD by worshiping the Baals. They abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped them and made the LORD angry. They abandoned the LORD and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
Judges 2:16-17 The LORD raised up leaders who delivered them from these robbers. But they did not obey their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned aside from the path their ancestors had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the LORD’s commands, but they did not.
Judges 2:18-19 When the LORD raised up leaders for them, the LORD was with each leader and delivered the people from their enemies while the leaders remained alive. The LORD felt sorry for them when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. When a leader died, the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one. They would follow after other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They did not give up their practices or their stubborn ways.
And so the cycle continued…
àDisobedience & Rebellion
àThe LORD would rescue by raising up a judge to lead them
(Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon also called Jerub-Baal, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson – it wasn’t as if the Israelites weren’t given enough chances!)
àPartial or Temporary Obedience
(only as long as the leader remained alive and life was “good”, then the next generation would prove to be even more corrupt and evil would once again prevail)
àback to Disobedience & Rebellion
Are we any different today? Oh, I know we do not live under the old covenant but under the new covenant of life in Christ. But don’t we follow the same pattern?
Straying from the path of righteousness
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
God rescues us and sets us back on track
Romans 4:7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
We obey temporarily while life is “good”
Then comfort sets in and we return to our old ways.
Ephesians 4:22-5:5 excerpts …put off your old self … put off falsehood … get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander… nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place
Round and round it goes…but where it stops, be certain GOD DOES KNOW!
Matthew 24:42, 44 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. … Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Where do you find yourself in the cycle? Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s merciful salvation through grace. Thank your Heavenly Father for Grace to face every trial, challenge, or situation without yielding to the world’s whims. Thank God for the inner courage to stop the cycle and remain faithful to Him.
The devotional Round and Round It Goes appeared first on Write From My Heart at
https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
General format for WFMH devotionals will follow the pattern of chapters outlined in The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, M. Lucado & R. Frazee, Zondervan, 2005, 2008, 2011.
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