“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things which accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints” (Hebrews 6:9-10).
The Hebrew writer reminded the Christians to whom he wrote that God would not forget their work. The same promise applies to us today as well.
On an intellectual level, Christians may know this. We know that God is omniscient and, therefore, knows what we are doing and what we have done. However, during difficult times, it can sometimes feel as though God has forgotten us, even though we know He has not.
In this article, we are going to examine some instances in which God remembered certain people – not that He had forgotten them or His promise to them; rather, He took action in His time (the proper time). These examples should encourage us, reminding us that God will not forget us or fail to reward us if we are faithful to Him.
God Remembered Noah
“But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained; and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased. In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. The water decreased steadily until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible” (Genesis 8:1-5).
What had happened to Noah? God destroyed the world with a flood and “blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land…and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark” (Genesis 7:23). This was done because of man’s great wickedness (Genesis 6:5-7). However, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8) and was saved “by faith” (Hebrews 11:7). He obeyed God and built the ark “according to all that God had commanded him” (Genesis 6:22).
What happened when God remembered Noah? Immediately after “God remembered Noah” He “caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided” (Genesis 8:1). After this “the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4) and Noah and his family would eventually be able to leave the ark (Genesis 8:14-19)
The lesson for us – God remembers our faith and our obedience to Him. Noah is an example of faith to us: “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). His salvation is a “type” of ours. Peter wrote, “The patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:20-21). We must faithfully obey God, even if we are among the “few” who do so (1 Peter 3:20; cf. Matthew 7:13-14).
God Remembered Abraham
“Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord; and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived” (Genesis 19:27-29).
What had happened to Abraham? The Lord appeared to Abraham and told him of His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20-21). This was planned because they were “wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord” (Genesis 13:13; cf. Jude 7). Abraham’s nephew Lot was living in Sodom (Genesis 13:12; 14:12; 19:1-2). Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy the cities for the sake of the righteous that might be among them and God promised not to destroy the cities if there were ten righteous people found (Genesis 18:23-33). However, there would not be this many righteous people found in the cities.
What happened when God remembered Abraham? The cities were still destroyed: “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground” (Genesis 19:24-25). However, Lot was delivered (Genesis 19:29). He was “rescued” because he was “righteous” (2 Peter 2:7).
The lesson for us – God remembers us in the midst of sin and unrest in society. Our society is becoming more like Sodom – wicked, violent, and oppressive against godly people. However, even if we face persecution or chaos or both, God will remember His people. Despite the judgment that was coming against “Babylon” (Revelation 18:2), God remembered His people and warned them about what was coming so they could be prepared: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (Revelation 18:4-5). We have the promise from God: “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). This promise will stand no matter what turmoil arises around us.
God Remembered Rachel
“Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. So she conceived and bore a son and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach.’ She named him Joseph, saying, ‘May the Lord give me another son’” (Genesis 30:22-24).
What had happened to Rachel? The trouble for Rachel began when she and her sister both married Jacob because of the dishonesty of her father (Genesis 29:18-28). After a series of events, Jacob had children with her sister Leah and both of their handmaids (Genesis 29:31-30:21), but not with Rachel.
What happened when God remembered Rachel? He “gave heed to her” and answered her prayer for a child (Genesis 8:22). She conceived and bore a son (Genesis 30:23). After this, she said, “May the Lord give me another son” (Genesis 30:24). This indicated that she recognized that God had blessed her with this child.
The lesson for us – God remembers us when we are facing bitterness, jealousy, and disappointment. Of course, this does not mean that God is going to respond to every prayer we make in the way that we want Him to. John wrote, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). It is His will that will be done, not our will. But we know that the Lord can sympathize with us. The Hebrew writer said, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Because of this, Paul told the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). We can enjoy peace from God if we trust in Him.
God Remembered His Covenant
“Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them” (Exodus 2:23-25).
What had happened to the Israelites? Jacob and his sons came to Egypt in order to survive the severe famine that existed in the land (Genesis 47:11-13). At first, Joseph was able to provide for them and settle them in the best of the land (Genesis 47:11-12) and they prospered there (Genesis 47:27). However, over time they became enslaved and oppressed by a new king who did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8-11). As a result, they “cried out” to God “because of their bondage” (Exodus 2:23).
What happened when God remembered His covenant? He “took notice of them” (Exodus 2:25) and began His plan “to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). This plan included sending Moses to Pharaoh in order to bring the people out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10).
The lesson for us – God remembers us even when we are tempted to feel like He has abandoned us. For a while, God was not as directly involved with the Israelites as He had been. It may have felt like He had forgotten them, but He had not. He was simply waiting for the proper time to deliver them. In the same way, just because we do not have direct revelation and miracles from God today (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10) does not mean that He has forgotten us. Peter wrote, “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4). Just as there were people in the first century who doubted God’s promises because they did not see Him doing anything to fulfill those promises, there are people like that today. Yet we know that “the Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God is not bound by time as we are (2 Peter 3:8). But we can be assured that “the day of the Lord will come” (2 Peter 3:10). He will save us if we will be faithful until the end (cf. Matthew 24:13; Revelation 2:10).
Conclusion
As we noticed in the opening text, God will not forget us; therefore, we can receive His promises (Hebrews 6:9-10). Notice what the Hebrew writer said next:
“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:11-12).
Because we know that God is faithful and that we can receive His promises, we must be faithful and patient. Let us work diligently in service to Him as long as we live so that God will remember us and reward us in the end.
