“But
they soon forgot his works.” That’s what Psalm 106:13 says about the
Israelites just after crossing the Red Sea. Though God consistently came through
for his people, the psalmist repeatedly says of the Israelites, “They forgot
God.” Israel continually forgot who God was and what he had done. And because
they forgot God and all that he was capable of, they either exchanged his glory
for inglorious things or they responded with fear and panic when they should
have had faith. I couldn’t help but feel like that sounds a little like the
world we are living in today, especially as we face the COVID-19 global
pandemic.
They
Forgot God
The world has forgotten God just as the
Israelites did. This doesn’t mean that the Israelites forgot about him but rather
that as they went along, they stopped remembering all the ways God had come
through for them and stopped placing their trust in him. Many of us are guilty
of doing the same. It becomes easy to forget God when your normal routine gives
you the illusion that you are in control. When your life basically consists of
waking up, going to work, punching the time clock with assurance of a paycheck,
coming home, and doing it all over again the next day, it’s easy to forget God.
If you’re honest, you may not even really feel like you need him.
It doesn’t take long for something to
happen, big or small, to threaten the reality of the illusion of control. In
this case, seemingly overnight, something as simple as a virus swept through
the world and took away our sense of security. Major corporations like Disney,
Hollywood, and the NBA, regarded as powerful, even invincible, by earthly
standards, have been shut down in a matter of days. The whole world has been
turned upside down. Suddenly we are all painfully aware of just how out of
control of our lives we really were all along. You may not have even realized
you were operating your own life and had “forgotten” God in it like the
Israelites did. But if you were, you’ll probably find yourself doing now exactly
what the Israelites did- panicking, living in fear, and exchanging God’s glory
for inglorious things.
They
Exchanged God’s Glory
Psalm 106:20-22 says, “They exchanged
the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their
Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.” Moses had been up on Mt. Sinai for some time
and the Israelites started to get nervous. They forgot God and instead of
trusting him, they decided to make a golden calf to worship. They exchanged God’s
glory and worshiped an inglorious thing instead.
People have actually lost their sense of security over making sure they have enough toilet paper- talk about exchanging God’s
glory for inglorious things! But seriously, what do you find yourself worshiping right now? Are you giving your time to God’s glory and his word? Or
are inglorious things like your phone, social media, and the news ruling your
life? Are you worshiping your worries by allowing yourself to spend all your
time thinking about what might happen? Or are you worshiping God by spending
time in prayer and trusting him to care for you?
God never wiped his people out but he
did do what was necessary to get their attention. He often punished the Israelites
in ways that seem harsh to us. But God’s glory is not to be taken lightly. After
a trial, the Israelites, that had forgotten God and his works, remembered and turned
back to him. They remembered his power and glory, his miraculous works, and remembered
that he alone was worthy of their worship. I believe God is using this virus to
get our attention. So use this time to remember God’s power and glory. Remember
that he alone is worthy of our worship- not our money, our jobs, our cars, or
anything else.
They
Gave into Panic and Fear
Psalm 106:7 says, “They did not remember
the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.”
God had just led the Israelites out of Egypt with a mighty hand. But when they
arrived at the edge of the Red Sea and saw the Egyptians pursuing them, they
panicked and doubted why God had ever brought them out of Egypt. And later in
history, Psalm 106:24-25 says, “They despised the pleasant land, having no
faith in his promise. They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice
of the Lord.” When they finally made it to the Promised Land, they disobeyed
God because of their fear. The Israelites gave into panic and fear because they
forgot that the same God that had led them out of Egypt was with them still in
both these situations and didn’t trust him to come through for them in just as
miraculous a way.
It’s not hard to see the panic and fear
in our world today. It’s all over the news and social media. But if you are a
born again child of God, and you find yourself panicking or afraid, you can be
assured that the same God that always came through for the Israelites will always
come through for you.
We
have hope. Psalm 106:44-45 says, “Nevertheless, he (God) looked upon their
distress, when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” God did not turn
his back on the Israelites. While they may have forgotten him, he did not forget about them. And likewise, though we have forgotten him, God is not turning a blind eye to our pain now. This
trial may last for a while but God will use this for the good of those who love
him and for his glory. I believe God will use this time to give us all some
much needed rest. I believe God will draw desperate hearts to himself. I
believe God will use this as an opportunity for his church to be the light of
the world and step up to help in both spiritual and practical ways. I believe
God will use this to remind us all of his power and that he alone is in
control.
When this has passed and is nothing more
than an event in a history book, we must continue to remember how God came
through for us. We must remember his power and works. This won’t be the last
time the world, whether the globe or your individual life, spins out of control.
So when all this fades away, don’t slip back into the illusion of control.
Continue to remember God and daily trust in him.
Remember God and his works.