While doing my Bible read-through, I keep being struck by how many times Israel fell back into doing "evil in the sight of the Lord". At first, I was feeling a little self-righteous, thinking "when do they ever get it?!?!?"
Then I thought of my own habit of sliding back into sin on a daily basis.
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I was telling someone something my late auntie said about Thanksgiving and that every day should be one of thanksgiving for us all. It's not about food or even being together - thought that is nice It's about being thankful. People not able to be with their families still should be thankful; those who don't even have homes should be thankful, and those of us who are going through whatever life is throwing at us should be thankful. Thankful for our own wanderings and journey through this life to a reunion with our eternal family.
When I think of how loving and forgiving God is to Israel and all of us Gentiles, every moment is one of thanksgiving.
Sorry. Rant over.
Anyway.
Here is a list I culled using eSword to find all the times the phrase "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" is used. This doesn't cover all the variations on the phrase, but it is a reminder to me of God's forgiveness.
(Jdg 2:11) And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
(Jdg 3:7) And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
(Jdg 3:12) And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
(Jdg 4:1) And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD after Ehud died.
(Jdg 6:1) The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.
(Jdg 10:6) The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the LORD and did not serve him.
(Jdg 13:1) And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
(1Ki 11:6) So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.
(1Ki 14:22) And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.
(1Ki 15:26) He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.
(1Ki 15:34) He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.
(1Ki 16:25) Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him.
(1Ki 22:52) He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
(2Ki 3:2) He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
(2Ki 8:18) And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
(2Ki 8:27) He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab.
(2Ki 13:2) He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them.
(2Ki 13:11) He also did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them.
(2Ki 14:24) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.
(2Ki 15:9) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.
(2Ki 15:18) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.
(2Ki 15:24) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.
(2Ki 15:28) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin.
(2Ki 17:2) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
(2Ki 21:2) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.
(2Ki 21:16) Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
(2Ki 21:20) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done.
(2Ki 23:32) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
(2Ki 23:37) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
(2Ki 24:9) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.
(2Ki 24:19) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
(2Ch 21:6) And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
(2Ch 22:4) He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing.
(2Ch 33:2) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.
(2Ch 33:22) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them.
(2Ch 36:5) Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
(2Ch 36:9) Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
(2Ch 36:12) He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD.
(Jer 52:2) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
By the way, that is 39 verses. I love eSword so much for this. I am going to tape this list near my desk so that I see it every day. Instead of wagging my head at the hardheaded nature of my ancient Israelites siblings, I need to just do better myself. Every. Day. And I can take a lesson from Israel: they always repented and turned back to the Lord.
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| Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, (Acts 3:19 NASB) |
Peace
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