And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full—then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Deuteronomy 6:6–12
God knew that we would be forgetful, for which reason He has done all that He could to help us remember the things that matter the most. To the Israelites He gave the Law of Moses, complete with annual feasts, during which they would assemble with their brethren to thank God for His abundant blessings. To us He has given the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of the price that Jesus paid for us on Calvary so that we might have eternal life with Him. Somehow man has still forgotten God, and even Christians can sometimes forget what this life is all about, so let’s take some time today to remember.
Israel forgot. In spite of the promise they made to God at the base of Mount Sinai, they quickly forgot. Even while Moses stood on the mountain in God’s presence, Aaron was leading them in idolatrous worship, and in time God’s law became so far removed from Israel’s mind that they lost the book in which it was written (2 Kings 22:8). God appointed memorials (Joshua 4:1–7; 8:30–35) and annual feasts to commemorate His great works, but as generations passed, these things too were nearly (if not completely) forgotten (see 2 Kings 23:22). Although God sent prophets to awaken Israel, they repeatedly forgot Him (Judges 3:5–7; 1 Samuel 12:9; Jeremiah 3:20–21; Ezekiel 22:12). God said through Hosea, “I will punish her for the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, and went after her lovers; but Me she forgot” (Hosea 2:13). We can easily recognize Israel’s mistake in forgetting God, but are we guilty of the same?
Have we forgotten? God made a covenant with Israel, and He has made an even better covenant with us (Hebrews 8:8–11). Do we ever forget that we have made a covenant with God? God has also given us the memorial of Jesus’ death on our behalf, which is certainly one of the reasons that He bids us so fervently never to forget to assemble together (Hebrews 10:25–31), since this memorial is one of the chief reasons for our gathering (Acts 20:7; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:20–29). And what about our children? Are they in any less need of guidance today than they were in the days of Moses? In those days their every playmate was a child of the covenant, and yet God commanded Israel to teach His word to their children with all diligence (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). In a time when our children are put into contact with worldly people early and often, isn’t it even more crucial that we bring them up in God’s discipline and instruction (Ephesians 6:4)? God’s word should be the centerpiece of every Christian home, because when it isn’t, the members of that family will be prone to forget the Lord.
God never forgets! He never forgets His children. He remembered Noah in the ark (Genesis 8:1). He remembered Amalek’s evil against Israel (1 Samuel 15:2). He never forgot His covenants (Genesis 9:16–17; Exodus 2:24). The only thing that God ever forgets is the sin of which we repent (Hebrews 8:12). The Scriptures assure us that God does not forget a single sparrow––upon which men place little value (Luke 12:6)––but feeds them every day (Matthew 6:26), and if He cares so for them, surely He will never forget us (Luke 12:7; Matthew 6:26) who are made in His likeness and image (Genesis 1:26–27).
May we never forget the Lord. He has done so much for us!