The Set-Up:
This past spring, my mom took my sisters and me to a Holocaust exhibit. The exhibit was entitled Auschwitz: Not Long Ago, Not Far Away, and its focus was on the rise of Nazi power, the development of concentration camps, and the creation of Auschwitz, the most tragic death camp to exist during Hiter’s reign. As someone who craves research, I instantly bought a few nonfiction books that told accounts of those who suffered through Auschwitz and its terrors.
Winston Churchill once famously wrote, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Learning about the horrors of the Holocaust doesn’t guarantee that something of that magnitude might not happen again, but it does help me understand how humanity got to that point and gives me empathy for those who have had to endure a type of suffering I can never imagine. When we learn from history, we are given valuable insight into our current reality, and hopefully, use that knowledge to create a better future.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul encouraged his readers to do the same – to learn from their history so they wouldn’t make the same mistakes as their ancestors.
A large part of the Old Testament teaches about the dangers of idolatry and disobeying God. In today’s passage, Paul is referring to accounts found in the book of Exodus. Exodus was written by Moses, the man who freed the Hebrew people from Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. Unfortunately, many of the original freed Hebrews were unable to enter the Promised Land because of their disobedience and lack of faith that God would keep His promises.
What Paul is essentially telling his readers in today’s passage is that God ensured those past accounts were included so that others could learn from them. Through the Bible, God has given us a vast assortment of accounts about people who followed Him faithfully and those who chose not to. May we strive to learn about our history as God’s people so we don’t make the same mistakes they did.
Passage to Read:
Reflection Questions:
Do you spend more time reading the Old Testament or the New Testament? Why do you think that is?
How can learning about history and different historical events be beneficial to you at this moment in time?
Has there ever been a time when you learned from the mistakes of someone else? Describe that experience.
Prayer Idea:
Thank God for giving us the Bible as a way to learn about Him and His expectations for His followers. Ask Him to help you learn from the accounts found in Scripture, and ask for the wisdom to know how to apply what you have learned to your life.
This devotional was written by Tonya Snodgrass.