The Role of History

“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.”

Psalm 143:5

History is an important subject. We learn about history in our schools, museums, movies, documentaries, and books. Historical events have been written down, and more recently recorded on film or video, to help us learn from the past. History has much to teach us if we pay attention.

However, in recent years there has been a movement to change history to reflect current thought. This is very dangerous because history is a record of events written down at the time they happened. People changing history today weren’t there when it happened and are therefore infusing current thinking into situations that they have no direct experience with. Consequently, they distort reality to fit their own ideas and agenda.

The Bible also contains a record of the history of God’s relationship to His people. And there are also some who want to change that history, or reinterpret it, to fit modern times. But that is also very dangerous and is an attempt to change God and His Word (Malachi 3:6).

In this month’s blog I want to discuss the role of history and what I call the 6 R’s of history. First, on the positive side of what we should do, I will share the first 3 R’s. Those are to record history, to read history, and then to remember history.

First of all, history must be recorded so that people in the future will know what happened and why in our times (Exodus 17:14). If we fail to record or document what happened, then future generations will not learn from, or know, the truth of what took place today. For example, during World War II, General Dwight Eisenhower ordered that photos and film be taken of the Jews and concentration camps so that the evidence would be recorded and not forgotten or distorted in the future. Today, the nation of Iran is attempting to deny the holocaust despite all of the evidence to the contrary!  He understood the importance of recording history. Similarly, The Bible records the history of the Jewish people and the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, so that we may believe and trust in Jesus today! The documentation for Jesus as the Messiah and His death and resurrection is overwhelming and cannot be refuted, though some people still try.

Second, history must be read so that we can know what happened in the past that can inform us today. If we fail to read and study history, then we will likely not know the truth of what happened in the past and why. Knowing history helps us to appreciate what our ancestors did, how they suffered, and how they helped build a better future for us today. Reading history can also help us to better understand how we got to where we are today and why things are the way they are. The Bible reveals the history of God’s relationship with his people and why Jesus came to earth to save us from our sin (John 3:16). Without the Bible we may never have fully known what God did, why Jesus came, and why it matters to us as human beings.

Third, history must be remembered so that we learn the lessons of the past (1 Chronicles 16:12). When we look at history from a present-day perspective, we can see the mistakes that were made that we can now avoid. We can also see what was done right and how those decisions in the past have benefited us today. Today, we celebrate our relationship with God in history though Christmas (Jesus’ birth), Easter (Jesus’ resurrection), and Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit). And we celebrate Holy Communion in our churches regularly to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross! (Luke 22:19)

The second 3 R’s are on the negative side, what we should not do. These are that we should not rewrite history, we should not relive history, and we should not repeat history.

The first thing we must not do is try to rewrite history. History is exactly that – history! It is a recording of events that took place in the past at the time they took place. To rewrite something today that happened long ago does not help us learn from the past. Instead, it alters the truth and reality of the past to suit current attitudes and beliefs. Its only purpose is to create a false narrative for political or other deceptive purposes. As Christians we must be on guard against those who would try to alter Scripture (or reinterpret it) to suit man’s agenda, not God’s purpose (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The second thing we should not do is to relive history. As much as we may have enjoyed our youth or days in the past, we cannot go back to that time. If we try to relive the past in the present day, we will find that it is not the same and never will be. I lived and worked in London, England for a year from 1987-1988. I enjoyed those days immensely with my English experiences and my family. But if I were to go back and live in London today, everything would be different – the people, the culture, where I lived, etc. It could never be the same no matter how much I want it to be, and I would be disappointed. We are wise to live in the present and not the past! “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18)

The third thing we must not do is to repeat history. Much of our personal and national history is full of errors and mistakes that caused us, or our nation, suffering and pain. Some examples might include our past bad behavior or our nation’s struggle with slavery. And all of us would probably agree that we would never want to make those mistakes again or go back to those times. The Bible teaches us that when we put our faith in Jesus, we are a new creation, that the old is gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). After knowing how Jesus died for our sins on the cross, why would we ever want to go back to our old life again?

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:4 that “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  In other words, The Bible is our history and reminds us of what a great and loving God we have and what an incredible Savior He gave us in Jesus!

So, let us not seek to change history. Instead, let us remember it and learn from it so that we may live purposeful and productive lives for God and our world!