Friday, July 12, 2013

Remind God?

Numbers 31:54 NLT
So Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gifts from the generals and captains and brought the gold to the Tabernacle as a reminder to the Lord that the people of Israel belong to him.
Numbers 10:10 NLT
Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the Lord your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”
----------
God knows everything. God made the covenant promises to Abraham and then repeated these to, Jacob, and on then to His People through Moses.

So why is it that these two passages tell God's people to remind God?

Can you think of other places in the Bible that God asks people to remind him?

I've had a look at these passages in two passages in a number of other versions of the English Bible. (NASB, ESV, AMP, MSG, NCV, NIV, )

New Living Translation seems to be the only one with this nuance. Making God the one to be reminded. 

But even if it is a fluke of a less than accurate translation. What caused the translators to make this change?

Does God need reminding?

Didn't effectively Moses remind God of his reputation in Exodus 32 when God was going to destroy his people and Moses pleads with God to save them.

"So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people," (Exodus 32:14, NASB).
Victoria quay, Sheffield UK


In this passage not only does God get a reminder but it appears as if he changes his mind.

And then there is Korah's rebellion in Numbers 16, where it sounds as if God is going to wipe them all out and again Moses pleads with God and God seems to change his declared course.


Are our prayers a reminder to God?

What do you think?

Write me and tell me: wkbode@gmail.com or reply here and make a comment.

No comments: