We’ve all heard the quote a thousand times. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The quote is attributed to George Santayana, a prolific writer, poet, and professor of philosophy at Harvard in the late 1800’s. It was later rephrased in 1948 by Winston Churchill as he addressed parliament, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” It has since been altered countless times yet it’s meaning always stays true. History is cyclical in it’s nature. And it’s never ending cycle is shaped and defined by the one constant that drives it…the human heart.
So, if the saying is indeed true, then where is the warning today? I mean some really bad stuff has happened in history and if we have indeed failed to learn anything from it, then we will simply repeat said failures again, right? So where are the warnings? Where are the flashing lights and sirens? Where are the big red signs warning of danger ahead? They lie before us in plain sight. They are camouflaged in black ink on white paper. They are hidden within pages that few will ever read. The warnings of history lie within a book that rebellious hearts refuse to open.
In 1 Samuel chapter 12 today we see the swan song of Samuel. Saul is now established as king and Samuel is “old and gray.” (1 Sam 12:2) We are poised to see yet another great man of God retire to Heaven to enjoy the solitude of gazing upon his maker. As he prepares to be taken home, he has some final words. And folks, there is no truer, more honest words, than a person’s last.
As Samuel addresses the Israelites with his last words, he steals some thunder from George Santayana and issues a warning. And that warning materializes in nothing more than a history lesson on Israel. You see, he knew this principle far before Mr. Santayana conjured it. Samuel had seen history repeat itself. He had studied the scrolls that Moses wrote. He had seen people’s rebellious hearts. He saw the idol worship, the false gods, the sin, the wars, and the slavery that those rebellious hearts brought. And he simply and boldly told the people, if you follow God with all of your heart, He will bless and preserve you. But if you go after other gods and worship sin, He will reject you and judge you for your rebellion. Samuel stood and with perfect calm spoke to them, if you don’t look at your history and learn from the mistakes your ancestors made, you will repeat their pain.
Samuel was not the first man of God to simply use the history of Israel to warn the people. In fact, it seems it is God’s preferred method of warning. All that needs to be mentioned is the harsh cyclical pattern of God’s people and how they have dealt with Him since the beginning of time. A cycle of insanity that continues to spin even today. The people start by tiring of God, His rules, and His statues. God’s rules for life have become cumbersome, tiring and well, restrictive. God’s people desire what their flesh desires and to satisfy that flesh, they must rebel against God. The people seek out sex, murder, idols, false gods, and all that their sinful hearts can concoct. But God warns them of their sin. He warns them through His Word, His prophets, His priests, and His other leaders. The people, embroiled in their sin, refuse to listen and the judgement of God rains down upon them. God’s people are sold into slavery, killed in battle, forcefully absorbed into different cultures and effectively scattered and erased. As a result, the people realize their great sin against God, repent of their wrongs and cry out to God to save them. God hears the cries of repentant hearts and is faithful to save them. He raises up a man or woman to save the people. And because this history lesson is not learned by the next generation, it goes around and around, repeating itself like a broken record, lazily spinning into the future.
As far as God warning the people with it’s own history? Moses recited the history of the people as a warning. So did Joshua and Gideon. And all the way into the New Testament history is used as a warning. As Stephen is dragged before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7, he recites a full narrative history of the Israelites. For 50 verses, Stephen gives the religious rulers of the day, a history lesson. The irony is that these men were experts on scripture. Stephen was literally preaching to the choir as most of them probably knew what he was quoting by memory. But yet in the true irony, their minds knew the history, but their hearts were doomed to repeat it. Listen to Stephens closing remarks to the men that were deaf to history’s warning.
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” Acts 7:51-53
And what did Stephen’s warning get him? Stoned to death at the hands of the very men the warning was delivered to.
Folks, history is a fact, it happened. We can’t control it, change it, alter it, make it better or candy coat it. All that matters is what we do with today. Look at history, see it’s evils, learn from the mistakes of yesterday and then face today with God. What a tremendous blessing we have in a God that is rich in mercy and forgiveness. He will forgive the sins of our yesterday, that’s why Jesus went to the Cross. The message of history? Don’t enter into the definition if insanity, that is, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Make a new day today. Refuse to live in your history. Walk with Jesus, heed His commands and live a life that will break the chains of a sinful past.
History changes today with Jesus.
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