The God Who remembers

Nehemiah 5 (NKJV)

1 And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren.

2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”

3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.”

4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.

5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”

6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.

8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.

9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!

11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”

12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

13 Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this promise.

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.

15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

16 Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us.

18 Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

19 Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Nehemiah 13:4–14 (NKJV)

4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.

5 And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.

6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,

7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.

8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.

9 Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field.

11 So I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.

13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!

Nehemiah was a man who did alot for God’s people, the house of God and its service.

Nehemiah when he heard of the dire condition of Jerusalem, how its wall were broken down. He asked leave of the King and went to jerusalem to build it walls.

It was not an easy task, it was a dificult task. He was working with people who were in poverty and in various problems themsleves.

There was nothing encouraging about the task. There was opposition from without and within, there were prophets hired by the enemies to prophesy against him. There were plot to sabotage what he was doing from within and without.

Yet he persevered to finish the task. He sacrificed his own daily provision for the poor of the land and did not become a burden to them.

He contended with those who oppressed the people through usury.

While Nehemiah was doing all this things he prayed one prayer consistently before the throne of God. Remember me o my God

No one in the land remebered what he was doing neither appreciate what he was doing, some even saw it as nuisence since they wanted things to remain as they are.

However there was a God in heaven watching every thing that Nehemiah was doing for his poeple, for his House, for his service.

When no one is watching there is a God who is watching. He will remember.

Hebrew 6:10 “10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

Cornelious as an example.

Acts 10:1–8 NKJV

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Cornelious was a gentile and a roman centurion. So you can imagine the way he was percieved and seen among the jews.

As a Gentile, he was not allowed to enter into the temple to pray and worship nor sacrifice there.

Yet this man was not discouraged by this things to worship the God of the Jews, he prayed always to him in his house and gave alms to the poor and needy.

Thank God, the he was praying to the One True God who has eyes to sees and ears to hear. The God who remembers.

Cornelious was not in the radar of the Apostles as they preached the Gospel. He was not even remotely in their mind since he was a Gentile and much worse a Roman Centurion.

Yet he was in the mind of God. In the presence of God was his deeds as memorial before him. The man whom the Apostles did not remember nor acknowedge. God acknoweldge and remembered.

Isaiah 63:16 (NKJV)

16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

Hannah as an example

1 Samuel 1:1–20 (NKJV)

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.

5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb.

6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.

7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.

11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.

13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”

15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”

17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

Hannah had one request that she would weep and mourn before the presence of God for many years, that he would answer her and remember her give her a Son.

She was praying to a God who remembers and God made Eli took notice of her and he proclaimed to her “may the God of Israel grant you your petition”.

The Lord Remembered here and gave her a special Son Called Samuel.

We are serving the God of hannah, He will remeber your tears, your brokneness, your petition, Don’t give up. May God today remeber you and grant you your petition.

May God remember his Church and visit her woumb and give her Sons after the likeness of Samuel.

Luke 23:42–43 NKJV

42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

If jesus remember this man prayer who was a theif

How much more the saints of God who live in rigtheousness and cry out to him day and night, year to year. Is he going to forget?

We serve the God of Abraham, God remembered the intercesion of Abraham

Genesis 19:29 “29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.”

We serve the God of Joseph

After all that Joseph had gone through, the betrayel, the slavery, the Injustice.

He was definately forgotten by his own family, who taught him dead

While in the dungeon for a crime he did not commit.

He interprated the dreams of two men, one of whom was cup bearer of Pharaoh

Genesis 40:14 “14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.”

Genesis 40:23 “23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

Out of desperation, don’t put your confidence in man.

Two years later the day of rememberence came. God had not forgotten him

When Pharoh dreamed a dream no one could interprate, the butler remembered his fault.

Genesis 41:9 NKJV

9 Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.

God made him remember.

God remembers your trials, he knows your affliction, your humiliation, the injustice.

He will remember you and bring you up to the top.

Psalm 40:1–2 NKJV

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

God will remeber his covenant

Exodus 2:23–24 NKJV

23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

The cry and graoning of God’s people came up before God and which made him to remeber his covenant.

God will see our cries and graoning and he will remeber his covenant, his promises to his church.

Until then let the cries assend unto God, let the travail and prayers ascend unto God, Let it not give him rest until he comes down to establish his covenant, his promises to us.

Isaiah 62:6–7 NKJV

6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, 7 And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Psalm 105:40–42 NKJV

40 The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; It ran in the dry places like a river. 42 For He remembered His holy promise, And Abraham His servant.

Concluding prayer

Job 14:13 “13 “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!”

Apoint a set time for us and remember us, remember your people, remember your covenant.