Does History Repeat Itself?

“If we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it” is a quote that we all have heard before. But its original form reads, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This quote is from George Santayana, an early 20th century philosopher famous for his aphorisms (a pithy observation that contains a general truth).

So according to Santayana, history has a tendency to repeat itself. As memory fades, events from the past can become events of the present. Many argue that this is due to the cyclical nature of history where history repeats itself and flows based upon generations. According to them it takes 4 generations to cycle through before similar events begin to occur.

In the movie Ground Hog Day, weatherman Phil Connors finds himself inexplicably living the same day over and over again waiting for “Punxsutawney Phil”, the famous groundhog to see his shadow. He is rebellious at first but he eventually begins to use his past failures to be more faithful to himself and those around him. It would seem to be a modern day take on Santayana’s philosophical aphorism. But it reveals a much deeper message of the importance of remembering and learning from our past history to be better prepared for what’s next.

As we continue in our series in “Preparing for What’s Next!” in Deuteronomy Chapter 9, we find Moses continuing what seems to be an exhaustive attempt to give multiple exhortations on the life as covenant people. Moses is providing them with a history lesson. Matter of fact, Chapter 9 is one of the longest speeches as he warns the people about the possibility of unfaithfulness based upon their past failures. He is challenging them to learn from their past so they will not be condemned to repeat it.