Avoiding the Cycle

I have been reading through the book of Judges lately.  Every morning, before work, I try to read at least a chapter.  To be completely honest, most times it is tough to derive a practical application from this book. Often it's like I'm just reading a story, or the screenplay to an action movie.  I have read about various judges who stepped up and delivered Israel from bondage that was a result of their own sin.  Guys like Ehud, the Jack Bauer of Judges; Barak, the relentless pursuer of the enemy; Gideon, the humble but fierce warrior; and Samson, the sinfully arrogant hero, have filtered through my imagination like characters from a novel.  Reading their stories has been exciting, but not really practical. I mean, I guess I could use their stories to learn how to annihilate enemies, or save a nation, but that wouldn't be very practical either.  What can a person really get from such a violent and historical book?  How can the stories of the judges and the rescues really change my life?  I have been wondering that lately, and I think I finally have the answer.

The judges existed in the first place because the people of Israel were in bondage and oppression.  Enemy nations came in and overpowered them.  This wasn't just a trial or test of faith, however.  The oppression was a result of their own sin.  The people of Israel had compromised their standards, had departed from God's law, and had begun to serve false gods, which warranted the anger of God and brought about their suffering.  Once the suffering began and the people realized how wrong they had been, they cried out to God and God brought in a hero - Ehud, Barak, Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and others.  These people were chosen by God to clean up Israel's mess, to get them out of trouble.  After delivering the Israelites, he or she would serve as Judge over the nation for years, some twenty, some forty, some ten.  They would lead and guide Israel and keep them on track for a while, but when they died, things went back to the beginning.  Israel would sin again and turn away from God.  After a while, they would find themselves in oppression and bondage.  Soon, a new Judge would rise up and rescue them.  This cycle continues throughout the book of Judges and it makes the nation of Israel look extremely pathetic, ungrateful, and utterly hopeless, as they consistently turn their backs on God after He has done so much for them, after He has saved their lives and destroyed their enemies, after He has provided guidance and leadership through a judge.

At first, I found myself to be a little annoyed with the people of Israel.  They just seemed like life-long failures and losers who couldn't let go of their sinful ways.  But the more I read the stories, the deeper I got into the whole scene, the more I realized - this is me!  I am Israel.  I have turned my back on God too many times to count.  I have found myself not long after facing the consequences of my sins, and then crying out to God to deliver me.  I have accepted God's salvation and deliverance and then slowly turned my back on Him once again, only to go through the cycle all over again.  I have lived the cycle.  I have been stuck in it.  I have been Israel to God!  And over and over again, God has saved me.  He has always delivered me.  He has always gotten me out of my messes and made things glorious. 

Psalm 86:5 says, "God is good, and ready to forgive, and abounding in loving kindness to all who call upon Him."  How true is that?  It's certainly been true in my life.  Consistently, God has proven Himself to be good, to be ready and willing to forgive me, and to be full of mercy and love every time I call upon Him.  He has been patient with me, even through the cycle of disobedience.  And over and over again, I have taken all of it for granted. 

So, instead of reading the book of Judges and trying to figure out how to be more like Gideon or Ehud, maybe I should be trying to figure out how not to be like Israel.  Maybe instead of digging deep and looking for some never-before-seen practical application, maybe the only thing I am supposed to get from reading this book is the warning to not find myself in that cycle ever again.  I am thankful that God has delivered me from it now, but there is always the danger of falling right back into it, in pursuit of things that I know are wrong.  So, I will keep reading the stories.  I will continue to study the events.  If anything, they make excellent bedtime stories to put my wife to sleep.  And I will keep in mind that I have been through it all before, but God, who is rich in mercy, has saved me and pulled me out, hopefully this time for good.