Why Do Believers Face The Same Struggles Repeatedly?

The generation that had spent forty years in the wilderness and had seen how God had enabled them to win against their enemies understood the role God played in their lives.  The next generation took the blessings for granted because they had not faced the same trials.  As a result they began worshipping the God’s of their neighbors.  As a result, God allowed them to be conquered by various other countries, but he did not stop caring about them, as Judges 2:16 tells us.  “Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.”

 

Unfortunately, each generation repeated the same mistakes because they failed to learn from their parents and grandparents, as Judges 2:17 describes.  “And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.”  The book of Judges records thirteen times over a period of almost five hundred years that Israel followed the pattern described in Judges 2:18-19.  “And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.  And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.”

 

Because successive generations of Israel kept taking God’s blessings for granted and turning away. God left several groups among them to teach each generation their need for hid blessings, as Judges 2:20-3:4 explains.  “And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;  I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.  Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua. Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.  And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”

 

People tend to adopt the attitudes and standards of those around them, and the Israelites were no exception, as Judges 3:5-8 describes.  “And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.  Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.”

 

It is not clear who Cushanrishathaim is, but he was from the area around Babylon. Like Chedorlaomer in Genesis 14, he was attempting to extend his kingdom to include Syria and Palestine.  After just eight years, Israel rebelled under the leadership of Caleb’s nephew, as described in Judges 3:9-11.  “And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.  And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.  And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.”  Israel’s defeat of Cushanrishathaim’s army likely ended his hopes of expanding his empire before it was well established, leaving few records.

 

God still uses the people around us to make us aware of our dependence on him, bringing judgement on us when we stray from following him.   Like Israel, each generation seems to have to relearn the same lessons.