Recently, I decided to read the Bible in its entirety — something many of us, as Christians, aspire to do.
I began with Genesis, and now I’ve reached the book of Nehemiah. It’s fascinating to see how the events of world history unfolded and how intimacy with God gradually developed over time between humanity and its Creator.
As I read book after book, I noticed a recurring pattern in the texts. From the book of Exodus to the one I’m currently reading, God speaks, educates, and leads Israel. He repeats the same words over and over again, and I found myself wondering:
“Why? Surely by now they understand that You are their God, that they owe You obedience, respect, and devotion. That You are a jealous God and will not share Your glory — no idolatry allowed among Your people.”
Then I understood why.
First of all, these were warnings. God was reminding them that they had made a covenant with Him. When a parent reminds you of something you’re supposed to do or promised to do but you don’t, they’ll usually say:
“I’ve told you many times. You said you understood, but in the end, you did whatever you wanted. Now you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
Knowing Israel, God knew they would not keep the covenant or follow the laws. So He went ahead and overwhelmed them with reminders and warnings so they could never say:
“The Lord didn’t warn us. If we had known, we would have acted differently.”
Secondly, God wanted to leave a record of all these events so that future generations (us) could learn from them and be better prepared.
But the repetition wasn’t just in God’s words to Israel — it was especially evident in Israel’s behavior.
You see, near the end of Genesis, the people of Israel were in Egypt, living under Pharaoh’s protection thanks to Joseph, son of Jacob, who — after being sold into slavery by his brothers — had become Pharaoh’s right-hand man. At the time, Jacob and his family (Israel) were suffering from famine and were rescued by Joseph. They settled in Egypt, where they grew and became a multitude.
After Pharaoh and Joseph — their benefactors — died, Israel was enslaved by the Egyptians for over 400 years. Their cries reached the Lord, who raised up a deliverer from among them: Moses. Moses became the prophet of the Lord and led Israel toward the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey, promised to Jacob’s descendants.
The journey was full of trials, miracles, wonders, and displays of God’s power.
But that’s not the main point. The repetition lies in the relationship between Israel and God.
God chose Israel as His people because they were descendants of Abraham, His faithful servant. Therefore, He remained with them. Every time Israel cried out to Him, He responded. But once their prayers were answered, Israel turned away from Him (does that sound familiar, Christian?). This started just after their exodus from Egypt.
After escaping Pharaoh and his army, they reached the desert. The journey through the desert wasn’t supposed to be long — it was meant to be a shortcut to the Promised Land. But what happened?
They stayed there for 40 years. Why? Because they disrespected the Lord by worshipping other gods in His presence. That should have taught them a lesson — but no, they did worse.
They doubted God, questioned everything He said, to the point where God punished them by striking down many of them.
God tried to purge all rebellion from among them so they would listen. Yet despite this, nothing changed.
Moses eventually died in the desert without entering the Promised Land. God appointed Joshua to lead the people, to help them cross the desert and conquer the land. With Joshua as their leader and God as their Lord, they won their battles and Israel took possession of the land flowing with milk and honey.
You would think everything went well after that, right?
But what often happens when God blesses people?
They forget Him — and the promises they made to Him. Israel, now settled in their new land, ignored God’s laws. They worshipped other gods, built pagan altars, and offered sacrifices. So God raised up their enemies — survivors from the nations they had failed to destroy — to oppress them. Every time Israel forgot God, the Lord allowed one of these nations to rise against them. Then Israel would cry out to the Lord, and He would raise a judge to deliver them.
Once delivered, peace would reign for a while… until they fell back into their old ways.
Thus began the repeated cycle between Israel and God.
How could a people chosen and loved by God behave like this? Why didn’t God abandon them?
So many questions — but here are my conclusions:
- God didn’t want to destroy them because He had promised Noah (in Genesis) never to wipe out humanity again.
- Israel descended from Abraham, His beloved friend. Because of that covenant, God remained faithful to them.
- The years of slavery and war were punishments meant to bring them back to Him.
- Despite the miracles they witnessed, they kept sinning and doubting because many of them didn’t truly believe in God. They sought a god who would fulfill their desires — not a God who would guide them. Just like many Christians today who go from church to church chasing miracles instead of seeking Christ. Wolves in sheep’s clothing.
- A lack of knowledge. God had established laws and songs through Moses to be passed down from generation to generation. But over time, these became mere stories. Most of the new generation (born after the wars) had not seen God’s miracles — they had only heard tales. And when the parents themselves worshipped other gods, how could the children believe?
That’s why, in Judges 6:11–16, when the angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon, his response was:
“But sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our ancestors told us about?”
He saw God as a legend — not as his personal Savior.
All this repetition made me think about cycles.
Yes, we’ve all experienced cycles: menstruation, puberty, financial struggles, illness…
But as Christians, there is nothing worse than falling into spiritual cycles — where we fall, turn away from God, and then come back (sometimes), seeking His grace. The more these cycles repeat, the more the devil tries to convince us that God is tired of us and our failures. That is absolutely false. Just look at God’s relationship with Israel. No matter how many times they fell, God was always there.
Moreover, cycles reveal weaknesses — spiritual gaps we must address. That’s where we need to ask the Lord for help.
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father,
What should I do? I have fallen into sin once again.
These back-and-forths exhaust me and break me down.
I want to be freed from everything that doesn’t come from You and walk according to Your will.
I’ve tried with all my strength, but I’ve failed.
But Your Son, our Lord JESUS CHRIST, said that He left us the Holy Spirit to renew us and guide us.
Let Your Holy Spirit renew me, O JESUS.
May I be transformed in His presence, so I no longer fall into cycles of temptation and sin.
Strengthen me and keep me.
In the mighty name of JESUS CHRIST I pray,
AMEN.
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