Old Testament reading: Judges 1-3
The book of Judges begins an unsavory period in Israel’s history. The period of the judges was one of disobedience and rebellion followed by Divine retribution for sin in the form of persecution and enslavement to neighboring nations. After a period of slavery, God would raise up judges to deliver Israel for a time, only for them to fall back into their old ways and receiving the penalty of their errors (Heb 2:2). In all there are seven such cycles recorded in Judges. Of particular interest to me is the timing of the various lengths of obedience. Forty years, or about one generation, seems to be the norm. From this we should learn that EVERY generation needs to be thoroughly instructed in the ways of the Lord. Growing up in the church, I always heard that the church was only one generation from apostasy. Judges serves to illustrate this truth. While the entire church will never go into apostasy in such fashion, individual congregations will. When we get away from instilling the faith’s fundamentals in our children and reminding them to our adults, error and indifference to truth invariably result.
New Testament reading: Revelation 8-11
After a brief interlude between chapters 6 and 7 in reference to the opening of the seals, chapter 8 notes the opening of the seventh and final seal. I love the imagery of Revelation 8:3-4 as an angel offers incense before God’s throne as a supplement of sorts to the prayers of the saints. Whatever is about to take place is so unbelievably dreadful so as to warrant additional intercession for the saints. As we continue reading, we see a devastating succession of four plagues following the opening of the seventh and final seal on the Lamb’s scroll. These plagues were poured out upon the earth, seas, fresh waters and heavens. Before the remaining three trumpets were to be sounded, an angel pronounces “a triple woe” upon the inhabitants of the earth in viewing of the following two trumpets and the associated plagues. These two plagues were poured out on mankind. So horrifying was the first plague that John said men would “seek death and not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.” Ouch.
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