Judges 2:7-23
Verse 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
It didn’t take long after their reaching the Promised Land for God’s people to be forget all He had commanded them. Even though God finished His list of commands with how they were not to covet the belongings of others, as soon as His people marched into their new land they started looking at all the current occupants had. It didn’t take long until what they were wanting were the gods of their neighbors.
It was this discontentment with God as their leader which had them looking elsewhere for someone to replace Him. As they saw their neighbors worshiping gods who were satisfied with sacrifices but didn’t boss them around much, the Israelites seem to decide God Almighty was asking too much of them. Why should they have to obey a God they couldn’t see when those around them are living lives they wanted?
One of the biggest problems with this thinking was their discontentment would rub off on their children and in bigger portions. When we are not living according to God’s commands, our children will live even less according to them. If we are not obeying God it is likely we are teaching them to live by His commands. This was the exact problem happening in the time of the judges. They were in a constant cycle of disobedience, not teaching their children, suffering for not following God, begging God for deliverance, God sending a judge, and repentance.
They had forgotten it wasn’t just about obeying God’s commands, because He said so, God had made a covenant with them which meant they had responsibility to Him. While they wanted God to give them everything they wanted, they weren’t willing to keep their side of the covenant. They didn’t want God as the Lord of their lives, they wanted to be lords of their own life. Only when things went badly did they repent, this was the reason the cycle continued. This is the same reason we get caught in similar cycles.
Making It Personal
Do you have a similar cycle in your life? Does your family show the cycle? How can you make sure you don’t fall into the cycle?
Making It Personal Kids
Does watching your mom and dad help you know how to love Jesus? Does Jesus want you to obey Him only when you feel like it? Do you always want to obey Him?
Closing Prayer
Father, we repent of not being as intentional as we should of following You and therefore leading others to a shallower faith. Give us hearts which desire Your will above our own in every situation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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