The Lord Will Not Delay

[Sung Psalm: 90]

Nowadays it seems that folks think of the “fifties” as the golden age – not necessarily the 1950s:

• Old School Presbyterians look back to the 1850s.
• The Edwardseans wish to go back to the 1750s.
• Fans of the Puritans dream of the chance to redo the 1650s.
• And others think of Calvin's Geneva in the 1550s.

The primitivists want to go back to the original 50s – when the apostles still walked the earth.

As a historian I've discovered that when you look carefully at any historical era, you start to realize that you should be very thankful that you don't live “back then.” The books of Samuel and Kings raise some serious questions for the nostalgic in Exile:

• David was an adulterer and murderer whose actions brought trouble on his house.
• Solomon was the one who started us on the path of idolatry.
• And even Josiah failed at the end and was killed in battle with the Egyptians.

Ezekiel warns the exiles not to think in terms of nostalgia. The past is useful for many things – but you don't want to go back there!