It’s been said that “history repeats itself. It has to—nobody listens the first time around.” That there’s a cyclical sense to history is both observable and biblical. Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl 1:9). He also agrees that many people fail to learn from the past: “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly” (Prov 26:11). According to God, those who unnecessarily relive their own messes are fools. Those who seek to understand the present and anticipate the future without examining the past are fools.

The author of Hebrews doesn’t want his readers to be fools. Instead, he wants them to study their history, to remember the mess their ancestors made, and to avoid the same error. And, likewise, the Holy Spirit calls to the people of God in all eras: “Don’t let history repeat itself. Learn from past sins and, instead of forfeiting rest in unbelief, find rest in obedience.”