Have you ever been fascinated with a word, a single word, in the Bible?
There is one word I'm really fascinated with right now, and it comes from Exodus 20. The word is "remember".
In the NIV version of the Bible, the word "remember" is used over 230 times in both the NT and OT. In the old testament, the word remember is only missing from seven books. And it's about the same for the New Testament. All the other books of the Bible use the word.
So the word "remember" is very popular, and is generally used in one of four ways:
- As a command from God
- Exodus 20:8: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
- Deuteronomy 5:15: "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm."
- Deuteronomy 8:18: "Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today."
- Luke 17:32, "Remember Lot's wife!"
- Revelation 3:3, "Remember, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent."
- As a reminder of a covenant promise
- Genesis 9:15: I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life."
- Leviticus 26:42: "I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land."
- Hebrews 10:17, ""This is the covenant I will make with them....I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
- As a statement of remembrance of what God did or said
- Genesis 8:1: "But God remembered Noah and all the animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded."
- Joshua 1:13, "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, "The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land."
- As a reminder to God
- From Hezekiah - "Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." 2 Kings 20:3.
- From the thief on the cross: "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
- From Nehemiah - "Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people." Nehemiah 5:19.
- From Job - "Remember that you molded me like clay." Job 10:9.
While looking at the 231 mentions of the word "remember" in the OT and NT, there was one scripture that stood out. It screamed off the page to me.
It's found in Numbers 15:39. It goes like this:
"You will have these
tassels to look at and so you will
remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes."
I was so curious about this scripture, that I looked up the context. It goes like this:
Numbers 15:37-41
37 The Lord said to Moses,
38 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.
39 You will have these tassels to
look at and so you will remember
all the commandsof the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.
40 Then you will remember to obey
all my commands
and will be consecrated to your God.
41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be
your God. I am the Lord your God.'"
What is going on here? Tassels were used to help the Israelites remember ALL the commands of the Lord, so that they will be consecrated to God.
After a little research I discovered that there is context in the use of the tassel. The tassels are not to be superstitious charms but a way to constantly catch the wearer's eye, and act as a reminder.
The blue represented Heaven. The tassel was to be a reminder to be worshippers of the true God, to be a holy people, and to be in service to their Maker.
What is God saying? What I hear God saying is this: Remember me. I am the Lord YOUR God. I brought you out of slavery TO BE YOUR GOD. You are going to forget, so I'm giving you something that you will see everyday so you will remember.
What do we hear God saying to us personally? What is God saying to me? What is He saying to you? I am going to easily forget, but God wants me to constantly be reminded of Him, and His commands. God wants me to live and stay in that consecrated relationship with God, because HE IS MY GOD.
What is yours and my emotional response to that message? I feel wanted. I feel thought about. I feel my human nature has been considered and a solution has been provided for. I feel God pleading with me to make and keep Him as my God. I feel I want to respond to His request.
We live in a crazy world. We have so many distractions. Every day we deal with 3,000 to 8,000 marketing messages and interruptions.
How on earth is God's voice supposed to cut through that clutter?
The only way is to have something right in front of us to help us remember.
The only way is to be still.
The only way is to take time every day and one day a week to remember God's love and faithfulness.
God says to remember because he knows how easy it is for us to forget.
What would happen in our lives and relationships if we were to daily, moment by moment, remember all of God's commends and stop chasing after what grabs our attention in the moment?
Remember:
- If God remembered Noah, Jacob, Isaac, David, and Abraham, He will remember you.
- You were once a slave to your own desires, and the Lord your God redeemed you to be your God.
- The Lord your God has led you this far in your life, and He will continue to lead you.
- The Lord your God will give you rest.
Hear God's voice. I AM YOUR GOD.
Remember, take time to remember.
