History

“Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.” -Isa. 41:22

I do not believe that I have yet to see a pithier job description for a historian than Isa. 41:22. It is in the context of a mock challenge that the Lord issues much as Job was challenged to answer if he had comprehended the earth in its breadth or could number the clouds. As daunting a challenge as it is, the true historian attempts to do just that, to look closely at the former things and declare what actually happened and from there make predictions on how nations and peoples will follow in suit when like conditions mature in the same order. The book of Proverbs is a collection of prophecies based upon observations of past behavior that indicate probabilities of outcomes from future behavior. We have that ability to learn from the past in order that we might not repeat the same mistakes. But human behavior is bewilderingly complicated and conditions rarely ever recreate themselves exactly. Then there is the Lord who can interject His hand at any point and turn the events of man to serve His eternal purposes. These things taken together make the job of a conscientious historian incredibly challenging.

We should never underestimate how important that job is in laying down paths for future generations to follow. Solomon’s Proverbs declare his purpose from the outset to “instruct in wise dealing, in righteousness and justice and equity” (Pro. 1:3). These things can be taught, he maintains, but not without a foundation of knowledge based upon past history and insightful observation. I was thrilled to pass by a quote in our History Fair from William Penn, the American pioneer of religious freedom in Pennsylvania, who said, “Men must be subject to God or ruled by tyrants.” How interesting that way back in the late 1600’s this man had such insight into human nature and History that he could make such a bold pronouncement. There is no more relevant truth for our age than this. We are in the middle of a flood tide of effort to take liberty to the limits of license and time will tell if the wheels will all come off of our society with the only remedy, despotism, not far behind.

It was a joy to see our school reveling in the stories and costumes of bygone eras. We must cherish these stories both for our inspiration and the dire warnings they contain. I look to Abraham Lincoln to see the power and beauty of self-deprecating humor utilized to teach and lead others. I read the story of Theodore Roosevelt to see a lust for life in both robust action and scholarship. I thrill at the hunger of Peter the Great for knowledge of things great and small, the new, and the unexplored. I am humbled by the wisdom of Alexander Solzhenitsyn gained almost exclusively through suffering. I am amazed at the grace of Booker T. Washington in handling disadvantage and discovering the joy of work well done. I shudder at the history of Lenin to see a man so twisted and bent beyond recognition by hate and bitterness. I wince at the story of Robespierre to see what enormous wreckage that could come from a man of simple tastes, steely discipline, and total dedication to the law. All these and more are my teachers. No one could ask for greater.

I trust your students found something this week to inspire admiration or horror, inspiration or pity, comprehension or incomprehension in the lives of those they studied. I learned that the actual name of the famous Cherokee Indian Chief, Sequoyah, was George (something or another). “Sequoyah” actually was a nickname gained through a hunting accident and means “pig’s foot.” My, my, how names that now have the ring of such reverence and sophistication actually comes from such humble origins. I doubt that all our friends living in Sequoyah Hills, one of Knoxville’s oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods, would be thrilled to know they live in “Pig’s Foot Hills.” Nor would “George” be a very memorable name for the Cherokee’s most celebrated chieftain. It is a reminder that it is the man that makes the name and not the other way around.