Forget not His benefits

Psalms 103:2

Praise the lord, oh my soul

Forget not his benefits

When I was in my childhood we were taught this verse, and are asked to learn for Sunday school bible verse recitation. I believe that you would have known this verse from your childhood or listened to many sermons in your churches or you may have encountered this verse during your personal meditation.

This verse was from the psalms of Davis. We all know that David was a spiritual man and was inspired by God to write the psalms. Each and every psalm speaks to us even now even after several centuries and encourage us to proceed further in the Path of God.

This verse emphasizes us that we should never forget the blessings, miracles or the wonderful works of God in our lives. To understand the importance of this verse we should be aware of the Jewish education policy and their culture.

Jewish Education

The Jewish education was started during the time of Moses. He was the first leader of Israel who emphasized the education of the adults and the children of Israel. Until and unless the adults learn they can teach their children, so Moses asked the people of Israel to educate themselves before they educate their children. After the Israelites were given the ten commandments Moses guided the people of Israelites, how to raise their children and he requested them to teach their children The Law and the word of God so that they grow and live in the fear of the lord.

The below verses show us that how much the education of word of God was important and God inspired Moses to tell the Israelites to learn and remember the word of God.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10

“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.”

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 11:19 

Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Like all preindustrial societies, ancient Israel first experienced a type of education that was essentially familial; that is to say, the mother taught the very young and the girls, while the father assumed the responsibility of providing moral, religious, and handcraft instruction for the growing sons. This characteristic remained in Jewish education, for the relation of teacher to pupil was always expressed in terms of parenthood and filiation. Education, furthermore, was rigid and exacting; the Hebrew word musar signifies at the same time education and corporal punishment. (http://www.jewishwikipedia.info/jewisheducation.html)

So, the learning of the word of God was very important in the culture of Israelites. Each and every kid after he reaches the age of six was sent to the rabbis and are taught by them. The girls were taught by her mother in the house. So, this Tradition was even visible in the times of Jesus. Jesus was taught the word of God and by the age of twelve he completed his education and was in debate with the religious scholars.

Let us turn our attention to the main verse. The psalmist was inspired by the holy spirit to tell us that we should never forget the blessing of God in our lives. It is very important to remember the blessing of the lord because in our difficult situations it remembers us the Lord who was with us in the past is also present for us now. Sometimes we do often forget that we are led by God and we are in the presence of God. We boast in testimonies how he Led us but when sudden a tragedy happens are struck with some difficulties we forget the past wondrous works of God and we start to tire ourselves with our plans and our own ways. I would like to take your attention to a passage where the same thing was happened.

John 6:1-14 (NRSV)

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Sixmonths’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make thepeople sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they csat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also, the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothingmay be lost.” So, they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

We all know about this incident and we would have heard many sermons about this incident. Here in this passage Jesus want to test the Disciples ragding their faith in him. In the company of Disciples all of them were Jews or Israelites who are God fearing from their childhood and are taught the scripture or the word of God from their childhood by their parents and the teachers of Law, they are very religious and pious towards God.

Now Jesus wants to test their faith by giving a small assignment. And the Assignment was about feeding 5000 people. When Jesus asked the 12 disciples to feed the people who are gathered to hear the word of God. But after listening Jesus assignment all the disciples stood silent because they don’t have enough money to feed them and are weak in faith, among them there is a disciple named Philip comes to Jesus and says to Him it is impossible to feed this people. Here is where I was struck because they are group of people who were taught and informed about their ancestors who are freed by God from the bondage of Egyptians and are freed by God miraculously out from the Egypt with miracles, signs and wonders. They are out of Egypt and are led by God for 40 years to Canaan. They witnessed miracles, healings, provision, security, deliverance. This events are recorded so that the next generations should be informed and also to be taught to lead their lives in the fear and the path of the God. But the disciples forgot and now are in confusion how can they feed the multitude. So, in return they were asking to Jesus how to feed and informing him that it is impossible.

Sometimes we are also in the same puzzle how can this problem be solved? How can we feed the children? What will be our future? How can I accomplish my goals? This happened to us because we forget his good works and benefits in our lives. We are day by day becoming dependents on the earthly things and the materialistic world. We are finding a miracle in the prosperity theology and are soothing ourselves. We are unable to remember that we are foreigners in this world and we have to leave this world when our master calls us. it is difficult to say this that we forgot that we are sent to this world on a purpose and are to accomplish the rescue plan of human kind by our Master.

And about the feeding the people, Israelites were numerous and are fed throughout their sojourn in the desert with manna. they were provided with all the choicest blessings of God. There are the many instances in the bible how the people of God are fed during the famine and drought conditions.

The disciples of Jesus who are born as Jews were taught all this incident that happened throughout the centuries but they forgot because they didn’t remember in their hearts. It is very important to remember the benefits of the Lord in our hearts. That will help you recollect the blessings of the Lord in our difficult times and in our tough times.

The best example is the King David. He had a very humble beginning, he passed through many sorrows, difficult times, escaped sword many times but in all this he was not shaken nor collapsed because he knows that there is a God who rescued, provided and established his ancestors is still with him. And that God who we are serving is same yesterday, today and forever. He never fails us, never forgets us never leave us alone.

Trust in him and recollect all the benefits of God in your life. Remember how you are rescued from your sinful life, how you are provided with the choicest blessing, how your sickness healed, how your inequities are forgiven, how he gave you the best family life, how he gave you the job, how he gave you the good Church, how he gave you the good fellowship, how he delivered you… And praise him with all your heart by remembering his benefits surely he will heed you and help you accordingly.

May God bless you.

V. Daniel Hutson