“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.”
– Exodus 1:8
Why Remembering Matters
It’s a dangerous thing when we forget, we don’t realize how God has worked in the past. When we don’t remember what God has done for us in a way that affects our lives today, our lives in the future. That’s the whole picture in Exodus 1:8 as this new king arrives over Egypt and he didn’t know Joseph but it’s not just about Joseph, it’s about how God had provided for the people of Egypt and all kinds of different nations including Jacob and his family through Joseph.
How God had used Joseph to interpret dreams, to prepare people for a coming famine, to provide for them. And there arises this king who doesn’t know about that. Who has forgotten about God’s provision in the past. And that’ll obviously have all kinds of effects on the people of Israel in the book of Exodus.
Exodus 1:8 Reminds Us to Remember God’s Faithfulness
But the key is for our lives we can never forget how God has worked in the past. We can never forget all the ways God has provided because it’s His provision in the past that oftentimes provides fuel for our faith in the present and the future yet we’re so prone to forget. I think about my own life.
How many times have I had to learn the same lessons over and over and over again because I forget what God has taught me. I forget how God has shown Himself in this way or that way and so I find myself worrying, what’s going to happen here? Or what’s going to happen there? When God has proven Himself faithful over and over and over again.
Exodus 1:8 Demonstrates How We Must Not Forget God’s Devotion
So, so much of the Christian life is remembering. It’s remembering the faithfulness of God. We see it in His word. We think about His faithfulness in our lives and that provides fuel for faith in the present. And faith as we walk into the future.
Shall we pray? God, help us to be a remembering people. Help us not to forget all the ways you have sustained us, provided for us, given us far more than we could ever deserve by your grace. That you’ve shown yourself strong in our lives in so many different ways time and time and time again. We trust you today that you’ll continue to do that. We trust you tomorrow that you’ll continue to do that. We praise you that our lives are in your hands.
Help us to not forget all that you have taught us, shown us about yourself. Help us to learn even today all the lessons you are teaching us as our good Father that we might trust you more tomorrow than we do today because we’re constantly remembering your faithfulness to us.
God Was Faithful Then, Now, and Forever
So we pause. I just want to encourage you to pause even right now in prayer. Even as this podcast episode comes to a close and just spend some time thanking God for His faithfulness in the past. In specific ways just to pause and to praise God for the ways He has shown Himself faithful, strong, loving, caring, as your provider over and over and over again. And let that remembering fuel faith in God in the present. O God we trust in you. Help us not to forget you and all your works on our behalf. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
