Why is it crucial to remember God's deliverance as instructed in Exodus 12:17? Setting the Scene: Exodus 12:17 • “So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a perpetual statute for the generations to come.” (Exodus 12:17) The Lord ties the feast directly to the historic, literal moment He rescued Israel from bondage. Remembering isn’t optional; it is woven into Israel’s calendar as a “perpetual statute.” God’s Command to Remember • Remembering is not a human suggestion but a divine instruction. • The act of memorial keeps the miracle alive in every generation. • Forgetting would blur the boundary between slavery and freedom, between Egypt’s oppression and God’s redemption. Key Reasons It’s Crucial to Remember 1. Identity Is Anchored in Redemption • Israel’s national identity is “those whom God redeemed.” • Deuteronomy 7:18–19: “Do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.” • Our individual identity as believers is grounded in Christ’s greater deliverance (Colossians 1:13–14). 2. Gratitude Fuels Obedience • Psalm 103:2: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds.” • Gratitude for past salvation motivates present-day holiness and surrender. 3. Generational Transmission • Exodus 13:8: “On that day you are to explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’” • Remembering equips parents to hand down faith, ensuring the next generation lives in covenant truth rather than cultural amnesia. 4. Faith for Future Trials • 1 Samuel 17:37: “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” • Past deliverance is a down payment on future faith; if He rescued once, He can rescue again. 5. Spiritual Warfare and Victory • Revelation 12:11: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” • Remembered deliverance becomes testimony that defeats the enemy’s accusations. How the Principle Carries into the New Covenant • Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as the fulfillment of Passover: “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19) • 1 Corinthians 5:7–8 connects unleavened bread with living a cleansed, sin-free life because “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Putting Memory into Practice Today • Celebrate Communion thoughtfully, not as ritual but as reenactment of rescue. • Keep a written record of answered prayers and breakthroughs; revisit it often. • Share personal testimonies at family meals or small groups to encourage faith. • Mark anniversaries of God’s interventions with worship and storytelling. • Remove “leaven” (sin, compromise) regularly as a practical reminder that redemption calls for purity. Summary: The Ongoing Call to Celebrate Deliverance God commands remembrance because rescue is central to His covenant love. By keeping the memory vivid, we guard our identity, cultivate gratitude, pass faith to the next generation, and stand firm in present battles. Exodus 12:17 invites every believer to commemorate deliverance—not merely as a historical footnote, but as the living heartbeat of obedient, joyful faith. |
    |