Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15)
We live in uncertain times. It is easy to become overwhelmed if we only focus on the present and the future. The present is not always a reliable source for judging reality due to our limited ability to absorb vast amounts of information. The future is uncertain because only God knows the future. On Stanford University’s website, to the question “Why Study History,” the answer given is:
“Once you can see the things that history teaches you. .it becomes easier to make sense of the modern world and the diverse peoples and ideas that you will confront within it.”
Consider how much of the Bible is history. Without this knowledge, there would not be a gospel. We live in a day when many are forgetting or revising history so that present generations do not know about the past, and hence are making wrong decisions about the present and the future.
Moses, just before his death, composed a song for Israel in which he reminded them:
“Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you.” (Deut 32:7)
Moses then instructed the people:
“Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.” (Deut 32:46-47)
If there is one word that describes the history of Israel, it would not be that they remembered. It would be that they forgot.
By attacking and distorting history, progressives are attacking the gospel of Christ Jesus. I am frequently asked to read books and give my reflection. I recently completed a book on the translation of the Bible into English. What a terrible history. It was hard to read about the savagery of men, now considered saints, who persecuted and murdered those who gave their lives to translate and transport the Bible, so it would be available to the common man.
I am presently, upon request, reading a book by a so-called religious scholar, a history professor at a major university, who views the Bible as myths and metaphors. She clearly does not believe in divine revelation or the deity of Christ. Her attacks on the Bible are destroying the confidence of many new believers who are not well-grounded in the history of the Old and New Testaments.
This is why we must continue reading and studying the Bible. Any commentary is only one individual’s opinion of what the Bible says. Commentaries can be helpful if we choose our sources carefully. Even the Greek is accessible to non-language users.
Paraphrasing Moses as he taught Israel concerning the Law, (History) is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.”