Forgetfulness of God.
"Now consider," etc. The prevailing character of the Book of Psalms is that Divine truth is clothed in the language of human experience. But in this psalm God alone speaks. The personality of the psalmist vanishes. Man's voice is hushed. We are called into the very presence of God, like Israel at the foot of Sinai. It is God's voice that summons us to judgment, and sets our sins in order before our eyes. Yet it is the voice of merciful warning. "Consider!" (Isaiah 1:18). The sin here rebuked is forgetfulness of God.
I. IT Is NOT DIFFICULT TO FORGET GOD. God might have made it impossible. He might have surrounded us with symbols of his presence which the dullest could not mistake. Voices from the sky might thunder his Name in our ears. An inward irresistible consciousness of his being and presence might have been an inseparable part of our nature. But no! A mysterious veil hangs between our soul and our Creator. We have no direct knowledge of God. He has left us at liberty, if we please, to forget him. We can bury ourselves in things around us, and forget him in whom we "live and nacre and have our being."
II. It seems wonderful that it is possible, and not difficult; but more wonderful still that FORGETFULNESS OF GOD IS COMMON. Who are they who are here charged with forgetting God? Not idolaters. Not atheists. Not the openly profane and irreligious. Those (verse 16) who "declare God's statutes, and take his covenant in their mouth." Of such St. Paul speaks (Romans 2:17-23), and our Saviour (Matthew 7:21-23). They forget God. It is the description (alas!) of the daily life of thousands of habitual attendants on public worship. Hearers, but not doers; forgetful hearers (James 1:22-25).
III. FORGETFULNESS OF GOD IS A HUGE INGRATITUDE; A DEADLY SIN. How can you account for it? Men may dislike the Scripture doctrine of the sinfulness of human nature. They may deny it. But this fact stares us in the face—prevailing forgetfulness of God. How explain it, except as the Scriptures explain it?—men do not like to retain God in their knowledge (Romans 1:28; Romans 8:7).
IV. FORGETFULNESS OF GOD MUST NEEDS BE VERY DANGEROUS; IF PERSISTED IN, FATAL. Your forgetfulness does not affect the reality of things. It banishes God from your thought and affection; not from his universe. He cannot forget. He must deal with you, and deal justly. He must take account of your forgetting him. "Consider!" Consider the folly, ingratitude, sin, danger, of forgetting God. His mercies are new every morning. "He will ever be mindful of his covenant;" "He is faithful and just to forgive sins;" and promises (Isaiah 43:25) to "remember them no more." Can there be forgetfulness in the infinite mind? Can God cease to be omniscient? Not literally; but by this intensely strong figure the Bible sets forth the generous and loving completeness of Divine forgiveness. It is an act of oblivion. "Consider!" We have forgotten God, but he has not forgotten us. He "remembered us in our low estate; for his mercy endureth for ever" (Psalms 136:23). He beseeches you to be reconciled!
HOMILIES BY C. CLEMANCE