THE TABLE OF THE LORD ISRAEL AND REMEMBRANCE The Lord established the priority of remembrance with the Israelites. The feast of the Passover was instituted to activate the mind, and thus touch the heart. The people of God were thus to recall what the Lord had done for them, not allowing its memory to pass from them. Of the Passover, God said, "'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance" (Ex 12:14, NASB). Their salvation and their memory were thus joined together. COMPETING INFLUENCES Adversarial influences are competing for our memory. Lot's wife remembered Sodom, and, turning back to catch one more glimpse of that cursed city, became a monument to unbelief. Even after Israel was delivered from Egypt, they remembered what should have been forgotten. "We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic" (Num 11:5). Their remembrance of these things became a deterrent to them, ultimately excluding them from entrance into the promised land! -- Tomorrow:
"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils" -- 1 Corinthians 10:21
Even the Sabbath day was associated with Israel's remembrance of deliverance from Egyptian bondage. "'And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day" (Deut 5:15, NASB). Deliverance without remembrance will never effect the purpose of God.
Later, when Israel entered the promised land by crossing the Jordan, God provided for something to be remembered. "And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever" (Josh 4:5-7). Great blessings are too easily forgotten. Remembrances were instituted to allow Divine influence access to the hearts of the ancient people.
Paul knew competitive influences needed to be forgotten, not remembered. "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before" (Phil 3:13). Those "things," once considered advantages, had to be forgotten if the prize was to be obtained.
The Lord's table assists believers to remember Christ, the ultimate Blessing. In that remembrance, competing influences are neutralized and heavenly ones maximized. Those who do not choose to remember Christ will find their memories becoming more of a handicap than an advantage. Their reluctance to remember the Savior also confirms their captivation with the flesh and alienation from God. Remembering Jesus is not an option for the saved; it is a necessity! We live in a world of distraction. If men do not make a diligent effort to remember their Redeemer, they will be overcome by the Tempter.
We do not live in a moral vacuum! Believers are being assaulted by a cunning adversary. The situation demands a disciplined and vigilant spirit that remembers the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord has graciously instituted His table -- the table of the Lord -- as a catalyst to the soul. It is a time of remembrance during which the Holy Spirit is active within us, and the Lord Jesus Himself eats and drinks with us. Our memories this reach back to the vicarious death of Christ, drawing strength and comfort from it.
It is possible to observe the Lord's Table out of a sense of obligation, as Israel did the Passover Feast. The benefits of this table, however, will not be yours until you can freely, and with joy, fulfill Christ's words: "this do in remembrance of me."
PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You in the name of Christ Jesus for providing a place and a time when my memory can be sanctified, and my heart strengthened through its activity.