He Hath Remembered

He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations (Psalms 105:8)

God hath remembered; that is, in some sense, what He has promised, the psalmist has experienced.

And what does He remember, not your words, not the popular but pseudo ideal of name it-claim it, blab it-grab it, call it-haul it, but He remembered “His word!” That which He spoke! He spoke it to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob. He did not first speak to David, yet He spoke concerning David, before David was. And He spoke it, inscribed it, preserved it, to reveal it, to David when he arrived.

Yet, He did speak to the psalmist, there at his daddy’s house; concerning His portion of the promise, David’s place: the throne of Israel. Just so he could experience God for himself, and partake in the promise. so he could say, “He hath remembered!”

And I have found it necessary in my own life to be careful what I promise to my children, for they will call to my remembrance that which I may have said perhaps casually and passively. However, God never speaks in vain; He never says anything as a matter of momentary appeasement.

And what He says to you is both personal and impersonal. Yes what He says is about you, yet it is at the same time about every one of those who are His. What He says to you in a personable way is yet so universal as the speak to a thousand generations.

Isn’t that something, God’s plan for you is bigger than you, than your immediate family, than your extended family, than your offspring to the third and forth generation; in fact He is bigger than the beginning and the ending. He controls all the events of history. And this is the kind of God you need if He is to remember His covenant to you: general enough to be particular, particular enough to be general.

There are those persons: mom, dad, sister, brother, and even dear friends who have made promises with the greatest intention and determination to fulfill every word, only to be thwarted by a bed of affliction or hindered by a meeting with death. They promised without their own finitude, limitations, and contingencies in view, blind to life’s fading tomorrow and forgetful of the emergencies of yesterday.

Yet in your every right-now moment God is presently in the bitterness of your long nights and in the sweetness of your bright mornings. There is no obstruction to His view of tomorrow; there are not any emergencies to interrupt His course, nothing to break His promise. When you arrive at your long awaited place of resolve, in retrospect, you will realize that He has not forgotten what He said concerning you.

And His Name Shall Be Called

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

A governor is known by His people’s characterization of him:“a name.” This name is not a formal name, but and nickname of sorts.

And every man is looking for a man, a man he can believe in, a man he can trust. He wants a leader that is consistent and a guide that is sure. He wants an idealist that is a realist; he wants a realist that is an idealist. He wants a man that can and will provide, protect, and preserve. He wants a man that he can name: miracle worker, teacher, comforter, divine and eternal.

And what man has not failed the test? What man’s strength has not waned? What man's threads have not worn thin and revealed the vileness of his nakedness and imperfection? What man’s vices have not competed with his virtues?

There have been other leaders: the Pharaohs have come and gone. The Caesars have come and gone. Alexander the Great, Xerxes, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, all have been leaders which stood head and shoulders above other men. Yet their powers, philosophies and plans have fallen short.

But here is a man that does not will to power; He is power. He does not seek to be virtuous; He is virtue. He does not desire to be King; He is King. He can’t be exalted; He is exaltation. And since He cannot go up, He comes down: down the mountain of His divinity, down into the valley of humanity, down through forty-two generations, down into a lowly manger, born as a child, given as a Son.

And what is His political strategy? Winsomely, He awes us; with clarity, He instructs us; with tenderness, He comforts us; with power, He subjects us; with efficacy, He immortalizes us. He’s a governor, perfectly divine enough to become perfectly human. He‘s a man that is lofty enough to condemn, but lowly enough to console.

So what does His people say of Him? They have been awed by Him standing on the deck of a boat and taming the storm; so they say He’s wonderful. They have been instructed by Him going up into a high mountain and revealing the path of blessedness; so they say He’s a counselor. They have been comforted by Him telling of their place in His Father’s house; so they say He’s the prince of peace. They have become worshippers by Him showing His nail-scarred hands and pierced side; so they say He’s the mighty God. They have been assured immortality by His resurrection from the grave; so they say He’s the everlasting father.