This past November, Des and I saw a movie
called “Saving Mr. Banks” it was a biography about the author of the Marry
Poppins and how Walt Disney made her book into his famous movie. “Saving Mr. Banks” opens with the same
exact same first line as the “Mary Poppins” film had, some fifty years earlier: “Wind’s
in the east. Mist comin’ in – like
somethin’s a-brewing, about to begin.
Can’t put my finger on just what’s in store, but I feel what’s to happen
‘s all happened before!” Seems
rather ironic, even humorous, considering the movie was somewhat of a sequel! But that line struck me like a ton of bricks
with what felt like a heavy spiritual hand. I continue to think of it as I see
the news unfolding every day. It all
seems eerily like “What’s to happen ‘s all happened before!”
In the Bible we see
God’s people, Israel, make the same mistakes again and again over the centuries
as if spinning on a generational merry-go-round:
1.) The people enjoy
God’s gracious favor – based solely on God’s faithful commitment to His
covenant. They respond with thankful worship and obedience.
2.) The people take His blessings and
protection for granted. They forget that God is the reason for their blessings.
They stop being thankful. They reject God’s boundaries and, seeking to please
their fleshly desires, they willingly embrace all kind of sin. They stop worshiping and obeying God, instead
they worship and obey their flesh.
3.) God, not wanting His
people to suffer, repeatedly sends warnings, calling His people back to Himself,
promising forgiveness if they would repent and turn from their wickedness, and
judgment if they would not. Because of His grace and mercy, this warning stage
could encompass years, even generations.
4.) God allows the consequences of what the
people have chosen to befall them.
Usually, initially, in small measured doses but even then, God grants
extended periods of grace to allow the people time to change their minds and
return to Him. They do not, so God gives them what they have sought. The consequences come harder and faster.
5.) Finally, the culture reaches a point where
only a tiny remnant remains faithful to God.
It has become altogether so ungodly that the only thing that will
restore the nation back to God is terrible judgment, chastisement and calamity.
God, in His love, allows great suffering to come on His people to turn them
back to Himself. Like the warnings, the
suffering can last years, decades, generations. Sometimes God uses wicked nations to punish
His people, allowing what seems like
a victory for God’s enemies… for a season. But He is just. Eventually He punishes the
punishers who harmed His people. And in
the end, He saves Israel from ultimate destruction and a generation arises that
returns to God.
Over and over, like the
back of a shampoo bottle: wash, rinse, repeat. Why?
History repeats itself
because men don’t change. We are who we are.
Fallen. Depraved. Without God and without hope in the world with hearts
that are exceedingly wicked seeking to do evil continually. Lust, greed, selfishness
– these are our drivers. We are unwilling and unable to please God. Those who
say otherwise are deceived deceiving deceivers.
We cannot keep the rules. O wretched man that I am, who can rescue me
from this body of death!
There is One. One, (and only one) who can recuse me! God
did what we cannot do. He kept the rules! He died in my place and rose again. He
offers me forgiveness…. AND a rescue from the old way of life! He offers a new
life that, in Christ, does please Him. Thanks be to God! He rescues us through
Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Rom. 7:24-25)
But culturally,
nationally, the beat goes on. Wash rinse repeat. Where are we now? I’d say about two sentences into point #5
above. Where are we individually? I pray that I, and you, may always be numbered in that faithful
remnant who God continually preserves for
a witness- salt and light - holding out life in a crooked and depraved
generation. Piqued? Read 2Kings 17:7-41
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