Verse 14

VER. 14.

For Israel has forgotten his Maker.

They have forgotten their Maker, but I'll remember them says God.

When men think least of God, then is God's time to come upon them for their sins, when they are in the greatest security of all: whereas if you would remember your sins God might forget them, or if you would remember God your sins should not be remembered, but you forgetting God, your sins are remembered. It is an abominable thing for us to forget God by whom we had our memory, by whom we are remembered, we should never have been thought of if God had not given us what we have, and therefore for us not to think of God it is a vile sin. Now God is forgotten when he is not honored, minded as our confidence, help, refuge, our only good, when he is not obeyed; if we do but remember sin, we cannot but honor him. How many forget what manifestations once they had of God? They are passed by from them, and other things take up their thoughts; Oh! what an appearing was there of God to many of your souls heretofore, and what conference between God and your souls? What lustre of God's Spirit upon you? And you thought you should never forget those things; but now other things are in your hearts, Oh! such men and women have cause to fear that they are under much wrath that they should forget their Maker. God challenges remembrance under this title: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. There's no creature but the rational creature that can reflect upon the cause of their being, the first cause, and therefore God would not lose the honor from this creature; indeed the ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib, the beasts can take notice of those that bring them good things; but to reflect upon the cause of their first being, (I say) that's proper to the rational creature, and therefore it is an honor that God expects from you, and will not lose it.

The word here Creator, their Maker, it is not now meant for God's giving them their being, but God's advancing and blessing of them so as to bring them to that happy condition that now they were in, they have forgotten their Maker, Oh they have forgotten that God that has advanced them. So I find the words used in (1 Samuel 12:6): The Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron; but the words in the original are, the Lord that made Moses and Aaron: that is, when God called them to the public work, God made them. Indeed for a man to be called to public service is a great honor that God puts upon a man, God makes a man then; as many times we use that phrase ourselves, if a man be raised to any preferment we say, such a man is made for ever. Oh that man which God casts his favor upon, and delights to use in public service, that man is a made-man; but they have forgotten the Lord that made them.

That's the note from hence: it's God's favor that makes a man. You have an excellent scripture for this in (Isaiah 43:7): I have created him (says God) for my glory, I have formed him, yes I have made him. Here's these three words together. God does not satisfy himself in this, I have given him his being, or all that he has, but he makes use of these three several words to signify how all our good comes from God; I do not know such an expression we have in Scripture, I have brought him out of nothing, then secondly I have formed him, I have put beauty and glory upon him, yes and thirdly I have made him, I have raised him to the height of all. God has created us all, but has he formed us? We are to look at God's forming as well as at his creation, how God forms and fashions us to his own will.