God Remembered?
All the Bible verses below say that ‘God remembered’ someone or something, and then he poured out his favour unto that situation. But why does it say that God remembered? Does he forget?
Gen 8:1 – 1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.
Gen 9:15-16 – 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Gen 19:29 – 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Gen 30:22 -22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.
Exo 2:24 – 25 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Exo 6:5 – 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.
1 Samuel 1:19-20 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the LORD.”
Zakar
The Hebrew word used here for remembered is zakar which means to remember, recall, mention, mindful, think, bring to mind.
So, when I see remember in the Bible referring to a person, I know what that means because we do forget. We know from personal experience it’s so easy for us to forget God’s truth, especially when we don’t spend time with Him in his word. We also know this from the many examples of people in the bible forgetting God’s promises and his character and acting on that in foolish ways. We are guilty of this too.
However, when you read the word ‘remember’ referring to God, it can’t be the same thing. It’s easy to go away with thinking it’s the same meaning across all contexts, but God is not like us in that He never forgets us. He also does not forget his promises to us. He loves us more than we can understand, and even when we do not deserve it, he gives us favour and mercy.
So, in these verses, when it says remember, it means that God thinks of us in that perfect moment. He knows when it’s the perfect time for everything, and he fulfils that promise, or he grants us that favour. So, when the time was right, thinking of Noah, he receded the flood. When it was needed, he thought of Abraham, and he spared Lot. When the time was appointed, he remembered Rachel and granted her request. When the Israelites groaned, the time for their rescue was coming, and because of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he would act now. When the time was perfect, he remembered Hannah, and she became pregnant with Samuel.
So, just to remind us and think of it in the right way when we read it, God does not forget us or his promises, but he will come through in that perfect timing.
One thought on “God Remembered?”
He never forgets us, what a thought, he keeps us in mind, always.
Excellent capture, Vani.