Learn from the Mistakes of Others

Steven’s Scribbles
Learn from the Mistakes of Others
    I have been reading through 1 & 2 Kings in my personal Bible study because our Sunday morning youth class has been working through 1 Kings. After Solomon's death, the united kingdom divided into two nations. The northern kingdom, known simply as Israel, was composed of the ten northern tribes and was taken into Assyrian captivity in 722 B.C. The southern kingdom, Judah, consisting primarily of Judah and Benjamin, was carried away by Babylon in stages beginning in 605/606 B.C., culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. One of the reasons Judah's judgment was delayed was because of the remarkable reforms of King Josiah. After discovering the Book of the Law, he humbled himself before God and led the nation in repentance. Because of his faithfulness, God told him, "Your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place" (2 Kings 22:18-20; cf. 2 Kings 23:25). Yet as I read through these accounts, I keep coming back to the same question: Why didn't Judah learn from Israel's mistakes? Israel was their own kinsmen. They watched idolatry, compromise, and rebellion destroy the northern kingdom. Why repeat the very same sins instead of making a dramatic course correction?
    The same principle applies to us today. When we see brethren begin drifting from the faith, we should pay attention. What happened before they fell away? What compromises were accepted? What changes were slowly introduced into their worship and practice? No faithful congregation wakes up one Sunday morning and suddenly decides to abandon biblical authority. Whether it is introducing women preachers, abandoning New Testament worship, or accepting any other unscriptural practice, those decisions almost always begin with a series of seemingly small compromises. If we are wise, we will recognize those warning signs long before the destination is reached.
    Some dismiss this way of thinking as the "slippery slope fallacy." Yet Scripture repeatedly teaches us to learn from the examples of others. Paul wrote, "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction" (1 Corinthians 10:11). Wisdom does not wait until it reaches the cliff's edge to change direction. It recognizes where the road leads and turns around while there is still time. May we have the humility to learn from both the successes and the failures of those who have gone before us, so that we remain faithful to the Lord.
I love you all!
Steven