Articles
Life Cycles
The wise writer experienced life and concluded it was all vanity (cf. Eccl. 1:2), but he also learned, “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose. The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north; the wind whirls about continually, and comes again on its circuit. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again” (Eccl. 1:4-7). In various ways, he noted that there are cycles in life that will continue as long as earth exists and, in truth, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). If it seems like mankind has been down this road before, you would probably be right.
Philosopher George Santayana is credited with first saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Apparently, history is full of men who did not remember the past, for we haven't learned our lessons and we keep going in cycles, with the same sad results. My completely non-professional opinion is that one generation rises and maybe even considers the past, but arrogantly professes superiority to past generations and claims, "But we are smarter!" and, "That won't happen to us!" And, predictably, the result is the same as with previous generations.
As people of God, we must not fall into that same foolish thinking, nor can we afford to think we are somehow exempt from the consequences of acting as past generations, think we are somehow superior to past generations, or that certain truths no longer apply to us. Especially when it comes to the warnings recorded within God's word, we dare not think, "That will never happen to me!" I can almost hear the devil silently chuckling as he says to himself, "Oh, look! Another soul who has made it easy for me!"
With our own spiritual good in mind, let us consider some dangerous behavior that we might not realize has been demonstrated by past generations to be a foolish choice, and let us learn from their experience and not do as they did. Let us consider, as Paul did, the example of the people of God of old, and “take heed lest [we] fall” (1 Cor. 10:1-12). If it happened to them, it will happen to us.
Thinking We Can Hide From God. This is one of the first foolish things man did, thinking he could hide his sin from God. When Adam and Eve took of the forbidden tree and “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Gen. 3:6, 7), and when they heard God walking in the garden, “Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Gen. 3:8), but God knew where they were and what they had done.
Later, when one of their sons killed the other and then pretended not to know where he was (Gen. 4:8, 9), God told him, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10). Again, God knew what had happened and even why he killed his brother.
It seems man again thinks he can hide his evil deeds from other men, and even from God. Time after time, men are exposed by others and their deeds are brought out into the open and they are revealed to be wicked men, but here's the thing: God always knows, and God will hold us accountable. The wise writer told us long ago, “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14), and Paul reminds us God “will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts” (1 Cor. 4:5, NASB). Let us learn from past generations that we can't hide anything from God. All the technological advances in the world will not be able to hide our deeds from God, or prevent them from being brought into account, in the end.
Thinking We Can Claim Ignorance of God As An Excuse. Paul wrote of the Gentiles of old who, as he wrote, “although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God” (Rom. 1:21), professed themselves as 'wise' and began their journey further and further away from God and into ungodliness (Rom. 1:22-32). Though they refused to acknowledge God, the fact was [and is], “they are without excuse” because “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:20).
According to two recent polls [Barna, American Bible Society], today, in the United States alone, there are about five Bibles in every household, and about 100 million are printed each year. The fact is, we have access to the Bible more than just about any generation who has ever gone before us, but those polls also showed that not many seem to read it, or know what is contained in it. Our spiritual ignorance is growing [and showing, by society], yet we cannot claim ignorance as an excuse any more than the Gentiles of old could. The evidence for God's existence is still shown in His Creation, despite the habit of scientists and educated men who try to deny it and, like those of old, suppress it. Ignorance is no excuse.
Thinking We Can Live However We Want, With No Consequences. Generations of men have lived with absolutely no desire to submit to God, with many others professing to be following God, but demonstrating they are, in reality, following their own desires while saying they follow God. We have churches filled with people who come to hear preachers tell them God wants them to be wealthy in material goods, preachers who tell them their sinful lifestyles are acceptable to God, or that it doesn't really matter what you do, as long as you're sincere, and the end result is people living however they want, and claiming service to God.
We have churches and their leaders glorifying sinful behavior and simultaneously condemning those who would dare quote Scripture to refute their false claims, and it seems American religion is imitating society in welcoming all kinds of sin as 'normal' and 'acceptable' and leading millions to hell with a smile on their face as they sing "God Is So Good."
We have not learned from the past, apparently, for God has never tolerated sin, and at no time ever in the history of His dealings with mankind has God said we could live however we want to live without consequences. Time and time again, God commanded mankind to repent [in fact “all men everywhere”; Acts 17:30)], not to indulge. God has commanded we “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). If you think your best life is now, then you probably are right, because such a worldly view of service will not get you to heaven.
God's word has been preserved for us so we can learn the lessons from the past, and not make the same mistakes they did. Those things “were written for our learning” (Rom. 15:4), and “were written for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11). When we ignore these examples, we set ourselves up for condemnation.
Let us then learn! — Steven Harper
