View our weekly devotional archives

May 25, 2009 - Remembrance

If you’re an American, hopefully some time yesterday you paused to remember those who have died in our nation’s service, the original intent for the Memorial Day holiday.  This national holiday, officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and then first observed on May 30, 1868, was designed as a day of remembrance. Unfortunately, when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it that much easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day and FORGET its original purpose.

God knows we are forgetful people in need of memorials or remembrances.   The definition of memorial/remembrance is “something that serves to bring to mind or keep in mind some place, person, event, etc.” In the Old Testament God commanded many times for the Israelites to create a memorial (the Hebrew word is “zeker”), either with a written record, a feast, an offering, or a physical object, although most notably, the first occurrence of this word is in reference to the very name by which God wants to be remembered:

• Exodus 3:15 (NASB): “God, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ' The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you ' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.”
• Exodus 12:14 (NASB): “Now this day [Feast of Unleavened Bread] will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD”
• Exodus 17:14 (NASB): “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’”
• Leviticus 2:9 (NASB): “The priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion, and shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.”
• Joshua 4:7 (NASB): “then you shall say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off ' So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever."

In the New Testament God calls us again to remember. Vine’s Expository Dictionary says this about the Greek word “anamnesis”, which means “remembrance”: “’a remembrance’ in Christ’s command in the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24, 25), not ‘in memory of’ but in an affectionate calling of the Person Himself to mind.” So regularly when we take communion, we are called to remember Christ and His sacrifice.

Yes, God knows we are forgetful, and symbols and rituals are helpful tools that serve to bring to mind or keep in mind a place, person or event. But here’s the best part: God remembers. In fact, the first occurrence of the verb “to remember” in scripture (Hebrew word “zakar) has GOD as the subject:
Genesis 8:1 (NASB): “But God remembered Noah…”  

And again from Vine’s Expository Dictionary: “God’s remembering marks the history of Israel at every major point: ‘And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel,… and I have remembered my covenant…” (Exod. 6:5-6) The word ‘remember’ is used most often of God in respect to His covenant promises and is followed by an action to fulfill His covenant. “

And so indeed He did remember His covenant – the NEW covenant - in Christ. “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15)

I’m thankful God remembers His promises. And I know memorials are good for us. We need them. They help us to remember. So pay attention to the memorials and markers in your life, particularly those with spiritual or relational significance. And if you’re having trouble remembering, use SOMETHING to help you mark the memory. You’ll be glad you did.

Blessings! Kristi