Why Jews Love History

Psalm 136:10-16

10Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt.

His faithful love endures forever.

11He brought Israel out of Egypt.

His faithful love endures forever.

12He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm.

His faithful love endures forever.

13Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea.

His faithful love endures forever.

14He led Israel safely through,

His faithful love endures forever.

15but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the sea.

His faithful love endures forever.

16Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness.

His faithful love endures forever.

It should have been heresy for any Hebrew schoolboy to say, “I hate history.” He could hate arithmetic, spelling, even reading—but never history.

There’s just no way to talk about the faith of the Israelites without considering the exodus from Egypt—a historical event. Skeptics can argue about the ten plagues or the miracles, but somehow these people got away from an Egyptian pharaoh and ended up in Canaan. That’s history. His story. God’s actions in the lives of his people.

Christianity is rooted in history, too. We adopt Old Testament history, to be sure, but the pivotal point for us is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Skeptics can argue about the miracles of turning water into wine or feeding the five thousand, but somehow the body of a crucified rabbi disappeared, and his followers were willing to die for the historical fact of the Resurrection. Without that historical grounding, our faith makes no sense.

But we have more than a historical past. There’s a glorious future, too. Psalm 136 ends each verse with the same refrain: “His faithful love endures forever.” That gives us strength for the present and hope for the future.

Let’s face it, our love does not endure; his does. Because of this, we can confidently hope in another resurrection—our own.

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story because I know ‘tis true;

It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

A. CATHERINE HANKEY

Bible Networking

Verse 16 speaks of the Lord leading his people through the wilderness, but in Psalm 23:2-3 he leads his people in different paths.

Notable Quotable

“God’s own people—his chosen—he led through the wilderness; and this because ‘His mercy endureth forever.’ It is one of the Lord’s sweet truths that so perplex those that are without, but which are so full of consolation to his own children, that the wilderness and mercy are linked together by God in indissoluable union here.”

BARTON BOUCHIER