Day 136 - Judges 1.1 - 2.5 and Psalm 136

 Michelle

So it seems that the people were not given another leader after Joshua, but were left with the knowledge that they still needed to follow God's commands, without an appointed person to oversee them.  I don't think this caused their downfall, it was the choices they were making.  They also didn't follow God's command to rid the land of the people there when they overtook them, instead they allowed them to stay there and live with them.  They had been warned that this would be their downfall and it seems that is what is happening.  At the end of the passage it says that God tells them, I told you they will become traps for you and their gods will become snares for you.  It also states at the beginning of this chapter that this is the next generation after Joshua.  It's as if their ancestors are not teaching them the past so they don't make the same mistakes in the future.  

The psalm is reminding us that God's love endures forever.  It says in the devotional that this was a song sung between the people and the priest in which the people's reply was that His love endures forever.  If you think about what we have read so far this proves accurate.  No matter what the people did God loved them and stayed with them even when he didn't help them because of their disobedience.  It is unconditional thru all things.  He loves us no matter the choices we make and he strives to return us to him when we stray.  It seems a never ending cycle for his people.  We only need to find our way and maintain our focus on God. 

Julie

I think that you found the theme of this reading. While it explained the different areas that they conquered, it shows that they did not complete the process as commanded by God. As usual, worldliness overtakes godliness.

"for his steadfast love endures forever," is the basis of this psalm. I love the way that you put it Michelle, by looking back and showing that regardless of what happened "his steadfast love endures forever." I think that verse 26 is one to continue to use as a reminder of this.