Deuteronomy 07: Zakar al shakach

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

1. Tim talked about a couple very significant words in scripture, referencing Exodus 2:24: “God shema’d (hear, listen, respond) their cries, zakar’d (remember) his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob….”
He went on to say that “every time it seems like there’s no hope for the world, the story turns on the memory of God.” He then gave numerous examples of God remembering some of the major figures in the Old Testament during their times of need and crisis.
Take a few moments to consider the idea that, in the present day, God continues to help humanity reconnect with and re-member the forgotten promise of wholeness and flourishing.
Think of the list Tim provided, instances in which God remembered Noah, Abraham, Rachel, Joseph, and God’s covenant. Can you imagine your name and life added to that list? What’s it like to imagine God remembering you, individually, just as God did with those whose stories have been passed on for so many generations? How easy or difficult is it to connect to that idea?
What impact do you think it could have if you and those around you could easily see themselves as part of this same ongoing story of God remembering God’s people in times of hopelessness? Can you come up with ways in which, perhaps, God has already done and is doing that remembering in your life? If so, what has that looked like?
2. Tim also talked about the many places in scripture in which we are told to “remember, do not forget….”
What does this look like in the practical? Which practices most help you to re-member and reconnect to the forgotten promise of wholeness and flourishing?
Are there contexts, relationships, or times in life in which this remembering work has felt more difficult? Less difficult? Share about those experiences and the practices that did or maybe could have shifted the experience for you in the midst of them.
3. Tim closed his sermon sharing a bit about the principles and purposes underlying his upcoming sabbatical.
Regardless of your vocation, we all have areas in our lives in which it may feel impossible or impractical to have an actual sabbatical or even protracted times of sabbath. These could be hands-on responsibilities like parenting, caretaking, your job, etc or more internal “labors” like planning for future needs, worrying about things like finances, contemplating future unknowns, processing relationships, and the like.
How can we embrace the principles of sabbatical in places and settings in which it may not be actionable or possible in our lives? How do we respond to this practical limitation? What can we do to try to incorporate sabbath practices even in contexts in which it’s not really feasible? Are there ways we can create similar opportunities for freedom even without a structured sabbatical or sabbath schedule?