Remember these, O Jacob and Israel
God’s Israel not forgotten
This verse, standing in connection with the following, is a call to Jacob and Israel to return to the Lord.
Many are the arguments used to induce them to do so.
1. “Remember these” idolaters, their follies, their wickednesses, their wretched and miserable condition, and forget not that you were guilty once as they are. It is well to retrace our past history, often to do it, to be reminded of what we once were in the days of our unregeneracy.
2. Miserable and sad as your present condition is, yet “I know thee by-name; thou art Mine, return unto Me.” Thou art still “Jacob,” still “Israel,” still “My servant.” Is there one who has been departing from the living God? Can anything be more touching than this call to thee? Surely it is like the look which Jesus gave Peter when he went out and wept bitterly.
3. “I have formed thee,” formed thee with new and spiritual workmanship, formed thee a vessel to honour, formed thee for My glory.
4. “Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.” Thou hast forgotten Me, the mighty cost at which I redeemed thee. Thou hast forgotten the way by which I led thee in the wilderness, the miracles I wrought for thee, the manna with which I fed thee, the rock of which I made thee drink, the deliverances out of the hands of thine enemies; thou hast forgotten thy high calling, thy holy profession, thy truest happiness; but “thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.”
I. THE TRUE ISRAEL SOMETIMES THINK THEMSELVES FORGOTTEN OF GOD. Their utter insignificance and the deep consciousness of it lead to this. Sometimes dark and mysterious providences lead to this. Sometimes apparent delays in answers to prayer. What is the consequence? We loathe ourselves; instead of advancing we seem retrograding; instead of mounting we seem to be sinking. Here, too, sense takes too often the seat of judgment, and not only decides on what God is doing, but sometimes on God Himself; and is ready to cry out, “My God hath forgotten me.” There are seasons too, under a sense of unutterable vileness, when the soul responds to the solemn appeal (Isaiah 43:22-24), “Thou hast not calledupon Me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of Me, O Israel,” &c. There are times when a man seems as if he stood alone among his fellow-men, as if he were the very chief of sinners. I will mention one more case--when we have by some wilfulness in disobedience grieved the Holy Spirit.
II. THE PEOPLE OF GOD NEVER ARE FORGOTTEN BY HIM. Tender are the ties that bind us to one another; the tenderest, the closest, the most indestructible of all ties, friends, brothers, relations, parents, even a mother. It is the instance selected (Isaiah 49:15). There is no tie like this bywhich Jehovah binds Himself to His people. The ties that bind man to man, in their purest actings, are but the ties of human nature in its feebleness, its fickleness.
III. THE MANIFOLD PROOFS THAT GOD HAS CONDESCENDED TO GIVE, THAT HIS ISRAELS SHALL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. We too easily forget that the true basis of faith is the veracity of God. The believer too often acts, thinks, speaks, as if he did not believe God, though he mean not so. Were Jehovah to forget, He would violate every perfection of His nature. He sees all His in His Son; and when He forgets His Son, then and not till then will He forget His Israel. When Jesus forgets to intercede, when Jesus intercedes in vain, when God Himself changes, then will He forget. Look up then, ye Jacobs, ye Israels of God; let the past encourage you. What do thy reasonings say? What do thy humblings say? What thy upholdings in deep and heavy trouble? Thy special interpositions? Thy perseverance in the ways of God? (J. H. Evans, M. A.)
Gracious mercy:
In the midst of idolaters this chapter speaks of a people who worship, love, serve God. Here is--
I. AN INVITATION. “Return unto Me.” This implies previous distance, wandering, unworthiness. “Return.”
1. How? The sinner says, I am bound, sin holds me chained, justly. God answers, I have redeemed thee, paid thy ransom, broken thy chains.
2. To whom? “Unto Me.” The sinner says, I am polluted, defiled. God answers, I have blotted out thy sins. Thou hast cleansing in the precious blood.
3. In what way? Not towards Me. Many are satisfied with appearance. But unto-into My very presence--to walk, dwell, commune with Me. All trace of former guilt gone.
II. A PRIVILEGE. “Thou art My servant.”
1. They serve Him. He fits them for this. “I have formed thee,” fitted by indwelling of the Spirit, giving new tastes, desires, &c. We are not made servants by serving; we are made servants that we may serve.
2. They serve acceptably, cheerfully, continually, purely. None are Christians who do not serve. Notice the repetition in text, also Isaiah 44:1,
2. God dwells lovingly on it.
3. They serve in hope. God’s servants have a gracious promise--“Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.” Others may forget, be removed, but God never. We may be in trouble, persecution, danger, weariness, death, never forgotten.
III. A CAUTION. “Remember these.” God’s people rejoice, but with trembling: walk surely, but not securely (1 Corinthians 10:12). “Remember these”--the world, careless, backsliders, self-seekers, heathens. “Remember these”--
1. That you may be humbled (Titus 3:3).
2. That you may honour God before them (Matthew 5:16).
3. That you may do them good (Galatians 6:1). Are your sins blotted out? If so, serve God; “remember these.” If not, return. (Homilist.)
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.--
God’s remembrance of Israel
I. If we turn to some of the evidences of this statement, we may first look to the history of Israel, and to that of ourselves in a PROVIDENTIAL ASPECT.
1. As regards the Israelites in their national and personal relations.
2. But the special evidence of the text lies in the heart of Christian experience.
3. The evidence of this Divine declaration may be further shown by a reference to the works of creation.
II. Consider some of the REASONS which may be assigned for this Divine utterance.
1. One reason is to be found in the fact of man’s redemption.
2. Another in the graciousness, in the love and mercy of the Divine purposes with regard to ourselves. (W. D. Horwood.)
“Forget thee, I will not”:
I. THE TITLE WHICH THE LORD GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE. “My servant.”
1. Notice what a practical title it is. It has to do with action and service; it has to do with the heart, but also with the hand, with the inner and with the outer life. There is no true Christian but the practical Christian. A servant is not always at work; but a servant is always a servant, and ever ready for work.
2. It is a personal title--“Thou.”
3. It is an exclusive title--“My servant. These other people are servants of Baal or Ashtaroth; but thou art My servant.” When a man has a servant, he expects him to serve him, and not to be in the employ of other people. God’s servants must serve God; not idols, not the world, not self, not sin, not Satan.
4. It is an honourable title. It must be so, for God uses the title in this verse twice over. “Thou art My servant: I have formed thee; thou art My servant.” To serve God, is truly to reign,
5. This is a title of acceptance. As God says, twice over, “Thou art My servant,” He means, “I accept thee as My servant; I own thee as such.” One reason why we are God’s servants is that He has forgiven us our trespasses (Isaiah 44:22).
II. THE PROMISE WHICH HE MAKES TO US. “Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.” Men forget us. And they turn against us. Those for whom you do the most are often those who will be most unkind, and most bitter against you. But God says, “Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.” What does this promise mean?
1. That God will never cease to love His servants.
2. That the Lord will never cease to think of His servants. The thoughts of God are wonderful. He can think of every individual saint as much as if there were no other saint in the universe.
III. SOME REASONS WHICH ASSURE US THAT GOD WILL NOT FORGET THOSE WHO ARE TRULY HIS SERVANTS.
1. The very best reason is that He says he will not forget us.
2. God cannot forget us, since He has made us. The former part of the verse says, “Thou art My servant: I have formed thee.” With His own fingers He has made us into vessels of mercy, so He cannot forget us.
3. He has blessed us; He has blessed us so much already that He cannot forget us now.
4. He has loved us so long already. Was there ever a time when the redeemed of the Lord were not written on the heart of Christ? He loved you before the first star began to dart its golden arrows through the darkness of space. Rest you then secure; love so ancient will never die out.
5. We have cost Him so much.
6. He is too good a Lord to cast us off. He is a wretch of a man who casts off an old servant simply because he is old. The Lord does not turn His old servants adrift; but says, “Even to your old age, I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you.” (C. H. Spurgeon.)