Articles
Learning From History
We have probably heard someone say, "Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it." The truthfulness of that statement is, unfortunately, seen many times throughout this world's history, for man keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over; quite often it is because someone didn't learn from past mistakes, whether one's own or someone else's. The reality of not learning from history is that the same mistakes bring the same sad results.
As people who are primarily interested in spiritual matters, the long list of men, corporations, governments, and nations not learning from history — and the sad and sometimes tragic consequences of not learning from history — should be a serious warning to us. In these matters, when we fail to learn from history, there can be fatal consequences; in spiritual matters, when we fail to learn from history, the consequences could be eternal! That alone should cause us to pay closer attention, and to seriously consider the lessons from history so we can make better choices now and in the future.
Learning from history should be important to any professing believer, if only for the fact God commands we do learn from history. Paul reminded the Roman brethren that they must look back to the example of Christ's suffering as a pattern for their own willingness to suffer for the sake of others, then concluding, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). If those “things…written before” were for their learning, they are for our learning, too — plus those things Paul and the New Testament writers have given us.
Paul also wrote to the brethren of Corinth to consider the example of the Israelites who fell in the wilderness because of a lack of faith in God, warning, “Now these things became our examples” (1 Cor. 10:6), and later stating, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11). The history of their failures was recorded by the inspired writers “for our admonition” — a record that should caution us against following their example of unfaithfulness. If we follow their pattern of unbelief and disobedience, we cannot say we didn't know!
The writer of Hebrews noted this same example of the Israelites' unbelief and disobedience (Heb. 3:8-19), and then urged the readers, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12), and then in stronger words, warned, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Heb. 4:11).
The reality is, all of the Bible record is history from which we should learn lessons. The Bible is the history of God's dealings with man, His promises and their fulfillment, His work and its testimony about Him, His plan for our salvation and the record of those who followed it, and the people and events throughout time that brought a Savior to this earth who died for our sins and has since ascended into heaven. The New Testament writers pointed back to the Old Testament records numerous times, and taught many lessons, demonstrated God's faithfulness through the fulfillment of promises and prophecies, and [as we have already noted] admonished us by the examples set by those of old; now, we look back at the New Testament writers and learn lessons from them, as well as from those of the Old Testament.
Those New Testament writers were not averse to pointing back to history to teach lessons, and neither was Jesus. In His strongest rebuke, Jesus condemned the religious leaders of the first century who adorned the tombs of the prophets, as if they were honoring them for their good work; to these hypocrites, Jesus noted, “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets” (Matt. 23:31); they would follow in their steps because they did not learn from history. When Stephen stood before these same religious leaders later, he would likewise point back to the historical record — one they knew as well as anyone — and then bluntly asked his audience, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it” (Acts 7:52, 53). They still had not learned from history!
When we don't learn from history, we will likely make the same bad choices and will suffer the same sad consequences. The thing is, we don't have to go way back to the Old Testament period, or even the first century, to learn lessons form history; all we have to do is look back at the history of the Lord's church in this country to learn some important lessons. We don't even have to go back 150 years to the Restoration Era to learn from history.
Those who do learn from history will tell you that those who do not are making the same mistakes, making the same faulty arguments, following the same path into error, and leading souls astray as did those of old. When we do not look back and consider the errors of those before us, it is possible that we will unknowingly follow them down the same paths and end up where they did (cf. Matt. 7:13).
While we might be sure our actions, thoughts and arguments are newly-discovered and some new 'understanding' no one ever noticed before after 2000 years and millions of individuals' study, the truth is that it's probably been said or done in some form or another already. As the wise writer said many years ago [History!], “there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). It could be that not only have we not learned from history, but also haven't learned how to be humble. Before I jump into some line of thinking, practice, or argument, I would do well to consider history and see if it has been said or done, and if the practice has been proven true by the Scripture's record, or if the argument has already been refuted by a deeper study or a more honest look into the Scriptures. Before I jump into some line of thinking, practice, or argument, I would do well to consider whether or not I am simply pressing my personal desires, instead of honestly and accurately interpreting and applying God's word.
This world has a history that some would rather forget, but we must not forget. Our nation has a history that some would rather forget, but we must not forget. It is possible that our family has a history we would rather forget, but we must not forget. Each one of us probably has a history we would all rather forget, too, but we must not forget. We must learn from history.
With all this said, we must remember and learn from history, but we must not live in it and we should not wallow in it. Paul said it well when he wrote, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13, 14). Once we have learned from the past, let us then turn our eyes to the future and press toward the goal. Heaven awaits!
—— Steven Harper
