Something to Remember

March, 2003

by: Jack Hughes

Have you ever noticed while reading through the book of Deuteronomy that the Lord often warns his people saying, “Do not forget?” Have you ever noticed how often the Old Testament mentions memorials or signs that were to remind the people of God, of the Word of God, the works of God, the attributes of God, or important lessons from God? Why do you think remembering is so important to God? That is what we want to investigate in this Calvary Review.

Things God wanted Israel to remember

In the Old Testament the related words zakar, zeker, and zikkarone are usually translated “memorial, memory, remember or remembrance.” They are words used to describe something that should be remembered for the purpose of worship or celebration, because they are honorable and good, or because they teach an important lesson.

When we look at the Old Testament, we discover that in Ex. 3:15 God wanted Israel to remember God's memorial name, “I Am.” In Ex. 12:14, the Lord instituted the Feast of the Passover and Unleavened Bread as a memorial to Israel so that they would not forget their deliverance from Egypt. In Ex. 17:14, God wanted to make a memorial to remind the Israelites that Amalek fought against them, so in the future, when God destroyed Amalek, Israel would know that the Lord was just and that He does not forget those who have opposed His people (see Deut. 25:19). In Ex. 28:12-29, God had the Israelites make an ephod that the priests would wear. It was to have two onyx stones, one on each shoulder. Each onyx stone had the names of six of the tribes of Israel on it. It was to be a memorial for the priests so that they would remember that they represented the twelve tribes of Israel when they went before the Lord.

Other memorials included grain offerings (Lev. 2:2, 9, 16); bread offerings (Lev. 24:7); gold from the plunder of war when the Israelites defeated the kings of Midian (Num. 31:50); a pile of stones as a reminder that God divided the river Jordan so that Israel could cross over (Josh. 4:7); the Feast of Purim was to be a memorial for the Jews to celebrate their victory over Haman in Persia (Esth. 9:28); and the restoration of Israel will be a memorial of the Lord's faithfulness (Isa. 55:13).

At other times the Hebrew word oth is used. It is usually translated “sign.” It means sign, mark, remembrance, omen, token, standard, miracle, or proof. It is also used to refer to things that were to remind God's people of God's Word, works, or attributes. It is used to describe the “mark of Cain” (Gen. 4:15), so that men would not slay him. The rainbow was to be a sign to Noah and future generations that God would not destroy the world again with a flood (Gen. 9:12-13, 17). Circumcision (Gen. 17:11) was to serve as a “sign of the covenant.” The Sabbath day was to be a sign that the Lord was the one who sanctifies Israel (Ex. 31:13, 17; Ezek. 20:12). Aaron's budding rod was to be a sign to the rebellious who perished for opposing Moses and Aaron (Num. 17:25). Isaiah speaks of the future when there will be an altar to the Lord and a pillar near the border of Egypt that will serve as a sign that God will send a Savior and Champion to deliver them (Isa. 19:18).

Why is remembering so important?

It is interesting to note the kinds of things that God wanted Israel to remember. Christians are often numb to the miracles and works of God. We know Bible stories and we may be glad God did certain things, but they don't move us. We get more moved by the comics than we do by the parting of the Jordan River or the flood that destroyed all the inhabitants of the earth.

But God wants us to experience His majesty. He wants us to get caught up in His mighty deeds. He wants us to learn the very important lessons that He taught to Israel long ago. He doesn't want us to forget! The Old Testament is not just a storybook, it is a book about God, who He is, and what He has done. Imagine what it must have been like for Noah and his family to go through the flood. They spent over a hundred years building a giant boat on dry land while all their neighbors mocked them! Imagine; after you finished building the ark, seeing all the animals miraculously come to you in pairs. Imagine what it must have been like when those first drops of rain began to fall and the wicked unbelievers outside the ark started to call out to you to open the door. Imagine the horror of hearing them cry out in fear while you and your family were safe and dry, knowing they would all be destroyed! Imagine what it must have been like to float around for months waiting for the waters to subside. Imagine how wonderful it must have been when the doors of the ark were opened for the first time and you were able to walk out on dry land, smell the fresh air and look upon the world that had been recreated by the flood of God's judgment. Then imagine seeing a rainbow in the sky, for the first time, and having God tell you that it was to be a sign for you and the generations after you to remind you that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood.

Every time after that, whenever you saw a rainbow, you would be reminded of the sinfulness of man, the judgment of God in the flood, the mercy of God and the ark, the preservation of your family and the animals. You would be moved to praise God, to worship God, to serve God in holiness every time you saw a rainbow. This is what God wants for you today. When you see a rainbow do you think to yourself, “Hey, cool, a rainbow!” Or, do you pause and remember the sinfulness of man, the judgment of God, the mercy of God, and praise and worship Him for who He is and what He has done?

It is so important to remember God, to remember His Works, to remember who He is and to worship and praise Him. This is why there are so many signs and memorials in the Word of God. Now you may think to yourself that these signs were for Israel who lived under the law in a different place and at a different time. It is true, that some of the signs were given to Israel in that context. Others, like the rainbow, were given before the nation of Israel was formed and before the Law of Moses was given. Yet the principle still holds true — God is worthy of our worship and praise and memorials are one way of encouraging us to give the Lord the praise and worship that He deserves.

Value of Memorials and Signs in your life

Have you ever prayed diligently for something and then God answered your prayer? When your prayer was answered, what did you do? You praised God. And then you probably told other people and what did they do? They most likely praised God also. By sharing your answered prayers with others, you multiply praise to God. This is one of the purposes of memorials; they multiply praise and worship to God.

Has God ever taught you an important lesson through some experience in your life? Has He taught you things that you probably never would have learned if you had not gone through them? I think all Christians can say, “Yes!” And have you praised God for what He taught you even though it was painful? Of course! And have you ever shared that story with others causing them to learn the same lesson and moving them to praise God also? Most of us have experienced this. We have gone through trials and situations, learned important lessons, and taught others those same lessons that we learned by remembering what the Lord did for us. This in turn multiplied praise and worship to God.

In addition to that, when we remember God, His Word, and His works, it helps us to live for Him in holiness. It helps us to worship Him in spirit and truth. It helps us to make wise decisions. It helps us to avoid sin and to teach others, by example and words, important spiritual truths. This is the purpose of signs and memorials. They magnify praise and worship to God.

How you can create your own memorials

Sometimes we may think that the only memorials that count are memorials that God commanded Israel to have in the Old Testament, but this is simply not the case. You can create your own memorials. Here are some things you can try:

Create a prayer folder or journal

One of the advantages of having a prayer folder or a prayer journal is that you create a list of memorials to answered prayer. Later you can go back and be blessed and moved to praise and worship the Lord over and over again because of God's answer to prayer.

Keep a list of “mighty deeds of the Lord”

My wife and I did this in seminary. We were struggling to get by and so we kept a list of God's mighty deeds and when things got tough we read them so we would be reminded of God's faithfulness to us and His great works on our behalf. Every time we would read the list, we would be moved to praise God for what He had done. We still share incidents from that list with other people and when we do they also are moved to praise and worship God.

You can create your own family memorials

An example of this is the Christmas Nativity set. Christmas Nativities are designed to cause us to remember the birth of Christ. Hopefully, they will move us to think and ponder the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and praise and worship Him. As a family you might want to try using your Nativity set each year to talk about the Christmas story and praise and thank God in prayer. This can be your own memorial tradition for your family. You can share it with others and they can do the same.

Often you will see a small glass tube in a decorative brass holder on the doorpost of a Jewish home. This device is called a mezuzah. In Deut. 6:9; 11:20 the Lord tells the Israelites to figuratively write God's commandments on the doorposts of their house. Some Jews took it literally and today many Jews have Deut. Ch. 6 written on a scroll and placed on the doorpost of their house as a memorial to remind them to love God's law and not forget it. These are just two examples.

The important point that you must not miss is that God doesn't want you to forget Him. He wants you to remember His Word, His works, and His attributes. He wants you to remember the important lessons He has taught you so you can praise Him over and over again. He wants you to share your memorials with others so that they too can be blessed and be moved to praise God. Look in your life. Do you have any memorials, any signs you use to remember God? Do you have traditions whose primary purpose is to remember God? If not, maybe it is time to remember the Lord. Listen to what Moses said in Deut. 8:19, “It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish.” When we forget God, we are remembering something else in God's place. This is idolatry! So take some time, examine your life, and create some memorials that will motivate you to remember, praise, and worship the Lord.