Articles
Living In The Past
“Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:3-4 NASB). Were the inhabitants of Jerusalem able to remember the former glory of Solomon’s temple? Who among the survivors of the seventy years of captivity remained (43,360 Ezra 2:64); who could remember the glorious days of yesteryear? Evidently, some could recall those days. Did they also recall the catastrophic destruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s army as God’s house was destroyed?
Churches sometimes live in the past. Membership numbers decline: cherished friends move away; loved ones die. As we age, we might think of the battles, the struggles, the sacrifices, the defeats, and the victories that were formative to who we are now. Oh, for that glorious time when people wanted to hear God’s word preached. Oh, for that time when church members were known as “walking Bibles!” Are these natural and normal inclinations? If we have anything at all to think about, what would it be? The past! When the future arrives, it quickly becomes the past!
Is it wrong to cherish good times and even tough times? We can learn from the past. Yet, we must not let the past prevent forward movement. Israel stood before the Red Sea with only one real choice: Go forward! Soon, though, their faith waned, and they were wandering in circles in the desert. Gideon’s army was whittled down considerably; he still was victorious with only three hundred men (Judges 7). David not only had to fight the mighty giant; he faced the distain of his own family. Can we see his rock sailing through the air and finding its target? Who can forget Elijah’s mental despair? His victory over Baal was great; still, he wanted to die (1 Kings 19). And so, we remember the good times and we remember the troubled times.
The seven churches of Asia were urged to think about their status before Christ. In tough times we must remember these early saints; persecution from the government, paganism, from the world of that celebrated every kind of perversion. Ephesus needed to recapture her first love. Smyrna needed to hang on to her faith even as they were slaughtered. Was the church in Sardis OK? No, it was dead. The Laodiceans sickened the Lord. He that hath ears, let him hear!
In life, generations come and go; nations come and go; and churches come and go. But before we go, instead of wallowing in the past, let us remember that the Lord is still with us, just as He was with the people returning from Babylon. Whatever the past may have been, it was the past. Whatever the future may be, it will be because of the Lord. Rise and build
