Question #1
WHY IS OUR HISTORY SO IMPORTANT?
One of the premises of this study guide is that the recounting
of the hand of GOd in the founding and preservation of our
nation must of necessity be given priority if there is to be
hope for a cultural and spiritual restoration. The Bible
clearly teaches that reformation cannot occur in a vacuum without
historical reference. In the book of Deuteronomy a pattern is
laid down for the renewal of a nation and its people. The pattern
is repeated in both testaments (see the sermons of the Apostles
in the book of Acts) with variations, but it begins with the
concept of remembering God's deeds in history. Remember" is the
key word in Deuteronomy, repeated frequently throughout the book
as a command that was to begin the repentant process of rebuilding.
Deuteronomy (second Law) was the second statement of the Law to
a new generation about to enter the Promised Land. Their fathers
had died in the wilderness having forgotten god's Law and their
covenant. Now a new generation needed to be reminded why they
had fallen. God had long prepared their deliverance from Egypt
and they were commanded to recount it and give God the Glory.
Deuteronomy 5:15 says: "And remember that thou wast a servant
in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee
out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm."
But the generation that Joshua led into the Promised Land soon
forgot this admonition and in Judges 2:10 we read after the
death of Joshua and the elders, "And there arose another
generation after them which knew no the Lord, nor yet the
works which He had done for Israel." As a result it goes on
to say that they went off and worshipped the Baals and
pluralized their faith in godless idolatry. Does this sound
familiar?
Constantly, in addresses by the prohets, Apostles, and our Lord, we
see the admonition to remember God's deeds and to recognize how they
have abandoned His way. The major sermons of the Apostles quoted in
the Book of Acts begin with an historical treatise on the falling
away of God's people from His blessing (Acts 7). In Revelation 2:5
Jesus says to the church at Ephesus: "Nevertheless I have somewhat
against thee, because thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first
works." Notice here that they had to REMEMBER even before they could
repent.
We in the United States today have forgotten what God did for us. Many
americans would say that they do remember and acknowledge Christ as
their personal liberator from the bondage of sin. But how many of us
celbrate God's work in liberating us from 2500 years of domination
under the totalitarian rule of the Divine Right of Kings? since the
time of samuel the prophet in 1120 B.C. until the founding of this
nation the pagan idea of man and government had dominated the world
scene. But since the American Christian today does not know what God
has done for him, it is any wonder that his personal repentance only
works a personal reformation? For there to be a national reformation
there must also be repentance for sins of omission and commission
by the Christians who have forgotten the covenant of their fathers
and the hand of God in our history.
Our Christian foundation and all of the godly institutions that were
by-products of the Biblical faith of our forefathers, are to be
passed on as a legacy and we, as Christians, are held accountable for
what we do with this unprecedented heritage. Jesus said, "to whom
much is given, much is required." We had better remember and recount
God's history - His story - to our children and to a perishing generation
or be prepared to lose our freedom.
Rev. S.W. Foljambe summarized the importance of our history on
January 5, 1876 sasying:
"The more thoroughly a nation deals with its history, the more
decidedly will it recognize and own an overruling providence
therin, and the more religious a nation it will become; while
the more superficially it deals with its history seeing only
secondary causes and agencies, the more irreligious will it be.
Verna M. Hall summarizes the way of restoration and its roots in
historical remembereance in the introduction to Christian History
of the American Revolution, page XXXV. She says:
"America from the days of creation has been for God's glory and
for His people and if His people will be willing to learn what He
done for them in the days past, repent, and ask God's forgiveness
for forgetting what He has done in bringing America into being, God
will deal with her enemies within and without."
Is history important to study? it is so significant that the future of our
Republic may well be determined by what we do with our great legacy.
**** SEE QUESTION 2 ****
