Remember
Remember your history with God
Review with Thanksgiving.
The words “remember” and “remembered” are mentioned over 200 times in the Bible. Those who believe in the God of Israel are called to commemorate the things He has done for us. We have the capacity to recall our histories and are commanded to do so. We also believe the record of what God has done before we were born, or the testimonies of friends, and are encouraged to celebrate God’s victories.
Exodus 13 contains the foundational command to commemorate God’s intervention and salvation.
Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.” (Exodus 13:3)
The Jewish people celebrate and commemorate days that are both wonderful and tragic.
For instance, Yom HaShoah is when the Holocaust is specifically, communally, remembered. The date chosen for Yom HaShoah is the day the Warsaw Ghetto resistance commenced. A day that brings to remembrance Gods former judgments of Jerusalem is the date of the destruction of the First and Second Temples. It is a day of solemn fasting and prayer.
On the other hand, Purim (the Feast of Esther) and Chanukah (the Feast of Dedication) are not biblical holidays, but they are national celebrations of God’s deliverances. The Feast of Dedication is mentioned in the Gospel of John. Jesus celebrated it together with His people.
At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. (John 10:22–23)
Then there are the pilgrimage feasts. Israel was to journey to Jerusalem to remember the Exodus (Passover), the giving of the Torah (Feast of Weeks/Pentecost), the provision in the wilderness (Tabernacles).
With the original Apostolic Messianic remnant of Israel (the primitive Church), all believers look back to what the Lord did at Calvary as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. We enact our salvation by receiving in symbol what Jesus did for us. The Messiah makes Himself as accessible as bread and wine. A child can eat and drink. Salvation is brought near to us as we remember that God, loving us, washed us from our sins in the Messiah’s blood.
Remember.
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,
“This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23–26)
Remember what He did for you. Remember why.
“I have been crucified with [the] Messiah; and it is no longer I who live, but [the] Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Remember your special days, too. Do you recall the exact day, or season, God did something special for you? Mark it on your calendar.
As you remember, interpret the things God has done for you through the lens of His specific love for you. Abide in His love. Celebrate His goodness. Look towards the future through the same lens.
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Also, David wrote a book about God’s love for the Jewish People called, For the Sake of the Fathers
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