History repeats itself . . .

1 Kings 20; Psalm 106; Daniel 2; 1 Thessalonians 3

History does repeat itself. As I read the Old Testament along with the NT, I see patterns in the way God deals with His people and in the way we respond to Him. Some of it is wonderful, such as salvation from bondage in Egypt. It is a picture of redemption through faith. The people cried out in their misery and God heard them. He demanded nothing from them except to follow the one He sent to take them out of slavery and into freedom. How like the Gospel!

Later, God gave laws to show His people how to live as His distinctive children. Some of these laws were about worship and sacrifices which would later change when Jesus came, yet all of God’s laws defined them as different. They were no longer in bondage but free to choose and to show their faith in God by how they lived. Unfortunately, they struggled with that. Psalm 106 outlines some of what happened:

While they left Egypt with joy and a lot of loot, they soon “rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea, yet (God) saved them for his name’s sake that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy . . . then they believed his words and sang his praise.”

It didn’t last long. The rest of the psalm highlights the problems, but also the grace and mercy of God. “But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel” and put God to the test. Later, some were jealous of their leader but God destroyed those rebels.

Then they made a calf and “worshiped metal image” exchanging the glory of God for the image of an ox. They forgot God who had saved them and He was going to destroy them had not Moses interceded for them. Once they were in the land God promised them, they “despised the pleasant land” and had “no faith in his promise” but instead complained and did not obey Him. They provoked His anger with their behavior and he sent a plague. All would have died but a godly man interceded and the plague stopped. Their behavior angered Moses who lost his temper and spoke rashly — to his regret.

When in their land, they were supposed to destroy all that went against them but they didn’t do that. The “mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.” They served their idols, sacrificed their children, and idolatry made them unclean. “Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.” (Psalm 106:43)

Pay attention to the daily news and change the names . . . history does repeat itself. Rebellion against God and against living godly lives still happens. The pattern in my own spiritual life has stumbled at times just like the pattern displayed over the centuries outlined in this psalm. What happens next? Was this the end? Did God lose patience and give up? Is that His pattern? Not at all!

Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord! (Psalm 106:44–48)

Even before Jesus came to give His own life and enabled the people of God to live like people of God, the Lord remembered His covenant made long before, a covenant of love and promised blessing. He kept it in Christ, and He keeps it each time His followers mess up and each time I mess up. Salvation is of the Lord and I rejoice. I could never save myself by obedience but I can be obedient because God saved me and keeps on saving me.

APPLY: Never give up. Do not live like I’m part of this pagan world but live as a child of God should live — trusting Jesus with everything and about everything — doing what He tells me to do because I want Him to be glorified.