Repetition

Do you ever get tired of repetition? It can get boring if overdone. It’s a necessary tool in learning, though. Remember when we learned to count or say the alphabet or the books of the Bible? We learned by many, many repetitions. That’s exercise for the mind. And how about reps in physical exercise? Those are beneficial for the muscles.

In music, I am critical of some of the newer songs that repeat the same word of phrase over and over. But yet I appreciate the repeated hallelujahs in the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Strange that some repetition is more enjoyable, valuable and necessary than others, isn’t it?

Can you think of some illustrations of repetition in the Scripture? When things are repeated there, we had better pay attention. God doesn’t waste words. Each one is meaningful. When Isaiah saw his vision of the Lord on His throne, the angels were gathered around and calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). And when John saw his vision of the throne of God, the heavenly creatures never stopped saying, “Holy. holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8, NIV). I miss singing the old hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” which is based on those verses. The repetition here of the word “holy” draws our attention to God’s holiness. How we need to remember that emphasis! We don’t have trouble remembering His love and mercy, but how often do we meditate on His holiness? And how do we live when we do remember? Over and over in the Old Testament, God said to His people, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2, NIV). Peter reminded the New Testament believers of those words when he said, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy” (I Peter 1:16, NIV).

Here’s another example of repetition. Paul learned how to be content and to rejoice in all situations. And he challenged his friends to do the same. In his letter to the church at Philippi, he said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, NIV). Why did he say it twice? Obviously, for emphasis. So let’s go about rejoicing today. After all, we can’t take it lightly that a holy God chose us to be His own children. If we have to suffer, so be it. We can’t expect to be exempt from that, knowing that His own Son suffered more than we ever will. And we have the assurance that the best is yet to come. “Rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (I Peter 1:6-8, NIV). Is the repetition sinking in?