Monday, August 28, 2006
1 Corinthians 10:11 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.
LEARNING FROM HISTORY
When I was young I loved the study of History. I have always enjoyed
learning about people and places and what has happened in the past.
Not everyone is like that though. Many of my friends preferred math,
science or some other subject to the study of the past. Do you like
history? How well do you know your Bible History? Most of us have a
much better grasp on New Testament Bible History than on Old
Testament History. For many people it has been years since they read
through the books of the Old Testament -- if they have read them at
all!
As New Testament believers in Christ we find the books of the New
Testament very valuable because of their focus on Christ. While our
pastors constantly remind us (especially during Advent and Lent) that
Christ is clearly revealed in the Old Testament, it may seem that
Christ is much harder to find there.
In the Bible verse we are considering this morning, the Apostle Paul
reminds us (New Testament believers) of the importance of knowing our
Old Testament Bible History. If you have the opportunity to read the
first ten verses of this chapter you will see that Paul describes a
number of Old Testament Bible stories: The pillar of fire and cloud
that protected and led the Children of Israel in the wilderness; the
crossing of the Red Sea; the LORD providing water for His people from
a rock; the worship of the golden calf; the people's idolatry in Moab;
their disobedience and the account of the Bronze serpent; and their
grumbling against God in the wilderness. Then Paul says: "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."
It was my father who first told me: If we don't learn from history,
we are bound to repeat it. Oh how true! And it is also true
spiritually! We should read, know and understand our religious
history described in the books of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit
recorded them and has preserved them for us to know and learn from.
May God grant that we may learn from Old Testament history and see
our Savior in it!
