Judges: Repeating CyclesSample

Over time, the people of Israel drifted away from God, choosing to worship other gods instead. Each time they turned their backs to him, God allowed other nations to step in as a form of discipline—calling them back to him. It became a repeated cycle: Israel would turn away, cry out for help, experience God’s rescue and blessing…and then drift again.

Each time Israel turned away from God, he sent someone—a “Judge”—to help them find their way again. (That’s why it’s called the book of Judges!) The first time in Judges that Israel turned away from God, he sent Othniel. Empowered by the Spirit of God, he led Israel against their captors, and the land had peace...until they turned away from God again. God sent Israel’s enemies against them, they cried out to God, and God sent Ehud. Ehud delivered Israel, and there was peace for eighty years. But you can probably guess what happened next. Israel turned away from God again, God sent their enemies against them, they cried out to God, and God sent Shamgar, who also delivered Israel. Again and again, Israel turned away from God.

God knew this would happen. He chose Israel out of all the nations of the earth. Before they were even a nation, he promised their ancestor Abraham that God would give him many descendants and make them a great nation. But along with that promise was the promise that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham. This is the promise of a Savior. God knew they would need someone to save them from their sins.

Just as we do. And that promise is for us, too, if we believe in Jesus Christ. He died on a cross for our sake so that we can be forgiven, and he rose from the dead so that we can have eternal life. Do you believe this?

Prayer: Dear God, you are faithful to all the promises you have made. Even when we mess up, you offer forgiveness through a relationship with Jesus. Help me to trust you in every circumstance. Amen.