What do you do with your hands and eyes?
Think about it? A lot. Think about what your day would be like today if you could not use your hands to get things done or see with your eyes to guide you to where you need to go?
You may be on your way to work later today? You may be typing an essay or school paper? You may be killing time on your phone?
No matter who you are, this story is for you.
"What's a Memorial, Dad?"
On that day you shall tell your sons.
This is how Exodus 13 begins. Moses tells them in verse 8 they are to remember God. And on that day they are to remember because it's what the Lord did when they came out of Egypt.
They were to hold on to this story as a memorial.
"What's a memorial, dad?" We were sitting at breakfast. Abbey was asking the questions.
My son Ethan, who-thinks-he-knows-everything, said: "It's like a statue, Abbey."
"Yeah," I said, "It's a like a statue. We put up statutes to remember people. A memorial to God is to help us remember what He's done."
Now…this begs a question: What has he done? I mean, what has he done in your life? There are three possible answers a person usually give to this:
1) A lot!, 2) Nothing good, or 3) I forget?
The truth is, no matter how we answer that question, God has already do so much. Even if we look at creation and life we should be thankful.
But then again, think about the job you are heading to later. It's a gift from God. Isn't it? How about the test you are studying for or the paper you're writing? Still a gift (you may not think that now, but trust me: you will.). Even killing time, is a gift to live in a culture where we have the freedom and space to kill time, have hobbies, take breaks.
And yet, none of this can even touch God's greatest work: to bring us back into relationship with him. This is redemption. This we memorialize. This we seek to remember.
On Your Hands + Between Your Eyes
So where do you seek to remember? Where do you memorialize?
Some people have tattoos. Some people write things down. Some people paint pictures, take photographs, and make music.
Some people have tattoos. Some people write things down. Some people paint pictures, take photographs, and make music.
Moses tells us to keep a record of what God has done on two places:
- "It shall be to you as a sign on your hand, and..."
- "...as a memorial between your eyes." Exodus13:9
In Jewish culture this is the remembrance of the Torah (God's word, His law). They would wrap it around the arms of the men in their culture. Also, they strapped it to their heads and a representation would sit just above the spot between their eyes. You may have seen this even today resting on the forehead of modern orthodox Jews.
It's a way to enact repetition and remembrance. It's a way to acknowledge God and what he's done for his people. It reminds us that everything we do with our hands and see with our eyes is to be tainted by God's story of redemption.
Where do you keep your stories? How would you remember with your hands and eyes? (Comment below on ideas or things this story inspires you to do.)
Today is like that very same day Moses gave his speech. We are to remember this same God. He, just like he did with his people in the past, redeems us from the slavery. He provides for us. He prepares a way.
We should remember that. Constantly.
How Do You Pray?
One of the way the kids and I remembered this was through a prayer.
We prayed at the breakfast table and on the way to school.
Here is how our prayer went:
Father God,
In all things we remember you.
In everything we do with our hands,
In all the thoughts we think with our minds,
In everything we see with our eyes,
We remember you.
We build a memorial to you who've gone before us.
AB.
"It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” Exodus 13:16
