God Records the Piety of His People
(Song of Sol. 5:1). Honey is sweet—but the honeycomb is harsh and bitter, and can hardly be eaten; yet such was Christ's love to his spouse, that he ate of her honeycomb, her services mixed with imperfection, and was pleased and delighted with them! Oh, the love of God, that he should have respect to our offerings, which are interlaced with sin! Our best duties, are sweet wine coming out of a sour cask.
2. If God hearkens to us when we speak—let us hearken to him when be speaks. In the Word, God speaks to us. He is said now to speak to us from heaven (Heb. 12:25), that is, by the Word.
Does God hearken to us, and shall not we hearken to him? Be not like the deaf adder which stops her ear. This the Lord complains of:
"God does speak—now one way, now another—though man may not perceive it" (Job 33:14) . If God's Word does not prevail with us—our prayers will not prevail with him.
God Records the Piety of His People The second good effect of the saints piety—was that God
RECORDED it. "A book of remembrance was written before him"; the word in the original for "book of remembrance" signifies "a book of memorials" or "monuments". The words immediately foregoing recite God's hearkening and hearing; but lest any should say, though
God does at the present hear the holy speech and thoughts of his children—yet may they not in time slip out of his mind? Therefore these words are added, "a book of remembrance was written before him." The Lord did not only hear the godly speeches of the saints—
but recorded them, and wrote them down! "A book of remembrance was written."
This is spoken after the manner of men—not that God has any book of records by him. He does not need to write down anything for the help of his memory. He is not subject to forgetfulness. Things done a thousand years ago are as fresh to him—as if they were done but yesterday: "A thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past" (Psalm 90:4).
This "book of remembrance", therefore, is a borrowed form of speech, taken from kings, who have their chronicles wherein they note memorable things. King Ahasuerus had his book of records, wherein were written the worthy deeds of Mordecai (Esther 6:1-2).
Just so, God bears in mind, all the godly speeches and pious actions of his children. God's particular and critical assessment is a book of records, where nothing can be lost or torn out.
Doctrine: God eternally remembers all the good designs and pious endeavors of his people. "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him, as you have helped his people and continue to help them." (Heb. 6:10). There are eight things which God writes down in his book of remembrance:
1. The Lord writes down the NAMES of his people. "Whose names are written in the Book of Life" (Phil. 4:3). This book has no errata, "I will never erase their names from the Book of Life!" (Rev.
3:5).
2. The Lord writes down the godly SPEECH of his people.
When Christians speak together of the mysteries of heaven (which is like music in concert), God is much delighted with it. When their tongues are going on earth—God's pen is going in heaven! "Those
who feared the Lord spoke often one to another, and a book of remembrance was written!"
3. The Lord writes down the TEARS of his people. Tears drop down to the earth—but they reach heaven! God has his bottle and his book: "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book!"
(Psalm 56:8). Tears drop from the saints—as water from the roses— they are fragrant to God—and he puts them in his bottle. And besides this, he has his book of remembrance, where he writes them down,
"You have recorded each one in your book!" Especially God writes down such tears as are shed for the sins of the times. "There was another man among them, clothed in linen, with writing equipment at his side" (Ezek. 9:2). This was to write down the tears of the mourners, and to "put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations committed in the city" (verse 4).
4. God writes down the THOUGHTS of his people. We can write down men's words—but we cannot write down their thoughts.
It would perplex the angels—to write men's thoughts! But be assured, never a holy thought comes into our mind—but God writes it down! So in the text—a book of remembrance was written for those who thought upon his name. Two things are silent—yet have a voice:
1. Tears: "the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" (Psalm 6:8).
2. Thoughts: "I know what they are thinking" (Isaiah 66:18).
5. God writes down the DESIRES of his people. "Lord, my every desire is known to You!" (Psalm 38:9); that is, "It is set down in your book!" Desire is the spiritual appetite, or the soul's panting and breathing after God (Psalm 84:2). In this life we do rather desire God
—than enjoy him. Can we say that we take our souls out of the quiver
of our bodies, and shoot them into heaven? Do our affections sally forth towards Christ? Do we desire him superlatively and incessantly? Every such desire is put down in God's register book!
Lord, my every desire is known to You!"
6. The Lord writes down the PRAYERS of his people. (Jonah 2:7). Prayer, though it be not vocal, only mental, is recorded.
"Hannah spoke in her heart" (1 Sam. 1:13). That prayer, God wrote down and answered. God was better to her than her prayer; she prayed for a son—and God gave her a prophet! At times the heart is so full of grief, that it can only groan in prayer; yet a groan is sometimes the best part of a prayer, and God writes it down: "My groaning is not hidden from You!" (Psalm 38:9). If we cannot speak with elegance in prayer; if it is only lisping and chattering, God puts it in his book of remembrance: "I chattered like a swallow, and then I moaned like a mourning dove. I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!"
(Isaiah 38:14); yet that prayer was heard and registered, "I have heard your prayer—I have seen your tears!" (verse 5).
7. God writes down the WORKS of his people. Works of mercy must be done out of love to God. As Mary out of love brought her ointments and sweet spices, and anointed Christ's dead body—so out of pure love we must bring our ointments of charity to anoint the saints, which are Christ's living body. Such alms are not lost. With such sacrifices God is well pleased (Heb. 13:16). And that we should see how well the Lord is pleased with them, he writes them down thus: "Your gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God." (Acts 10:4).
8. God has a book of remembrance for the SUFFERINGS of his people. The saints purgatory is in this life. But there are two things which may bear up their spirits:
First, every groan of theirs goes to God's heart: "I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel" (Exod. 6:5). In music when one string is touched—all the rest sound. When the saints are stricken—
God's heart reverberates.
Secondly, God has a book of records, to write down his people's injuries. The wicked make wounds in the backs of the righteous, and then pour in vinegar. God writes down their cruelty: "I remember what Amalek did to Israel" (1 Sam. 15:2). Amalek was Esau's grandchild (Gen. 36:12), a bitter enemy of Israel. The Amalekites showed their spite to Israel in two ways:
First, "Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God." (Deuteronomy 25:17-18)
Secondly, they openly gave battle to them, and would have hindered them from going into Canaan (Exod. 17:8). Now God took notice of Israel's sufferings by Amalek: "I remember what Amalek did to Israel, and I have my book of remembrance; I write it down." "This is what the Lord Almighty says—I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys."
(1 Sam. 15:2-3).
First use of the doctrine: INFORMATION.
I. This shows us that it is not in vain to serve God. The wicked who do not know God, think him to be a hard Master, and say, like those Job speaks of, "What would we gain by praying to
him?" (Job 21:15). But the text shows us that God records all the services of his people, "a book of remembrance was written before him." God's writing in his book is:
A. An HONOR to the saints. The Romans wrote the names of their senators in a book, and in token of honor they were called the "chosen fathers" of the people. So God's book of remembrance shows his high esteem of his people and their services. He writes them down.
B. A mark of the SPECIAL FAVOR God bears to his people.
He registers them and their services—with an intent to crown them!
Tamerlane, wrote down all the memorable deeds of his soldiers, whom he afterwards advanced to places of dignity. God's service is most desirable; let us make Joshua's choice: "As for me and my house—we will serve the Lord!" (Joshua 24:15).
If we should desert God's service, where shall we go? When Christ asked his disciples, Will you also go away? Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" (John 6:68); as if to say, "If we leave you, we do not know where to get help for ourselves." Let us adhere to God; he has his book of memorials to record our allegiance. We may be losers for him—but we shall not be losers by him.
2. As God registers the good works of his people—so he has a book of remembrance to write down the sins of the wicked! "Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness.
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction!" (Isaiah 30:8-9).
Men's sins are written in the book of conscience—and the book of God's omniscience. They think that because God does not speak to
them by his loud judgments, therefore God does not know their sins.
But though God does not speak—he writes: "The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus. With a diamond point it is engraved."
(Jer. 17:1). God writes down every act of oppression, bribery, and immorality. "They never consider that I remember all their evil. Now their sins are all around them; they are right in front of My face!"
(Hos. 7:2). King Belshazzar was carousing and drinking wine in bowls, and praising his gods of gold and silver; but while he was sinning—God was writing! "At that very moment they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king's palace. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fear. Such terror gripped him that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way beneath him!" (Dan. 5:5-6).
We read of God's book: "The books were opened" (Rev. 20:12); and we also read of his bag: "My transgression is sealed up in a bag" (Job
14:17). This seems to allude to law courts, where indictments against malefactors are sealed up in a bag, and produced at the trials. When
God shall open his black book in which men's names are written, and his bag in which their sins are written—then their hearts will tremble, and their knees will knock together in terror! Every lie a sinner tells, every oath he swears, every drunken bout—God writes it down in his book of remembrance! And woe to him—if the book is not crossed out with the blood of Christ!
3. See the mercifulness of God to his children—who blots their sins out of his book of remembrance, and writes their good deeds in his book of remembrance. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions" (Isaiah 43:25). This is a metaphor borrowed from the case of a creditor who takes his pen and blots out the debt owing to him; so says God, I will "blot out your transgressions". Or as the Hebrew has it, "I am blotting them out."
God in forgiving sin, passes an act of oblivion or amnesty: "I will remember their sin no more!" (Jer. 31:34). God will not upbraid his people with their former offences. We never read that when Peter repented, that Christ upbraided him for his denial of his Lord. Oh, the heavenly indulgence and kindness of God to his people! He remembers everything about them—but their sins! He writes down their good thoughts and speeches in a merciful book of remembrance; but their sins are as if they had never been—they are carried into the land of oblivion!
Second Use: EXHORTATION.
If God records our services—then let us record his mercies. Let us have our book of remembrance. A Christian should keep two books always beside him; one to write his sins in—that he may be humble; the other to write his mercies in—that he may be thankful. David had his book of remembrance: "David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to give thanks and praise to Him." (1 Chron. 16:4). We should keep a book to record God's mercies—though I think it will be hard to get a book big enough to hold them! At such and such a time we were in straitened circumstances—and God supplied us; at another time under sadness of spirit—and God dropped in the oil of gladness; at another near death—and God miraculously restored us. If God is mindful of what we do for him—shall not we be mindful of what he does for us! God's mercies, like jewels, are too good to be lost! Get a book of remembrance!
Third Use: COMFORT.
1. It is comfort to the godly—in the case of friends forgetting them. Joseph did Pharaoh's cupbearer a kindness—"Yet the cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him." (Gen.
40:23). It is only too usual to remember injuries—and forget kindnesses; but God has a book of remembrance where he writes down all his old friends. Near relations may sometimes be forgetful.
The tender mother may forget her infant: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isa. 49:15). A mother may sooner forget her child—than God be forgetful. Christ our high priest, has the names of the saints written upon his breastplate, and all their good deeds written in his book of memorials! Let this be a remedy to revive the hearts of God's people; though friends may blot you out of their mind—yet God will not blot you out of his book!
2. This is consolation to the godly—the Lord keeps a book of remembrance for this end—that he may at the last day make a public and solemn mention of all the good which his saints have done. God will open his book of records and say,
"Then the King will say to those on His right—Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me." (Matt. 25:34-36).
God will make known all the memorable and pious actions of his people before men and angels! He will say, "Here are those who have prayed and wept for sin; here are those who have been advocates for my truth; here are those who have laid to heart my dishonors, and have mourned for what they could not reform. These are my renowned ones, my Hephzibahs—in whom my soul delights!" (Isaiah
62:4).