The Importance of History

by Miss Jessica

Why is history considered to be so important to some people? What effect does long-gone events and dead people have to do with us as nations and individuals? How does it affect our views on life?

History tells us three things:
1. How the world came to be today
2. Our heritage and who we are
3. God’s take on life and the consequences to learn from

In Genesis, God gives an exact account how the universe, and everything in it, came to be. If we do not accept this account, what are we going to believe? When we believe this account it gives us the confidence that we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’.

Even though we still struggle with pain and suffering these things can be explained with the history of the fall. Living without the history in the Bible would be a misrable, misguided mystery.

In Romans 5:8, Paul writes, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection is also history. When we come to Jesus to be forgiven, we become part of God’s family and his inheritance that comes with it. Without the Bible to telling us what Jesus did – and the evidence that he was true – we wouldn’t be able to access that heritage from God.

In the New Testament, we can catch the Apostles’ life lessons and what Jesus taught them. To my mind, the apostles didn’t sit around twiddling their thumbs waiting to be hear God saying, ‘Be completely humble and gentle’, but went out there, did their stuff, and learnt those practical lessons in real life! Throughout the whole Bible, we can learn from the lessons taught by God in other people’s lives.

It’s important to know the history in the Bible and elsewhere because history isn’t merely part of our life; it is our life! In that light, we should learn as much about it as possible, glean from their life’s lessons, and improve what they’ve left behind.

Read the Bible daily. Soak, familiarize, and memorize God’s word. As you read the Word, you will know how to defend yourself in your day-to-day situations.

Learn an overview of history. There is a wealth of wisdom and knowledge to be found in all parts of history, not just the Bible. Learn about you and your country’s heritage and history, the early Christian Church, and how the world came to be what is today.

Unless we trust both the historical accounts and the spiritual lessons of the Bible, we cannot hold the Bible as infallible. That’s why history is so important.

Miss Jessica is a 14year old homeschool girl who lives in Australia. She loves the Lord and enjoys music, reading, history, computers and sewing. Jessica has a warped sense of humour and is always ready for a giggle. She helps her mum around the home and participates in the local church music team. You can find out more about Jess at her blog Little Miss Giggle.