History Lessons

‘Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died…Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt’- Exodus1:8(NIV).

Genesis ends as the curtain is drawn on the life of Joseph after his great exploits in Egypt. And in Exodus we are introduced to a new generation and ‘a new king, who did not know about Joseph’..

And here we find the root of this Pharaoh’s subsequent misbehaviour to the God and the people of Joseph. His lack of knowledge of history was his undoing. Yet he had no excuse for not knowing about Joseph  because if he had researched, he could have known Joseph from the archives of Egypt. He could easily have discovered that far from being a threat, Joseph and his people had been a blessing to Egypt. So because he did not get acquainted with Joseph, he misbehaved.

Perhaps some of the misbehaviours in our day can be traced to a new generation that does not know about their ‘Josephs’ or their history. In the present world intelligent men are concluding that Christianity is backward and a threat to progressive thinking and advancement. Yet if only they understood history they would realise that much of the foundation of true science and civilisation has come because men believed in the God of the Bible. If only modern men understood how we arrived here they would not be as arrogant as to believe that the way forward is to kick out God. If this new Pharaoh had understood the role of Joseph and his people in developing Egypt into what it was in his day, he would not have been so quick to conclude that the way forward was to eliminate the Jews. Most people’s knowledge of history is what the modern so-called experts are interpreting it to be. Yet in the last half a century there has been a rise of a form of pseudo-history among intellectuals that seeks to rewrite instead of recite history. Satan knows how powerful history can be, so he tries to keep men from their history.

Now, the above is not as disturbing as the fact that we have this same problem in the Church. Today in the Church I am astonished at the lack of knowledge of our history. Our bookshelves are filled with glossy motivational books and ‘quick digest’ teachings from our newest Christian ‘superstar’. And so few know about or bother with the voices of our fathers from the past. We have forgotten the admonition of Bildad:

‘Ask for the former generations and find out what their fathers learned, for we were born yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. Will they not instruct you and tell you?’ Job 8:8-10 (NIV).

Perhaps some of the shallowness in our churches today can be traced to our not seeking out what the former generations and their fathers learnt and allowing their voices to instruct us. These are voices ‘that still speak, even though they are dead’, because the truths they have found are still relevant to our day. The kind of spiritual diet of the average Christian in terms of his reading leaves much to be desired and can sometimes be very alarming. Let me say it here: Not all books are good books, even when they are called Christian books. We need to be discerning in what we read. So pray before you buy or read anything. And know your Bible more than any other book.

In the past it used to be that believers had a link with the fathers of former generations by singing their hymns, reading their thoughts and histories, and by hearing of them from the pulpit. But we have a fast-paced generation that thinks that the latest is the greatest. We are no longer listening to their voices and their hymns are no longer sung. True, God does new things in each new generation (and there are some good books from our time), but it is not so as to discard what he has given us in former generations. God’s work in the Church is cumulative – he builds on what he has done before. So we lose something if we completely disconnect ourselves from the voices from the past. For example the average believer has not read any book that was written a generation before him. We need a balanced diet if we are going to be healthy and this will include acquainting ourselves with our fathers.

In conclusion let me point out again that if you had the choice of only one book to read then read the Bible. And in all your reading give it priority, for only that is the Word of God and is enough to build you up. But God uses others also to build us up, so it is edifying to read good books. So where can one start if we want to learn from past generations? Let me suggest that you start with biographies of the lives of men and women who served God faithfully in other generations (missionary biographies are some of the best); then return to the old great hymns – learn, sing and meditate on them. Finally look for the classics and devotional writings from the past. You can begin with people like A. W. Tozer, Andrew Murray, and Festo Kivengere who lived last century and then progress to those further back in history.