REMEMBER! – Charles Spurgeon
Remember!
“You shall remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you.” – Deuteronomy 15:15
In an autobiography of William Jay, we read that on one occasion he called to see the famous Mr. John Newton at Olney. He observed that over the desk at which Mr. Newton was accustomed to compose his sermons, he had written in very large letters the following words: “Remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you.” To my mind, this story gives the text significant interest. It was most fitting that such a remarkable convert as Mr. Newton should dwell upon such a theme and place such a text so prominently before his eyes. Might it not be just as appropriate for each one of us to place this text in a similar position in our own lives?
Mr. Newton’s Example
Mr. Newton lived and acted under the influence of the memory which the text commands, as was evident in his conversation with Mr. Jay that very morning. “Sir,” said Mr. Newton, “I am glad to see you, for I have a letter just come from Bath, and you may perhaps assist me in answering it. Do you know anything of so-and-so (mentioning the name)?” Mr. Jay replied that the man was an awful character, had once been a hearer of the gospel, but had become a leader in every vice. “But, sir,” said Mr. Newton, “he writes very penitently, and who can tell? Perhaps a change may have come over him.” “Well,” said Mr. Jay, “I can only say that if ever he should be converted, I should despair of no one.” “And I,” said Mr. Newton, “have never despaired of anybody since I was, myself, converted.”
As he thought of this poor sinner in Bath, Mr. Newton remembered that he too was a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord his God had redeemed him. Why, then, should not the same redemption reach even this notorious transgressor and save him? The memory of his own gracious change of heart and life gave him tenderness in dealing with the erring and hope for their restoration.
The Power of Remembering Redemption
May some such good effect be produced in our minds! We are not all called to be preachers of the gospel, but in any capacity, a holy, beneficial, and sanctifying effect will be produced upon a right mind by remembering that we were bondmen, but the Lord our God redeemed us. May the Holy Spirit bring the amazing grace of God to our remembrance with melting power at this hour.
Israel’s Redemption: A Model for Us
As to the particular fact of Israel’s redemption from Egypt, great care was taken to ensure it was remembered. The month they came out was made the beginning of the year. “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Exodus 12:2). A special injunction was issued: “Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover unto the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night.”
An ordinance was established so that the deliverance might be commemorated, and the eating of the Passover lamb was made binding upon the whole people, so that they should not forget the sprinkling of the blood. “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.” They were also enjoined to instruct their children about it, so that in addition to the ceremonial, there was an oral tradition to be handed from father to son: “And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God has commanded you?’ Then you shall say unto your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand’” (Deuteronomy 6:20-21).
A Constant Reminder for the Israelites
The law of the Ten Commandments commenced with a reminder of this remarkable fact: “I am the Lord your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: you shall have no other gods before Me.” All through the book of Deuteronomy, this one weighty and oft-repeated argument for obedience and faithfulness is emphasized—“Remember that you were a bondman in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.”
Our Greater Redemption in Christ
Now, beloved, if the Jew was so carefully instructed to remember his deliverance out of Egypt, should not we also take heed to remember our yet greater redemption through the precious blood of Christ, by which we were set free from the yoke and bondage of sin?
See how Paul, in Ephesians 2:11-13 speaks to us who have been called by grace from the ends of the earth: “Remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ.” He repeats the same thought in Romans 6:17-18: “God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.”
The Call to Remember Our Redemption
Paul would have us remember our redemption, and God the Holy Spirit, who spoke through Paul, would have us remember it. Will we not give earnest heed to such solemn counsels? The blessed effects that will flow from this memory urge us to remember it, and our discourse today seeks to assist you in remembering this great truth. Forget all else just now, and give your heart to the work before you: “Remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you.”
I. Our Bondage
First, let us consider our bondage. It was exceedingly like the bondage of the children of Israel in Egypt. There are many points in which a parallel might be drawn. When we were unregenerate and sold under sin, we were enslaved to a mighty power against which we could not contend. It would have been of no use for the Israelites to have commenced an insurrection against Pharaoh. He was too firmly established upon the throne, and his soldiers were far too strong for poor, feeble shepherd tribes to resist.
The Power of Sin
They scarcely dared to think of such a thing, and, brethren, if fallen man single-handedly had the heart to contend with sin and Satan, he would certainly be unable to achieve a victory. The fall has left us “without strength.” The law, with all its force, is “weak through the flesh.” Alas, man has no heart for spiritual liberty, otherwise, the Lord would lend him power. But apart from divine strength, what man can break loose from his sin? “Shall the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then shall he that is accustomed to do evil learn to do well, unassisted by divine strength.”
Degraded and Content with Bondage
No, brethren, the fetters which enchain the mind of the carnal man are much too strong for him to snap. He may resolve to do so, as in moments of reflection some men do, but alas, he is soon weary of the struggle for liberty and resigns himself to his prison. If man had been capable of his own redemption, there would never have descended from heaven the divine Redeemer. But because the bondage was too dire for man to set himself free, the eternal Son of God came here to save His people from their sins.
The Tyranny of Sin
Our natural bondage was caused and maintained by a tremendous power. The prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, held us beneath his iron sway, and sin exercised a tyrannical dominion over us from which we could not break free. Worse still, we were like the Israelites in another respect: our slavery had so degraded us that we had no heart to desire an escape.
II. Our Redemption
In the second place, let us think of the blessed fact of our redemption: “The Lord your God redeemed you.” Here again, there is a parallel. He redeemed us first by price. Israel in Egypt was an unransomed nation. God claimed the firstborn to be His. The nation must be redeemed by a price, and that price was set forth by the symbol of a lamb which was killed, roasted, and eaten, while the blood was smeared upon the lintel and the two side posts.
Redeemed by the Blood of Christ
Beloved, you and I have been redeemed with blood. Blessed Lord Jesus, “You were slain and have redeemed us unto God by Your blood”; “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Redemption by Power
There are always two redemptions for every man who is saved—redemption by price and redemption by power. You know the power God put forth in Egypt when He worked His plagues. But that was nothing compared with the power of Christ when He broke the head of the old dragon. When He utterly destroyed the kingdom of sin and led our captivity captive, He vanquished the enemy forever.
III. The Influence of Remembering Our Redemption
Humility
We should naturally conclude that if a Christian man keeps always in mind his former and present state, it would render him humble. If you are getting on in knowledge, or your character is improving, remember that you were a poor, miserable slave, and that not long ago. You would have been in hell if it had not been for sovereign grace.
Gratitude
Be grateful. If you have not all the temporal mercies that you would desire, yet you have received the choicest of all mercies—liberty through Jesus Christ. If you have but little of this world’s good, be thankful for the great spiritual blessing you have received.
Patience and Hope
Be patient in your sufferings and hopeful in your redemption. Whatever you are called to bear, remember that you were once in bondage, but the Lord your God redeemed you.
Zeal and Service
Finally, be zealous. What can be too hard for us to undertake for His sake, since He has purchased us to Himself? Remember that you were a bondman, but the Lord has redeemed you.
The Use of the Memory of Redemption
And now, as we come to the Lord’s own use of this remembrance, we see in Deuteronomy 5:14 that God commands us to keep the sabbath and remember our redemption. “Remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out of there through a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm: therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.”
May we continue to honor and remember our redemption with all our hearts, giving glory to God for His great mercy.
Rest in the Lord and Lead Others to His Peace
If you meet anyone who is in bondage of soul and cannot rest, obey the text in its spiritual teaching. Rest in the Lord Jesus yourself, but also endeavor to bring all your family into the same peace. “That your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you.” Surely, if you have been set free from the iron bondage, you ought not to need urging to keep this holy day with all sacredness, a day which the mercy of God has hedged about. You should not need exhorting to rest in the Lord and to endeavor to lead others into His rest.
A Call for Separation and Holiness
In Deuteronomy 7, we have another use of this remembrance. Here the chosen people are commanded to keep separate from the nations. They were not to intermarry with the Canaanites nor make alliances with them. Israel was to be separate, as Moses said, “You are a holy people unto the Lord your God.” The reason he gives in verse 8 is this: “The Lord redeemed you out of the house of bondmen.”
Ah, brethren, if we are redeemed from among men, if there is a special and particular redemption, as we believe, by which Christ loved His church and gave Himself for it, then as the specially blood-bought ones, we are under solemn obligations to come out from the world and to be separate from it. Did not Jesus say of His redeemed, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”? Therefore, come you out from among them and be separate.
Redemption as a Reason for Obedience
In the 8th chapter, redemption is used as an argument for obedience. The people are exhorted not to forget the laws and statutes of the Lord. They are warned that, in the midst of prosperity, their hearts should not be lifted up so as to forget the Lord their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. The same argument runs through the 11th chapter, and it is a very clear one. We ought to render glad obedience to Him who has worked such a great deliverance for us.
In the 13th chapter, redemption from bondage is used as an argument for loyal attachment to the one and only God. The tendency of the nation was to idolatry, as all the surrounding countries had many gods and lords. But the Lord commanded His people to put to death all prophets and dreamers of dreams who might seek to lead them away from the worship of Jehovah. “You shall stone him with stones that he dies,” says verse 10, “because he has sought to thrust you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
The Only God Who Redeemed Us
You must not have another God because no other god redeemed you. Worship the one to whom you owe everything.
Caring for Those Who Serve Us
Our own text is set in the following context. If a man entered into forced servitude, or came under any bonds to his fellow man among the Jews, he could only be held for six years. On the seventh, he was to go free. “And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your flour, and out of your winepress. Of that which the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give unto him.” And you shall remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you.
Be Generous to Those in Need
The Lord’s people should be considerate of those who are in their employment. The recollection of their own bondage should make them tender and kind to those who are subservient to them. Never should a Christian man be ungenerous, illiberal, severe, or churlish with his servants or with any who are dependent upon him. Be large-hearted. Do not be angry at every little fault, or swift to observe every slight mistake. Do not forever stand on your exact rights, litigious, sticking out for the last half-farthing as some do.
A Noble Spirit in Christ
I am almost sorry if a mean, stingy man gets converted, for I fear he will be no credit to Christianity. There should be in a man redeemed with the blood of Christ something like nobility of soul and benevolence toward his fellow men. Even this stern book of the law teaches us this.
Keeping the Statutes and Ordinances
I have no time except to remind you that they were bound to keep the Passover because of their deliverance from Egypt, as we find in the 16th chapter, verse 1: “Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover unto the Lord your God: for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night.” So let us also take heed to ourselves and keep all the statutes and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. Let us keep the ordinances as they were delivered unto us and neither alter nor misplace them. Hold fast the truth and be not moved from it by the cunning craftiness of men. Walk according to the teaching of Scripture in all things, keeping the good old way because the Lord our God redeemed us and His truth is unchangeable.
The Influence of Redemption on Our Liberality
Again, in 16:10-12, the great redemption is used as an argument for liberality toward the cause of God. They were to give to the Lord joyfully of what the Lord had given to them. “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.” And this is because of the 12th verse, “You shall remember that you were a bondman in Egypt: and you shall observe and do these statutes.”
In the 26th chapter, the same teaching is given in a more formalized manner. They were commanded to bring each one a basket of first fruits and offer it unto the Lord, saying, “The Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders. And He has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, even a land that flows with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land, which You, O Lord, have given me.”
Generosity Reflects Redemption
Need I even for a moment, impress this duty upon you? God calls us to liberality because we have been redeemed from bondage.
The Call to Care for the Needy
Lastly, in Deuteronomy 24:17, we are exhorted to care for the fatherless and the widow. A generous spirit was to be shown toward the poor. They were not to gather all their sheaves from the field if any were forgotten, nor to scrape up every single ear of corn from the stubble. “When you were in Egypt, when you had to make bricks without straw, how glad you were to turn your children into the stubble to gather a few ears to make a loaf of bread. And now the Lord has given you a better land, therefore deal well with the poor.”
Deal Kindly with the Poor
Brethren, let the needy never be forgotten by you. Do not be miserly. Do not imitate those farmers who would comb their fields with a small-toothed comb, raking the last bit for themselves. No, the ransomed Israelites were not even to pick all their fruit, for the argument was, “Would not you, when in Egypt, have given anything for a bunch of grapes which grew in the gardens of the rich?”
Compassionate Action and Reflection
Think, therefore, of the poor and deal kindly with them, even as you would wish others to deal with you. With this, I close. Be thoughtful of all your fellow men. You that have been redeemed with a price, be tender-hearted, full of compassion, putting on the heart of mercy. In spiritual things, take care that you never rake the corners of your fields. Do not rob the gospel of its sweetness.
Spreading the Gospel and Showing Compassion
There is a class of preaching out of which the last ear of wheat has been taken. Their gospel is criticized into nothing. The skeptical commentators come in and pick nearly every bunch of grapes, and then the modern-thought gentry devour the rest. Let It not be so with us, but let the preacher say, “I was a bondman, and therefore I will drop handfuls on purpose for poor souls in trouble.”
Encouraging the Seekers
Brethren, be very considerate to seekers. Look them up. Talk to them after the sermon. Say a word to those sitting in your pew that may encourage their poor, trembling hearts to lay hold on Jesus Christ. Remember that you were a bondman. The smell of the brick kiln is upon you now, my brother, my sister. You have not yet cleansed all the clay from your hands with which you worked in mortar and brick.
The Call for Love and Compassion
Then do not become selfish, unloving, or unkind. In all things, love your neighbor as yourself, and so prove that you love the Lord your God with all your heart.
Conclusion
God bless you. Amen.