The Not-So-Good Old Days

As a lover of history and literature, I have often longed for days gone by. I've dreamed of a time when things seemed simpler, better, and more wholesome. Although I would be loath to give up some of the conveniences of our modern era (does anyone else love running water and electricity?), the thought of a time when the only food available was organic and there were no iPhones has a distinct appeal.

But reading Ecclesiastes shifted my perspective a bit.

Do not say,

"Why is it that the former days 

were better than these?"

For it is not from wisdom 

that you ask about this.

~ Ecclesiastes 7:10 ~ 

Here is what 18th century theologian John Gill had to say about this verse:

"This is a common opinion, that in all ages prevails among men, that former times were better than present ones... Which, if rightly inquired into, or the true knowledge of them could be come at, it would appear that they were no better than the present; and that there were always bad men, and bad things done; frauds, oppressions, and violence, and everything that can be complained of now... [The inquirer should] not arraign the providence of God, and murmur at that, and quarrel with it; as if the distributions of it were unequal, and justice not done in one age as in another."

I find it interesting that glorifying the past is really a way of complaining that God has been better to others than He has to us.

And if "the good old days" were really better, one must assume that the human race has degenerated over time (hence the "not-so-good current days").

This quotation has been attributed to Socrates, and seems remarkably applicable to modern society:

“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”

Man is a fallen creature, and has been since the first sin in the Garden of Eden. Sin is the same now as it was then, and just as much of it is bound up in the human heart. And if doubt lingers, even a brief study of Genesis 19 should dispel it! I'm hard pressed to find a more sordid or sickening display of human depravity than what is recorded in that single chapter of the Bible.

But what about the Victorian era, with its morality and propriety? Or the 1950's, with its happy families and pearl-bedecked housewives? True, evil may be more blatantly displayed in our modern culture than it was then (although that is something that fluctuates by era, as even a brief study of history will reveal -- think of ancient Rome shortly before its fall, or even the Roaring 20's). It seems nothing is hidden now, no matter how inappropriate. But in one sense this is a great blessing.

How can I say that?

When all false social morality is stripped away, how much more does the light of the Gospel shine? The veneer of the Victorian age was just that -- a veneer. There were devout Christians then, just as there are now. But not all of those who followed societal norms of propriety were believers, and that means that their "good behavior" left them in the same place as those today who live in open sin. In human terms, it's actually harder to convince those that live a "good" life that they are dead in their trespasses and sins and are desperately in need of a Savior. Of course, it is the Holy Spirit that convicts the sinner of his sin, and He is no more hampered by our contemporary pop culture than by the Pharisaical "righteousness" of Victorian society.


The distractions of the modern world sometimes seem overwhelming, and I often blame them for my lack of concentration in spiritual matters. It's just so easy to get sidetracked when modern life is a blur of advertising and entertainment! But I ask myself, if I lived a century or two ago, could not the increased struggle for the basic necessities of life be just as much of a distraction? Remembering to keep the fire stoked may have been replaced by watching an episode of House Hunters on Hulu, but no matter how modern or antiquated my occupation, it is my own mind and heart that allows distractions to creep in.

Ultimately, God is sovereign -- which means He controls the society we live in. And His sovereignty over history also means that He has placed me in 2012 instead of 1812 for a reason. If I really trust in His perfect plan, I will not wring our hands over some imaginary utopia of years past. Instead, I will testify of His mercy and grace to those who are lost and dying.




You can find my theological disclaimer here.