Forgetting God is a recurring theme in the Bible, often associated with the neglect of His mighty works and deeds. The Scriptures emphasize the importance of remembering God's actions as a means of maintaining faithfulness and obedience. When the people of God forget His works, they are prone to idolatry, disobedience, and spiritual decline.

Biblical Instances of Forgetting God's Works

1. Israel's Forgetfulness in the Wilderness: The Israelites, after being delivered from Egypt, frequently forgot the miraculous works of God. Despite witnessing the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the provision of manna, they often doubted and complained. Psalm 106:13-14 states, "Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel. They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert."

2. Warnings in Deuteronomy: Moses repeatedly warned the Israelites not to forget the works of God as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 8:11-14 cautions, "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."

3. The Judges Era: The book of Judges illustrates a cycle of forgetfulness and rebellion. Judges 3:7 notes, "And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs." This forgetfulness led to oppression and suffering until they remembered and cried out to God for deliverance.

Consequences of Forgetting God's Works

Forgetting God's works often leads to spiritual amnesia, where individuals or communities lose sight of God's past faithfulness and power. This forgetfulness can result in:

· Idolatry: Turning to other gods or worldly solutions when God's power and provision are forgotten.
· Disobedience: Ignoring God's commandments and living contrary to His will.
· Judgment: Experiencing the consequences of sin and rebellion, as seen throughout Israel's history.

Remembrance as a Spiritual Discipline

The Bible encourages believers to actively remember God's works as a means of fostering faith and obedience. This is achieved through:

· Scripture: Regular engagement with the Word of God, which recounts His mighty deeds and promises.
· Worship: Songs and prayers that recount God's faithfulness and acts of deliverance.
· Testimony: Sharing personal and communal experiences of God's intervention and blessings.

Psalm 77:11-12 exemplifies this practice: "I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds."

Conclusion

Forgetting God is intrinsically linked to forgetting His works. The Bible consistently calls believers to remember and recount God's mighty acts as a safeguard against spiritual decline and as a foundation for a life of faithfulness and devotion.Psalm 78:7,11
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 106:13
They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Origin of Idolatry is Similar. The Soul, Materialised by ...
... and bodily; so turning away and forgetting that she ... nor what appears by light, because
his eyes are ... forgotten the knowledge and glory of God, their reasoning ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/section 8 the origin of.htm

Life.
... The Lord shall rejoice in His works, even to the tiniest gnat ... said"Whither shall
a man go from God's presence ... Are you forgetting or remembering God's presence ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xvii life.htm

Letter xix. Submission to the Will of God; Dependence Upon Him for ...
... the immediate causes of their distress; forgetting that these ... whose "tender mercies
are over all his works;" and who ... relation which man sustains to God, as a ...
/.../letter xix submission to the.htm

A Good Declaring of Certain Doubts that May Fall in this Word ...
... meditation of God's wonderful gifts, kindness, and works in any ... him to press betwixt
him and his God; although they ... him with a thick cloud of forgetting, be he ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the eighth chapter.htm

Select Works and Letters or Athanasius
... The soul, materialised by forgetting God, and engrossed in earthly things, makes
them into gods. ... How the Word and Power of God works in His human actions ...
//christianbookshelf.org/athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/

That God Only, the Creator of all Things, is to be Worshipped, and ...
... who, when they admired the works of God, that is ... with admiration of these things,
and forgetting the Maker ... unable to see, began to adore and worship His works. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap v that god only the.htm

Of the Eternal Felicity of the City of God, and of the Perpetual ...
... abandoned life,"so also there are two ways of forgetting evils ... be the great Sabbath
which has no evening, which God celebrated among His first works ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 30 of the eternal felicity.htm

Addition to Acts of Philip.
... to persuasive pleasures, forgetting the God of the ... and drinking in their worship,
forgetting the holy ... he that teaches should have his works corresponding to ...
/.../unknown/the acts of philip/addition to acts of philip.htm

Thou Art Worthy
... John's that "God is Love""for it is the very ... brother, friend and friend, man to his
country,"what ... Forgetting one's selfish happiness in doing good to others ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xv thou art worthy.htm

Matt. xxiii. 1-3.
... Since they were continually forgetting God's benefits, He commanded His marvellous
works to be inscribed on little tablets, and that these should be suspended ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxxii matt xxiii 1-3.htm

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