From our study of the history of God’s people, we can learn many foundational truths. But one of them is sure, GOD DOES NOT FORGET! Men may forget, but never God. When He seems to have forgotten, it is because it takes time to work out His purposes. He is surely working behind the scenes.
This truth is illustrated in the Scripture, Exodus 6:1-13. We base our thoughts on this text.
1. Then the LORD said unto Moses, now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
2. And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
3. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
4. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
5. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
6. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments:
7. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am the LORD.
9. And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10. And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
11. Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
12. And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
13. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
Immediately before this reminder, Moses had complained to God that nothing was happening in the fulfillment of his call. No deliverance was in sight! Yet, in this text, we find several PROOFS which will surely convince us that God does not forget. When God makes a promise, He keeps it. His promises are not like papers to be disregarded or treaties to be broken.
In the first proof to Moses, God stated,
The Appeal to Remembrance.
God recalls the history of how He had come to the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These are the patriarchal fathers, the progenitors, the fathers of the Hebrew people. They lived long before Moses’ time. God said, “I appeared unto them by the name of El Shaddai, God the Almighty,” but as the Redeemer God, He had not come to them. Here He is telling Moses that “this is how I am going to be known from now on.” Jehovah, as defined and described in this text, means...
