The Four S’s
(NRSV) Judges 2:1 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done! 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”
It has been some time since I wrote about the four S’s. This is the cycle that enslaved Israel for more than 300 years. Seven times in the Book of Judges, Israel falls into this destructive pattern.
- Sin: First, the people fall into sin by serving foreign gods.
- Slavery: Second, God allows them to be enslaved by foreign nations.
- Supplication: They cry out to God, begging for deliverance. .
- Salvation: God sends them a judge to save them.
The cycle of sin repeats over and over again, demonstrating that the judges would never be sufficient to make a lasting impact on the people’s lives. What they needed was a Savior.
Have you found yourself making the same mistakes repeatedly and then wondering where is God? May I assure you that the God of Israel is the same yesterday, today and forever? Today we rely not on judges, but instead the Holy Spirit abides within us, leading us to repentance, bringing us redemption found only through Jesus Christ, and reconciling sinful man to a holy God.
May we submit ourselves to Jesus, knowing only He is enough, only He can satisfy, only He can save.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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- Tagged: Faith, Jesus, Seeking Holiness, Wisdom
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