Daily Devotional – Saturday, May 14, 2022
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NIV)
Otto Von Bismarck, the first German Chancellor said, “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”
One of the aims of the Bible is to warn us through the mistakes of other people. In First Corinthians Chapter 10, Paul urges his readers to learn from failures and misfortunes of the ancient Israelites.
Like many of us, the Israelites, as it were, were baptized, read the scripture and communed with Jesus. However, they did not enter the Promised Land because they disobeyed God.
These Things Happened to Them as Examples
They were idol worshippers, lovers of worldly pleasures and adulterers. God allowed wilderness snakes and the destroying angels to kill the rebellious people.
In two verses, Paul draws a conclusion from the experiences of the Israelites:
“Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” (1 Corinthians 10:6).
“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11).
Learning From History Separates Fools From The Wise
God ensured that the rebellion of the Israelites and the pertinent penalties were recorded in the Bible for our sake. Through them, God warns us to avoid a similar fate.
Shall we be fools who make the same mistakes and suffer the same consequences? Alternatively, shall we be wise, learn from the Israelites’ predicament, avoid their ways, and inherit the kingdom of God? The choice is ours. We now know the outcome.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, make me wise to learn from history instead of repeating its mistakes.
