Remember, Lest You Forget: God's Promise and the Next Generation

 

One of the recurring themes throughout Scripture is the importance of remembering. God repeatedly instructed Israel to remember His commandments, His works, and especially His promises.

But why was remembering so important?

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 gives us part of the answer:

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children..."

Notice that God's instructions didn't stop with the individual. They were to be passed along to the next generation.

They were to talk about God's Word when sitting in the house, walking along the way, lying down, and rising up. In other words, remembering God wasn't supposed to be limited to a religious occasion. It was to be part of everyday life.

A People Prone to Forget

Unfortunately, Israel had a recurring problem.

Psalm 106:13 says:

"They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel."

God had delivered them from Egypt, provided for them in the wilderness, and brought them into the promised land. Yet they repeatedly forgot His goodness.

Psalm 78:5-7 explains why teaching the next generation mattered. They were to know God's works, set their hope in Him, and not forget His works.

But God Does Not Forget

Here is where the story takes an interesting turn.

Psalm 105:8 says:

"He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations."

Israel might forget, but God remembers!

Consider Isaiah 27:6:

"He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit."

Even after judgment and chastening, God's promises concerning Jacob remain.

Isaiah 27:12-13 goes on to describe the gathering of Israel's scattered people, concluding with their worship of the LORD in Jerusalem.

God had not forgotten His covenant.

A Lesson for Us

There is a difference between remembering something occasionally and allowing it to shape our everyday thinking.

God instructed Israel to teach His words diligently, not merely to hear them once and move on.

Perhaps that is a lesson worth considering in our own Bible reading. We aren't simply accumulating information. We are learning to recognize God's character, His purposes, and His faithfulness.

The Scriptures repeatedly remind us of something important:

Man forgets, but God remembers His promises.

And that is a truth worth passing along to the next generation.