Troy P Zehnder

Ancient Israel, Modern America, and the Lessons History Keeps Trying to Teach Us

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There is an interesting tendency among human beings to believe that the circumstances of their generation are somehow unique. We convince ourselves that our problems are unprecedented, our knowledge is superior, and our understanding of the world is more sophisticated than that of those who came before us.

We have more technology, greater access to information, and more opportunities to learn than any previous generation. Yet possessing information and understanding its significance are two entirely different things.

Sometimes, I wonder whether we have become so convinced of our own intellectual superiority that we have forgotten how to recognize the lessons history has already taught us.

And nowhere is that more concerning than in our understanding of Scripture.

The Bible was not written directly to Americans living in 2026. It was written to particular people, in particular places, during particular periods of history.

But that does not mean it was written without application to us.

In fact, Scripture tells us precisely the opposite. Romans 15:4 declares:

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

And 1 Corinthians 10:11 reinforces that principle:

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

God did not preserve the history of ancient Israel merely to provide future generations with an interesting collection of historical events. Those accounts reveal the nature of God, the consequences of human decisions, the dangers of spiritual rebellion, and the extraordinary persistence of divine faithfulness.

Which raises an uncomfortable question.

If God provided us with thousands of years of biblical history from which to learn, why do we continually behave as though its lessons no longer apply?

When History Becomes a Warning

Throughout the Old Testament, we encounter a recurring pattern in God’s relationship with Israel. God establishes His expectations. His people experience His blessings. Over time, generations become increasingly removed from the foundations upon which their society was established.

Eventually, the people begin redefining right and wrong according to their own desires. God sends prophets to warn them. Some listen. Many do not. And ultimately, the consequences of their collective decisions become unavoidable. The book of Judges describes this condition with remarkable simplicity. Judges 21:25 states:

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Consider the implications of that statement. A society in which everyone determines morality exclusively according to personal preference eventually encounters a fundamental problem: What happens when those individual definitions of right and wrong conflict? Who establishes the boundaries? Who determines which principles deserve protection? And what happens when personal freedom becomes disconnected from personal responsibility?

These are not exclusively ancient questions. They are questions every civilization must eventually confront.

The Four-Tire Principle

Consider something as ordinary as an automobile. A vehicle has four tires. If one tire falls off while you’re driving, would you console yourself by pointing out that 75 percent of your tires remain attached? Of course not. The vehicle has become incapable of functioning as intended. The problem is not the percentage of tires that failed.

The problem is the influence that one failed component has upon the entire system.

This principle extends far beyond automobiles. A relatively small number of individuals can influence the direction of an entire organization, institution, or nation. History repeatedly demonstrates that the decisions of influential minorities can produce consequences experienced by millions. The Bible illustrates this throughout Israel’s history.

The decisions of kings affected entire kingdoms. The corruption of religious authorities influenced generations. The abandonment of God’s commandments contributed to national instability, division, and eventual captivity. And here’s the particularly troubling part.

Not everyone who suffered the consequences was personally responsible for the decisions that produced them.

Daniel did not choose Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah did not encourage Judah’s rebellion. Ezekiel did not celebrate Jerusalem’s destruction. Yet each experienced the consequences of living within a nation undergoing extraordinary upheaval.

Their individual faithfulness did not exempt them from the circumstances surrounding them. That is a lesson worth remembering. A nation’s decisions do not necessarily affect only those who supported them. Sometimes, the consequences extend to everyone.

Ancient Israel and Modern America

Let me establish an important distinction. The United States is not ancient Israel. God established a particular covenant with Abraham and his descendants, and Israel occupied a unique position within biblical history. America does not possess an identical covenant.

Nevertheless, the moral principles revealed through Israel’s history are not rendered irrelevant simply because we live under a different political system. The United States developed within a civilization significantly influenced by Christianity. Biblical teachings helped shape generations of American thought concerning morality, responsibility, justice, and human dignity.

Those influences existed alongside other important philosophical and political traditions, but Christianity’s historical influence cannot reasonably be ignored. Today, America remains home to the world’s largest Christian population. Yet the presence of Christians within a nation does not automatically guarantee that the nation will consistently reflect Christian principles.

Ancient Israel demonstrates that distinction repeatedly. A nation can possess a remarkable religious heritage while gradually distancing itself from the very principles that helped establish its identity. Judges 2:10 describes a particularly revealing moment:

“And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”

Think about that. The problem was not simply that a new generation had arrived. The problem was that the new generation no longer understood the spiritual foundations of those who came before them. And when a generation forgets why certain principles were established, it becomes increasingly willing to abandon them.

A civilization does not have to reject its entire history overnight to lose its identity. Sometimes, it only needs to stop teaching the next generation why that history mattered.

Understanding Israel Before Judging Israel

There is another troubling development worth examining. Increasingly, discussions about Israel reveal how little some Christians understand about the Jewish foundations of their own faith. Christianity did not emerge independently of Israel.

Jesus was Jewish. His mother was Jewish. His apostles were Jewish. The earliest Christian believers were Jewish. The promises made to Abraham, the writings of Moses, the messages of the prophets, and the expectation of the Messiah form the historical foundation upon which the New Testament stands. Yet throughout history, some Christians have wrongly assigned collective responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus to the Jewish people.

That accusation ignores both the historical circumstances and the biblical record. The Gospels identify particular religious authorities who opposed Jesus and sought His execution. They also identify Jewish individuals who supported Him, defended Him, or became His followers. The crucifixion itself was carried out under Roman authority. The actions of particular individuals cannot legitimately be assigned as collective guilt to an entire people.

Furthermore, the apostle Paul specifically warned Gentile Christians against arrogance toward Israel. Romans 11:18 declares:

“Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.”

That warning deserves serious consideration. Christians may disagree about the actions of the modern Israeli government. Political decisions are subject to examination, criticism, and accountability. But disagreement with government policy must not become hostility toward an entire people. Nor should Christians forget that their faith is inseparably connected to the history of Israel. Paul asks in Romans 11:1:

“Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.”

Understanding that passage requires careful biblical interpretation, particularly regarding the relationship between physical Israel and the spiritual descendants of Abraham through faith in Christ. But one principle remains unmistakable.

We cannot fully understand the New Testament while disregarding the people, promises, and history through which God prepared the way for Christ.

The Remnant Was Never the Majority

Throughout Scripture, even during periods of widespread rebellion, God preserved individuals who remained faithful. The Bible frequently describes these individuals collectively as a remnant. Their significance was not determined by their popularity, political influence, or numerical strength. It was determined by their faithfulness.

Consider Elijah.

After confronting the prophets of Baal, Elijah eventually found himself exhausted, discouraged, and convinced that he was alone. In 1 Kings 19:10, he declared:

“And I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

But Elijah’s perception did not reflect the entire reality. God revealed that seven thousand in Israel had not bowed to Baal. Seven thousand. Elijah believed he was alone, yet thousands remained faithful. The lesson is profound.

Just because faithfulness appears to be disappearing does not mean God has abandoned His people.

Sometimes, the faithful are simply less visible than those making the most noise. And sometimes, discouragement convinces us that we are standing alone when we are not. The remnant was never promised that the surrounding culture would agree with it. It was never promised political victories. It was never promised freedom from hardship. But throughout Scripture, God repeatedly demonstrated that His purposes could continue through those who remained faithful.

When the Righteous Suffer With the Unrighteous

One of the most difficult lessons in biblical history concerns the relationship between individual righteousness and collective consequences. We often assume that doing what is right should protect us from suffering caused by those who do wrong.

Yet Scripture provides numerous examples demonstrating that earthly circumstances do not always operate according to that expectation. Daniel remained faithful while living in Babylon. Jeremiah continued delivering God’s message even when his own people rejected it. Ezekiel ministered among those who had experienced exile. Their circumstances were not necessarily reflections of their personal failures. They were living within the consequences of a much larger historical reality.

This does not mean every national hardship represents a specific act of divine judgment. We should be cautious about claiming knowledge of God’s intentions where Scripture has not explicitly revealed them. But it does mean that faithfulness to God does not guarantee exemption from the consequences of living in an imperfect society.

And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons for Christians today. We may not control every decision made by our government. We may not agree with every cultural development. We may not always recognize the society we see emerging around us. But none of those circumstances removes our responsibility to remain faithful.

The Morning After

Yesterday, Americans went to the polls. Some woke up this morning celebrating. Others woke up discouraged, frustrated, or concerned about the direction of their country. That is the nature of elections. But for Christians, there is a much larger perspective worth remembering. God did not surrender His authority when the polls closed. His character did not change when the results were announced. His promises did not disappear because particular candidates won or lost. And the responsibilities of His people remain exactly what they were before anyone cast a ballot.

We are still called to love God. We are still called to love our neighbors. We are still called to pursue righteousness, practice justice, demonstrate integrity, and remain faithful to the teachings of Christ. We are still called to be salt and light. And we are still called to remember that our ultimate hope does not rest in earthly institutions. That does not mean Christians should withdraw from civic responsibility.

Quite the opposite.

In Jeremiah 29:7, God instructed the Jewish exiles to seek the peace and welfare of the city where they had been taken. Consider the significance. They were living in Babylon. They had experienced the destruction of their homeland. They were surrounded by a culture that did not share their covenant relationship with God. Yet God instructed them to contribute to the welfare of the society in which they lived.

Their circumstances had changed. Their responsibility to God had not.

That lesson remains relevant today.

Faithfulness Is Still a Choice

Perhaps the greatest mistake we can make when examining history is assuming that its lessons apply only to those who lived through it. Ancient Israel’s experiences were preserved for a reason. The warnings of the prophets were preserved for a reason. The stories of Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Elijah were preserved for a reason.

They remind us that human civilizations are vulnerable to corruption, that decisions produce consequences, and that faithfulness sometimes requires standing firm when the surrounding culture moves in another direction.

But they also remind us that God has not abandoned His purposes simply because humanity repeatedly fails to follow His instructions. The faithful remnant is not defined by a particular percentage of the population. It is not defined by political affiliation. It is not defined by wealth, influence, or social acceptance. It is defined by faithfulness to God. And perhaps that is where our attention should return.

Instead of asking whether our preferred candidates won, perhaps we should ask whether we are faithfully representing Christ. Instead of measuring our influence exclusively through political victories, perhaps we should examine the influence we have within our families, churches, workplaces, and communities.

Instead of allowing discouragement to become resignation, perhaps we should remember that some of the most influential servants of God operated under circumstances far more difficult than our own. Daniel served in Babylon. Joseph served in Egypt. Paul preached under Roman authority. And Jesus established His Church within a world governed by an empire that would eventually persecute many of His followers.

None of them required a favorable political environment to fulfill the purpose God had placed before them. Neither do we.

A Final Thought

Nations rise. Governments change. Cultures evolve. Generations come and go. And history repeatedly demonstrates that human beings are remarkably capable of forgetting lessons they should have remembered. But the God who called Abraham, sustained Daniel, strengthened Elijah, and preserved His people through generations of uncertainty has not changed.

Malachi 3:6 declares:

“For I am the LORD, I change not.”

So if you woke up this morning discouraged about the direction of your country, remember something. You are not the first person of faith to live in a society whose direction concerns you. You are not the first to wonder whether your convictions still matter. And you are certainly not the first to question whether remaining faithful can make a difference.

The history of Scripture is filled with people who faced those same questions. Their examples remain because their faithfulness mattered. The remnant was never defined by how many stood with it. It was defined by whom it stood with.

And regardless of what happened yesterday, that remains a choice available to each of us today.

The past cannot be changed. The future has not yet been written. But the principles by which we choose to live remain ours to determine.