I think that it's appropriate to have the word for t his week be "memorial"! We'll look at 3 verses for this today. Exodus 3:15:
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. KJV
This is the Hebrew word "zeker". Strong's Concordance says: a memento, recollection, commemoration. This comes from the Hebrew word "zakar" which Strong's says this about: to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember, by implication, to mention. What is the Name? Verse 14 tells us that:
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you. KJV
You can't get any more powerful Name than THAT! his very Name was to spark remembrance in them of WHO he was and all that He had already done for them! Many times they did NOT remember and it cost them dearly! The next verse is found in Joshua 4:7:
7 Then you 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. KJV
This was when the LORD parted the Jordan River for the Israelites to pass over. he instructed them to take these stones from the river bed so that they would always remember, o seeing them, what He had done for them, again! This is the Hebrew word "zikrown", which also comes from the word "zakar". Strong's says: a memento (a memorable thing, day or writing). Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says: a memorial, a reminder, a remembrance. His Name SHOULD be enough to cause us to remember all that He's done, but sometimes we need a physical point-of-contact to assist our faith. The stones were to be that for the Israelites. Then we see this in the New Testament in Matthew 26:13:
13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hasdone, be told for a memorial of her. KJV
This was speaking of the woman who had anointed the head of Jesus with the costly ointment that HE said was preparation for His burial! "Memorial" here is the Greek word "mnemosunon". Strong's Concordance says: a reminder, i.e. as record. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: denotes "a memorial", that which keeps alive the memory of someone or something. This should give us confidence that HE never misses a thing! Even if we never get credit for the good that we do here on this earth, HE will remember and our rewards will be GREAT in Heaven! God was pleased with and trusted Abraham because He knew that Abraham would teach his children the ways of the LORD, and enforce them! I know that you and Kristine are "reminding" your children of the Lord, His Word and His Ways because we hear Avery speak of Him! Excellent parents do this! Here is Hillsong Live with a song we've used before, but it is very appropriate! The song is called "Greater Than All":
Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!
