People are prone to forget what has happened in the past. They may know something but without being reminded, they may forget what they know. The chief butler and the chief baker of the king of Egypt were confined in the prison with Joseph (Genesis 40). In one night they each had a troubling dream; they told their dreams to Joseph who correctly interpreted their dreams with the help of God. Joseph told the chief butler that in three days he would be restored to service for the Pharaoh. Joseph told him, in Genesis 40:14 “But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.” Joseph told the chief baker that in three days he would be hanged. After three days, the chief butler was restored and the chief baker was hanged. But the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Joseph had to stay in prison two full years more until Pharaoh had dreams and the chief butler remembered that Joseph had correctly interpreted his dreams. Joseph correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams and was delivered.
The book of Judges describes the period of time after the Israelites were delivered from Egypt by the power of God and had conquered the land of Canaan. For approximately three hundred years they lived without a king and repeatedly did evil in the sight of the Lord. Judges 3:7 “So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.” The problem is that they forgot the Lord their God. They forgot what He had done for them in delivering them from Egypt; they forgot the law that God had given through Moses. When they forgot God, they did evil and turned to the other gods of the land.
God had given the Israelites ways to remember and not forget. He gave them seven annual feasts which were largely intended to remind the Israelites of the Lord. The first feast was the feast of the Passover. This was to remind the Israelites how the Lord had destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians but passed over the houses of the Israelites. The second feast was the feast of Unleavened Bread. This was to remind the Israelites that during the first Passover they had eaten unleavened bread when they quickly left Egypt. The third feast was the feast of first fruits. This reminded them of their dependence on God and encouraged them to be thankful. The fourth feast was the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. This reminded them of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and to give thanks for the wheat harvest. The fifth feast was the feast of Trumpets; it was to remind them of their sins and serve as a call to repentance In preparation for the Day of Atonement. The sixth was the Day of Atonement; this was a solemn day of repentance and seeking forgiveness for sins. The seventh feast was the Feast of Tabernacles. During this feast, the Israelites were to live in tents and remember Israel’s time in the wilderness where they had lived in tents but God provided for them. God gave the Israelites these seven feasts to help the Israelites remember God and what He had done for them.
As Christians, what do we have to remember? Many celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus. Many also celebrate Easter to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. While these are not specifically directed in the Bible, the Bible does direct us to have one remembrance feast – what we know as the Lord’s Supper. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Jesus said to do this observance “in remembrance of Me.” As Christians, we need to remember Jesus. We especially need to remember His death on the cross where He took our sins upon Himself and redeemed us to God. Without His sacrifice, we are lost; we have no forgiveness of our sins; we are condemned to death. It is so important that we continually be reminded of what He has done for us. I like to participate in this feast every Sunday to remind myself of what He has done for me. I must not forget that without God’s mercy and grace I would be lost.
As Christians, what else might we forget? We might forget what the grace of God teaches us. Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” We might forget that everything we have belongs to God – we are just borrowing them for a time. We might forget that we belong to God and we are here to serve Him. We might forget that life is short and we need to be ready at all times for the Lord’s return. There are many things we might forget.
I suggest that there are things we can do to help us remember the important things and not forget. An important aide in remembering is to assemble frequently with other believers. Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” With frequent assembling we hear a message from God’s word, we sing songs which remind us of things we should not forget and we are taught, encouraged and exhorted to remember. Other ways to remember are to read the Bible daily and to have a set time each day to pray to your Father.
It is so important to remember the Lord and what He has done for each of us. It is important to remember what His grace teaches us. I encourage you to remember and not forget.