Understanding and Overcoming Cycles

Judges 2

Rachel’s story – 

“And they were in terrible distress” (2:15b)

Why is Israel struggling in the land?

1. Some of the Canaanites had better weapons (1:19).

* Never inflate or deflate the significance of partial victory!

2. Israel refused to obey God’s voice (2:2) – “You have not obeyed my voice”

3. God gave Israel what they wanted (2:3) – “I will not drive them out”

4. Israel failed to pass truth to the next generation (2:6-10) – “There arose another generation”

5. Israel was caught in a spiraling cycle (2:11-20).

The Cycle of “Terrible Distress”

They abandoned the Lord (12)

The Lord raised up judges (16)

The Lord gave them over (14)

They groan (18) or cry out (3:9, 15)6. God was testing Israel (2:21-23) – “In order to test Israel by them”

7. God was training Israel in war (3:2) – “to teach war to those who had not known it before”

Why is Israel struggling in the land?

Because our brokenness goes deeper and wider than we realize, God’s salvation goes deeper and wider than we expected.

Deep idols

1. Idols of power – 
2. Idols of approval – 
3. Idols of comfort – 
4. Idols of control – 

We go to war daily?