Today’s post comes from Segun Onabajo, as he reflected on the recently finished book of Exodus in our Read Together plan. Check it our and let him know how it has impacted you in the comments below.
My wife shared something profound with me today – it came out of nothing (a trivial discussion, actually … as the case usually is):
We are a “forgetful” people.
Reading through the story of the Israelites and their journey through the wilderness, one cannot help but notice this “forgetfulness” as many interesting themes stand out: ungratefulness (incessant complaints; comparison of life in Egypt with the wilderness … like God messed up their lives – Really!); disobedience; unbelief; rebellion … just to mention a few.
Take for example, as it pertains to disobedience, in Exodus 19: 5-8 … let me summarize: God made a promise to the Israelites that they will be His “own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth” if they will obey him and keep His covenant, and to which the people said they “will do everything the Lord has commanded.” What followed after this were set of instructions to prepare the people to meet with the Lord … and they did meet with Him: “Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently” Exodus 19:17-18 NLT.
Fast forward to the next chapter, where God gave them the Ten Commandments, which included the command not to make nor “bow down to idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea” Exodus 20:4 NLT. God even reminded them again before the end of that chapter specifically not to make any idols of silver or gold to rival Him (Exodus 20:23 NLT). But what did the people do about forty days later? They built a calf statue to worship it … it was even proclaimed that this calf brought them out of Egypt.
Interestingly, every time I read these stories, it is always hard not to think “wow, these people were terrible … I mean, who forgets that easily?”. But, isn’t that the case even now? In our lives and circumstances, don’t we forget who God is; the many beautiful miracles or blessings we received, and His words to us (either in terms of His promises or commands)? Instead we make our own idol. We doubt Him. We disobey him. We let our selfish thinking take over … just because we “forget”. We forget that the one who made a way where there was no way is able to provide our daily needs. We forget that the one who gave us breath is able to heal our infirmities. We forget that he who made the promise is able to fulfill it. We forget He is God and no one else is like Him … That the one who gave us the commands, is the all-knowing God. And, because we “forget”, we do not “trust”.
We are terrible people … just like the Israelites of old, aren’t we? And, as it was in the old, God is faithful still and will forever be. Even now, His grace is sufficient for undeserving people like us.
There is a power “in not forgetting” … in committing to memory all that He has promised, instructed or blessed us with. It helps us to trust Him as we should.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 NKJV