”For You and For Your Sons Forever”: Remembering the Kindness of the LORD
I was born in 1993, so I do not remember the day the Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989. The momentous occasion symbolized the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and, in many ways, the end of the Cold War. In celebration, citizens of East Berlin and West Berlin crossed over the old boundary marker, and the world remembers the historic event. Concrete chunks from the Wall now hang as memorials all around the world, so that those of us who didn’t live through the days of the Iron Curtain might look and remember, and not forget. We learn by remembrance. I know of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War because those who lived through it passed it down to my generation, and even set up tangible reminders around the world to call us back.
In the early chapters of Exodus, we find the exhilarating tale of the Israelites’ escape from the clutches of Egypt and its unjust Pharaoh. The process of this miraculous exodus included the LORD sending plagues of varying degrees and kinds upon the Egyptians.
The final plague was the most severe. Exodus 11-12 recounts the 10th plague and the Passover, wherein the LORD, the God of the Israelites “struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock” (12:29). The Passover was instituted within this final plague, as the LORD promised to pass over any house that had the blood of a lamb without blemish on its house: “The blood (of the lamb) shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt” (Ex 12:13).
In passing over the Israelites, the LORD was displaying his covenant love and kindness for his people. The Israelites were not perfect, nor were they even deserving of such grace and kindness as was displayed by the LORD in the Passover. We see later that they are prone to complaining and grumbling and even idolatry. But the Israelites were God’s people. God had struck a covenant with them, and he is always faithful to his word. So God showed his lovingkindness to them. He passed over them on the night of the tenth plague. He gave them a way of escaping his just wrath and looked upon the blood of the lamb. No plague befell those under the blood.
Within the instructions for the Passover, however, was the command to keep the Passover as a “memorial day” and “feast to the LORD” (Ex. 12:14). After the initial Passover in Egypt, the Israelites were to continue celebrating an annual feast in commemoration of the Passover. Imbedded, then, in the Law given by God is a command for his people to remember his covenant kindness to them.
“You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” - Exodus 12:24-27 (Emphasis mine)
Why would God impart such a statute, commanding that the Israelites celebrate the Passover forever? Because remembering God’s kindness is discipleship.
We Remember So That We Might Learn
Remembrance, as it turns out, is an effective form of catechism. The LORD designed the Passover to be a learning/teaching aid for future generations. By recounting the LORD’s faithfulness in the Exodus, Israelite parents could actually teach their children about the LORD. This rote recounting was possibly even more effective than word and lecture. By engaging in this, Israelite children learned about God’s sovereign plan, his redemption, his might, his election of the Israelites as a chosen people, etc. Remembering is learning.
We Remember So That We Might Change
Human history is proof enough that generations begin to swerve from the truth over time. We are prone to idolatry. Our nature is one of idolatry. But, as Christians, we’ve been given a new heart, even a new nature. In our new nature in Christ, remembrance can serve as a source of change in our hearts. We look back to move forward differently. We are prone to repeat the same, sinful mistakes that we made earlier in life or that our forefathers made if we fail to look back. Rather, we can look back to the LORD’s kindness to us and his people, grow, and do better. Remembering the LORD’s kindness helps us move forward looking more like Christ.
We Remember So That We Might Worship Rightly
Finally, remembering the LORD’s kindness can serve as a directive for our worship. Time and time again, God’s people fell into idolatry. But time and time again, the LORD rescued his people from the grips of idolatry and brought them back to himself. When we read Exodus, or Judges, or church history, we see how God’s people worshiped him incorrectly. We can learn more about God and how he desires to be worshiped by looking back and remembering how he revealed himself in those times. This can serve as an aid in our worship.
Let’s not forget the LORD. Let’s not forget his kindness to us in Christ. He has always been at work to save his people, and we ought to be quick to recount his wondrous deeds, even to a thousand generations. What are you doing to ensure that future generations of Christians will remember the LORD’s kindness?