Memorial Day-The Concept of Memorials in the Bible

 

Memorial Day is a day designated for the honor and remembrance of those in the military who gave their lives in service for us. The day was first known in history as "Decoration Day", when the graves of soldiers lost in the Civil War were decorated. The first known occurrence of this practice was as it was performed by slaves in Charleston, South Carolina, but it was also subsequently practiced in other states as well. In 1966, this day was officially declared by the President as Memorial Day, to honor fallen soldiers throughout America. In doing this, there was an official recognition of the connection of a memorial, or remembrance, and a sacrifice made. This concept of an eternal remembrance is founded in the Bible. It is a principle of God first mentioned in association even with His very name.
Moses, when first called by God, asked God what His name was, that he should tell the children of Israel:
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me to you....this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."  Ex. 3:14-15 (see also Ps. 135:13)
We have said that a memorial is connected to sacrifice, so how does the name of God indicate a sacrifice? The Hebrew representation for the name "I AM THAT I AM" is YHWH, represented by the pictographic letters yod, heh, vaw, heh. Each individual letter in the Hebrew "alphabet" also represents a concept. The letters of the name of God revealed to Moses here represent, "Behold the hand, Behold the nail." The sacrifice of Christ was embedded into the name and character of God, and that name serves as a memorial to Israel, and before God.
Sacrifice and memorial are mentioned in the account of Passover. As the lamb, whose blood would cover and preserve the Israelite household from death, was selected, it was examined for any blemishes. Only a spotless lamb could be used, according to the instructions given to Moses by the LORD. After fourteen days of being examined for imperfection, the lamb was to be killed by the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel (Ex. 12:1-6).
"And they shall take of the blood and strike (given, bestowed) it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it...and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."  Ex. 12:7, 13-14
Again, the sacrifice in this instance prophetically refers us to Jesus, the "Lamb of God" slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), who was also revealed to all by John the Baptist who declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."  (Jn. 1:29, 36).
Later, after fleeing Egypt, Moses and the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites at Rephidim ("rest, support") on their journey to the Promised Land (Ex. 17:8-16). Joshua leading the army, finally secured the victory under the supported raised hands of Moses. The LORD commanded that this battle be kept as a memorial:
"...write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.. And Moses built an altar (meaning "sacrifice"), and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi."  Ex. 17:14-15
It was a place of physical sacrifice in battle by the Israelites, and a place of spiritual sacrifice at the altar of the One who is raised up on a pole as a sign for all to see, named "The LORD our Banner". The LORD commanded a memorial out of this event, so Joshua and the people would remember it always.
The New Testament tells of a Roman Centurion, named Cornelius, who was devout and feared God with all his house. He continually gave alms (charitable giving) to the people, and prayed always (Acts 10:1-3). An angel appeared to him in a vision one day, saying to him:
"Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." Acts 10:4
Cornelius, as a soldier, must have been acquainted with sacrifice in battle, but it was his spiritual sacrifice, both in prayer and in possessions, that created a memorial before God. Out of this memorial came the salvation of his whole household, and the opening of the Gospel message to the Gentiles, in addition to Israel.
The LORD commands that we keep His word, and these memorials, not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of our children, and future generations:
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children...And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes."  Deut. 6:7-8
Our children, like never before, have suffered the consequences of a people who have failed to remember, and have failed to teach their children, the life-changing memorials created out of the sacrifices of not only brave soldiers and citizens, but more importantly the sacrifices of God, on our behalf. Let us remember, and let us teach our children, and let each of our lives come up as a memorial before God.

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Memorial Day

 

This is Memorial Day. It is not meant to be a day marking the beginning of the beach season, or other summer activities. It is a day for remembering those in military service who gave their lives for others. The beginnings of this remembrance was an occasion at the end of the Civil War called Decoration Day, at which time, former slaves designated a day to decorate the graves of those who died for the cause of freedom. It is an honorable and just thing for a nation to remember and show appreciation to those who have given their lives for our freedom and safety.
The LORD also teaches the far-reaching impact and honorable quality of remembering and memorializing Him. In the following examples, we will see how keeping a memorial to the LORD led to: a) a miraculous deliverance, b) personal and prophetic breakthrough, and c) a revolution in spiritual development and history.
Our first example is from the Book of Exodus. God had revealed Himself to Moses, and told Moses what his part would be in bringing the Hebrew people out of slavery under the Pharaoh of Egypt. Moses then asks God His name, so he could bring it to the people:
And God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM":  and He said, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, "I AM hath sent me unto you."  And God said moreover unto Moses, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, "The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations."    Ex. 3:14-15
The LORD was talking about the importance of keeping His name as a memorial, not just to the generation about to be delivered, but to all future generations. His name is connected to eternal deliverance. What is so important about these names that the LORD has connected to Himself that they should become a memorial? "I AM THAT I AM" not only connects the LORD to eternal existence and life, but also gives man the truth that God is all in all. He is whatever we need Him to be, including seemingly impossible deliverance from slavery and death. He is our answer to anything and everything. In Hebrew, His name expressed here, also known as haShem, is written with the letters YHWH, or in Hebrew, yod, hey, vaw, hey. The pictographic meaning of these letters is "behold the hand, behold the nail". A memorial of this name forever stands as the actual, as well as the prophetic promise, of the identity of Christ, the Messiah, as part of the Godhead. The LORD continues with the description of His name as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At this point in the time of the Exodus, those fathers of the faith, the covenant, and the people of Israel are dead. However, Jesus teaches that "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live unto Him." (Lk. 20:38, Mk. 12:27). So this name, kept as a memorial, promises resurrection, and everlasting life. The power of His holy name!!
Our second example of the impact of keeping the LORD and His name as a memorial is found in Malachi. The LORD reveals that a spiritual condition exists among His people wherein they say, "It is vain to serve God". They believe that it will not benefit them to keep His Word, nor to repent at the breaking of His Word (Mal. 3:14). It is a sorry state indeed, when God's own people see no point, or benefit, in continuing in their faith. In may ways, it reflects the same spiritual condition of indifference to God that we find today. Seeing this condition of His people, the LORD establishes another memorial of power:
"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. "And they shall be Mine", saith the LORD of hosts, "in that day when I make up (prepare, fashion, accomplish, appoint, ordain) My jewels (shut up, peculiar treasure); and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."   Mal. 3:16-17
Those who keep the LORD's name as a memorial in this time when many others are leaving behind their trust in God, will be remembered in turn by God, in a special way. They would be recorded in a Book of Remembrance, and they would become a special, peculiar treasure to Him, shut up and protected. They will be treated by God the Father in the same manner that the faithful Son is treated. They would even cause the return of the people to God (Mal. 3:18). However, this is not the end of the memorial promise of God. As we continue into chapter 4 of Malachi, this memorial releases a great prophetic promise: a Sun (Son) of righteousness will arise with healing in His wings to those that fear God's memorial name, and Elijah the Prophet (John the Baptist: Mt. 11:13-14, 17:12) will return to bring this ministry of reconciliation (Mal. 4:2, 5, 6). We could use the understanding of the power of this memorial in the needed revival of our nation today, and as the Church preparing for the return of Christ.
Our last example from Acts 10, deals with a memorial of one individual that changed the understanding of an apostle, and revolutionized the Church (Ekklesia). It involves a man named Cornelius (of a horn), who served as a centurion in the Roman army. He was stationed in Cesarea (severed, cut off), and he believed in God devoutly. He received a vision in which an angel of the LORD told him, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." (v. 4). Alms deal with feelings and works of pity, compassion and kindness towards those who are miserable and afflicted. Both in prayer, and in finances, Cornelius, out of his love for God, ministered to those in the nation of Israel, who were oppressed and suffering under Roman occupation, and from other causes. His ministry to others, though he served in the Roman army himself, became a memorial before God. As a result, Simon Peter, an apostle of Christ, was brought to the house of Cornelius by a vision he received from God, with the Gospel of salvation. This visit to Gentile Cornelius, ordained by God, challenged everything Peter knew about who could and should receive the Gospel. Peter would never have thought to share the Gospel of the Messiah, Jesus, with a Gentile, whom the Jews viewed as unclean. In his own vision from God, Peter was told that he should not call "unclean" what God had made clean (Acts 10:15). It is worthy to be mentioned here, that Jesus taught and promised this very thing: "...rather give alms of such things as you have; and behold, all things are clean unto you."  Lk. 11:41.
Not only was the household of Cornelius saved by the preaching of a corrected Peter, but when the rest of the Church heard what God had caused to happen miraculously, they held their objections, glorified God, and said, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."  (Acts 11:18). Salvation was for the Jew first, but then also for the Gentile (Rom. 1:16).
Because of the giving heart of one man, God, through a memorial, broke the traditions of men that divided races and nationalities. These same racial and ethnic divisions have become critical in our own nation. Jesus warned that this would happen in the Last Days (Mt. 24:7, Mk. 13:8, Lk. 21:10). As Jesus prophesied that "nation would rise against nation", the Greek word used here is "ethnos/ethos", from which we get our word "ethnic". Instead of today's Church becoming embroiled in ethnic arguments and positions, we should be making clear that these conflicts are part of the overwhelming evidence that we are in the Last Days before the return of Christ. After the miraculous memorial created by God because of Cornelius, destroying these animosities, divisions, and prejudices, we, the Church, should be proclaiming loudly that the kingdom of God is made from every nation, people, kindred, and tongue (Rev. 5:9, 14:6).
All of these above examples are also part of what a Memorial Day means before God.

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