Friday Night Message: The Bible - Past, Present and Future, Part III

May 10, 2024

Good evening brethren…
The title of this current series of Friday Night Messages is The Bible – PAST, PRESENT and
FUTURE.

1. The PAST – The Bible as history
So then, what is the value of history? Who cares about some events that happened long,
long ago? Those people are all dead now anyway. What effect does history have on me
today? Why should I even bother to study it?

I believe that there is a definite value in considering the past, and we will be evaluating
that in some detail, through three principles of history… two of which we will examine
below, and one that we will examine the following Friday Night.

1-A – Key to understanding the present
You can better understand the way things are today, by having a good comprehension of
what has happened in the past. There is an analogy that describes this phenomena:

You begin watching a movie half-way through … You don’t know the characters, or why
they behave in certain ways, or the significance of those actions … You don’t know who the
good guys and the bad guys are, because you didn’t see what transpired before … y ou
have no background or context… no information on which to base your perception and
evaluation of the current events.

So it is with history. The world does not know why things are the way they are. How many
men or women alive today understand such things as the creation of angels, Lucifer’s
rebellion, the recreation of the physical earth? How many people believe that such things
as the Biblical account of Adam and Eve , the Flood, the fall of Jericho are nothing more than
just stories, when in fact they were actual events that happened?

Because we both have and believe God’s word, we can have a level of comprehension
and perspective that is truly unique and informed. We better understand the present
because of what we know about the past. The past gives us a context to the present.

Ecc. 1:9-11 – 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. Is there anything of which it may be said, See, this is
new? It has already been in ancient times before us. There is no remembrance of former
things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come
after.

1-B – The principle of CAUSE and EFFECT
Another valuable principle we gain from Biblical history is that of cause and effect. For
every action, there is a reaction. For every behavior, whether good or bad, there are
consequences.

Reading those sections of scripture that are chiefly historical in nature demonstrates
that Godly living leads to blessings in life, and evil deeds result in suffering and death.

Now granted, even people “in the world” have some grasp of this principle of cause and
effect … at least in the physical realm. Science has shown that there is cause and effect,
action and reaction in such disciplines as physics, chemistry and biology.

But how many truly believe that there are living laws and principles at work in the moral
realm as well? In the OT, Lev. 26 and Deut. 28 are known as the “blessings and curses”
chapters.

Gal. 6:7-8 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap. For he who sows to his flesh sill of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows in the
Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Next Friday we will describe a third principle of the past that is found in the Bible.

Have an enriching Sabbath,
Fred