Why God Cares
Recall Your mercies, O LORD, and Your kindnesses—they are forever. Psalm 25:6 Robert Alter translation
Mercies/kindnesses – Why should God care about you? You’re not exactly the best of the breed. You’re not holy. You have a smudged past. You still wander off the path on occasion. You are not absolutely devoted. Why should He care? What makes you so special?
Actually, the answer is, “Nothing at all.” In the really grand scheme of things, you aren’t a stand-out. You’re no Moses or Isaiah or even David. You’re just ordinary, like me. But God does care—immeasurably! Why? David echoes Moses with the answer. God cares because of His covenant commitment, not because of our performance.
“Recall Your mercies and [Your] kindnesses,” pleads David. “Don’t look at me. There is nothing in me worth looking at. Remember Your past actions, Your character, and do what You alone can do. Rescue!”
What exactly does David ask God to recall? Rahamim and hesede (both plurals). David wants God to remember His past compassions and steadfast obligations. There is little to be gained by remembering our past. What matters is that God remembers His prior commitments, His previous actions and His past reputation with those who attempt to follow Him. To forgive is to not remember us.
The two critical words, rahamim and hesede, play a crucial role in God’s interactions with Moses and the people. When God determines to exterminate the stiff-necked children of Israel and start again with Moses, it is Moses who argues that this will damage God’s own reputation. And it is God Himself who announces to Moses that He, YHWH, is both raham and full of hesed. David amplifies by making both words plural. It’s not just God’s mercy; it’s His mercies. It’s not just God’s hesed. It’s His hesede. It’s the whole history of God. “To believe is to remember.” Yes, we remember what God has done and He remembers we are but dust in need of repetition of His past action.
Are you asking God to remember? Do you need Him to recall His previous mercies toward you? Are you pleading that He will continue to demonstrate unwavering hesed? Sometimes I wonder if we don’t presume upon God, imagining that His faithfulness is to be taken for granted. But the truth of life is that nothing can be taken for granted. The only reason we have favor with the King of the universe is because He recalls His promises. Our response is perseverance, the Hebrew idea of hope. We continue as long as He remembers.
“Lord, remember Your steadfastness and mercies. Be the God of compassion and grace toward me today.”
Topical Index: hesed, raham, recall, remember, Psalm 25:6
True dat, as my son would say. It really isn’t about any of my amazing charm or wit.
We are but dust, we should number our days – it sounds pessimistic. However, it seems like the bible makes remembering these things an important part of LIVING FULLY.
But remembering IS faith. Who is God but the One who remembers us? Who are we but the ones who remember Him? It’s not pessimism. It’s truth. REMEMBER, in the Hebraic worldview the future is BEHIND you and all that you have is what is in front of you, the past, what you remember.
Did you know, Skip, that the Maori describe the past in this way: “That which is in front of us”? The message for today is very encouraging–we need to remember God’s past compassions, not our past. Popular psychotherapy too often encourages patients to explore the nitty-gritty of their troubled pasts, as a way of dealing with their present difficulties. Thank you for showing the scriptural way, a far better way, of handling ourselves.
Whew! God cares because he continues to remember His covenant commitment.
Somehow this got me chasing verses around this morning. I ended up at the Shema.
“Hear, O Israel! YHWH is our God, . . .” That jogged my memory of the verse I used so many times as
a proof text to go and evangelize, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
People must hear. Go and tickle their ears and get the gospel in their minds. Never mind show them
with my life. Just tell them about it and go about your business.
Understanding a bit more about what is behind the “hear” part of the Shema and carrying that over
to the Brit Hadasha’s “faith comes from hearing,” I read this in the Aramaic Peshitta NT rendition:
“Then, faith is by obedience . . .”
God is faithful in remembering His covenant commitment and doing His grace on us continually, independent
of our lacking performance. We show faithfulness by remembering His Torah (instructions for life) and DOING
them, thus “hearing” by remembering, obeying, and doing His requests faithfully. Way beyond a simple
intellectual assent I had so smugly walked in.
I am to care because He faithfully cares for me, constantly faithful, in spite of my often failings.
Great word today! Thanks much!
Michael C., Love your thoughts and connections between Torah and the Brit Chadasha.
I’ve been slowly retranslating my thinking over the years. The Hebraic mindset is slowly but steadily filtering in to my foundations. It’s amazing to watch the transformation and how differently I see things presently as compared to previously.
Very liberating and energizing.
I just reread Fohrman’s book, “The Queen You Thought You Knew” for the second time in preparation for Purim. That Fohrman guy is amazing in his insights. Very good read. Makes me look at the book of Esther TOTALLY different than I used to.
Have you come into this in just the past couple of years as I and my friends have?
There are some in my “family” who have been retranslated for 15 years but many of us are 4 years or less, like me. I am intrigued by your recommendation of Fohrman’s book. I will ask my “family” if they are familiar with it, and try to get a copy to read.
Shalom!
Yes, we have been on this path for around 4-5 years. We were in a rather large Southern Baptist church that experienced a split based largely on the leadership of the pastor. We flailed around for a while never being able to settle anywhere else. We had begun our search for something more tangible than we had been experiencing.
A handful from our Sunday School class hung out with us and we began meeting weekly to study stuff on our own. Skip’s blog has been a great source of meaty morsels. His blog and writings have also been a great catalyst directing us to other helpful sources and teachings.
We are slowly meeting and engaging people with like minded leanings. Other than that, we’ve just been reading a lot and learning to rest in the liberty of simply learning what it means to walk on the path of Torah.
Hi Michael C,
The Book of Esther is one of my favourites, there are so many hidden factors in it.
I find this video very interesting. Enjoy!
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/1782349/jewish/Purim-the-Number-Fourteen-and-G-ds-Hand.htm
Chag sameach Purim.
Considering the Covenant of Christ
~ For this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins ~ (Matthew 26.28)
We the sheeple, we the humans, are a forgetful bunch. I have been noticing this about myself lately, and have come to this conclusion. Anytime, anywhere, anyone forgets anything, -it is to some degree “costly.” It can be as simple as, “I forgot to get bananas at the store today.” The cost? Either a return trip (the cost of time) or the “cost” of doing without the bananas. There is, every time, to some degree (large or small).. a price to pay.
~ For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore unto their fathers, that flows with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break My covenant ~ *Deuteronomy 32.20)
May we inquire, – Why? Either “they” (oh, how easy it is to accuse “others”) or maybe it is “we” who forgot, they very same One who brought them out (The Exodus) was the same One who brought them in -the Eisodus. Who is this? ~ It is the LORD. ~
Do we know? ~ Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who has made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture ~ And not only is He the Great Shepherd, much greater still, He is the (always) Good Shepherd. “Even if..” ~ For even if If we are faithless, He remains Faithful ~ He cannot deny Himself ~ (2 Timothy 2.13)
“If only..” If only we could share in what was revealed unto John.., ~ Then I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war ~ (Revelation 19.11)
~ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ~ No, not at all. ‘Since’ God IS for us, who can be against us! ~ For He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all- how shall He not with Him, also freely give us all things? ~
David knew this also and it inspired him to write: ~ ~ Bless the LORD, O my soul, – and all that is within me, bless His holy Name ~ And what shall we say in response to these things? Hallelujah, – Amen!
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RESPECTFULLY EARL.
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Thank You, ABBA may we remember Your everlasting mercies and lovingkindness towards me/our families/us, as You keep/zakar Your covenant promises towards us, in bringing us out of slavery to idolatry, materialism, and the corrupted self.
And reminding us we are but dust.
YOU are “constantly faithful, in spite of my (our*) often failings.” Michael C.
*insertion by me.
Happy Purim Holiday! Celebration of the miracle of transformation of our attitudes
to His divine purposes, to “if I perish, I perish.”
Chag sameach!