Psalm 78:1-4 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying. For I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past – stories we have heard and known; stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord; about His power and His mighty wonders.
When Asaph wrote Psalm 78, he made clear the intent of Israel’s historical review. Nothing was to be hidden, either good or bad. He offered no cover for the infractions of the nation; no masking of God’s wondrous power. All of it lay bare for the next generation to hear. Both God’s judgement and mercy were on full display for those who came after. There were reasons for Asaph’s rehearsal.
History repeats itself when the lessons of the past are hidden. The “sins” of the past, often lodge in the hearts of those who have never known the bitter taste of judgement. When the scripture is revised, disbanded, or ignored, there are ramifications. Asaph wrote of “hidden lessons” which were only so because they were untold. None of those lessons were cloaked in mystery; they were just buried by their fathers. Failures often follow forgotten lessons.
As a church, when we forget where God has brought us from, we will slide back to the place of our bondage. No one thinks they will revert to their old ways, but millions are living in that reality. Furthermore, the next generation invariably suffers when the reasons for holiness, godly living, and daily disciplines are not told, and “Yes” there are reasons why we live constrained and with boundaries. There are reasons we avoid worldly pursuits. Our history shows us that we must run from “foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” I Tim. 6:9.
I hope and pray you read and take note of this written word. There is so much at stake during this time. It is truly a season of consequence. The Spirit is speaking to this generation to learn from the past. We must be fervent for the Lord and consumed with the things of God. Anything less is history lost.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole