When Sue and I have access to cable TV we invariably end up watching something like Property Brothers. I don’t know if home buyers are as moronic as they appear, or if they’re just made out to look that way by the producers.
The Property Brothers are experts at finding fixer uppers and turning them into dream homes. But the couples that appear on the show are always saying things like, “I don’t know if this can be done.” “Look what bad shape this is in.” “Don’t the famous expert brothers who have done this a thousand times have a clue how hard it will be?” They trust neither the brother’s expertise or experience.
Have they never watched the show? If they have, then they make another error … they don’t learn from the mistakes of past participants. In the last episode we watched, the couple decided to waive the home inspection to sweeten their offer to the sellers. The brothers warned them of the risks, but they persisted. Then in horror they exclaimed, “What? The wiring isn’t up to code in this one-hundred and thirty-year-old mansion?” Completely rewiring the house meant they had to give up some other part of their dream … and it took them over budget.
If the Bible were a reality show, people would make the same two mistakes. They would not trust The Expert on mankind, the Creator. Despite the fact there have been multiple episodes showing that He is capable and faithful of carrying out His word, they would wonder … “Can He really pull off the things that He claims He can do?”
They would also … as I have made … the mistake of not learning from the episodes of those who’ve gone before. Referring to the stories in the Old Testament, Paul says, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11 The stories were recorded that we might learn to trust our Creator and not repeat the mistakes of those who did not.
