Repetition

[gbear]

Deu 12:8 - "You shall not at all do as we are doing here today--every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes--

Jdg 17:6 - In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Jdg 21:25 - In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Pro 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Pro 16:25 - There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
While reading through the book of Judges, I discovered some repeats in scripture. Different scriptures, but exactly the same words. This has to be significant. These statements of Truth are so important and foundational that God has repeated them to us word for word.
In the book of Judges, there a couple examples of people like myself... like Gideon, who first didn’t believe that God could use him, then was emboldened by faith and God used him in a mighty way. He really was on the right track, but then turned to idolatry (Jdg 8: 23-27).
Another like myself... Samson... having all the advantages, but simply gave himself over to the lust of the flesh. There is just a simple repeat of God’s people turning to the Lord, and then turning back to their own ways. Like the Lord has to teach us the lesson over and over again... and we still don’t get it.
Now the two above scriptures in Judges are interesting because the word "Israel" means literally *God prevails*, it can also be translated *governed by God*. Well it certainly doesn’t appear that God is prevailing or governing during the time of the Judges. But wait a minute. He is in control after all, even if we do desire to govern ourselves.
If you have time, I’d like you to read Judges Chapter 19. This will show you how low the people of God have sunk into moral depravity and how out of touch with Gods intention for them they had become.
There are three good reasons why we need to repeat God’s Word and why God must repeat His Word to us:
1- The sin nature in our hearts causes us to believe the lie of our own ways.
Jer 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Essentially, without God, we have no clue about what’s wrong with us.
2- Without God, our hearts and minds do not cease from evil.
Gen 6:5 - Then the LORD* saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
This verse is a statement made before God calls Noah to build the ark and just before the great flood... I want to focus in on some words in this verse... every, only and continually. And what is God talking about?? Wicked intentions and evil thoughts of the heart.
3- Man’s society without God is growing by leaps and bounds in our present day.
Luk 17:26 - "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
Luk 17:27 - "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
People who do not know the Lord will not see this... they will say it has always been like this. But God’s people see it getting worse and worse.

2Ti 3:1 - BUT know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2Ti 3:2 - For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 - unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
2Ti 3:4 - traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2Ti 3:5 - having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

2Pe 3:3 - knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 - and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
So I guess the whole point is, don’t get sucked back into the world... if you are truly a Christian, you definitely won’t feel at home there... Also, that we need repeating of Christian exercise over and over and over again as we walk in the world.
Jesus said in John 15, latter part of that chapter that the world hates us because it hated him first... but He also said in John 3 that God loves the world and gave His only begotten Son. So there is this paradox where we shun the ways of the world but scatter seed amongst people who are in the world by showing the same love Jesus displayed on the cross.

 

[graysparrow]

There is a problem, that the monarchy is almost aways depicted as sinful in Scripture, even as contrary to God's Will

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
(1Sa 8:1-7 KJV)

Not to mention that even the best of Israeli kings do a lot of sin (even Solomon in his late years) and it only makes worse from there, making the procehpy true.

And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
(1Sa 8:11-20 KJV)