Amnesia
Words of Faith 8-4-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 9
[16] "But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. [17] They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and, in their rebellion, appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore, you did not desert them,[18] even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, 'This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,' or when they committed awful blasphemies.

The most difficult part of recounting our history with God is the fact that there have been times when we have forgotten Him. The Jerusalem worship leaders had recounted the amazing effort of God to reach out to His people by choosing them, freeing them, giving them identity, providing for them, and leading them toward a Land of Promise. But there always remained that fleshly nature among the people that would forget who they were and try to do things their own way.

It always seems stunning when we read the account of how the Hebrews suddenly failed to remember all this. The worship leaders were led to label the attitudes as arrogant and stiff-necked. The danger zone begins when we start thinking too highly of ourselves and become stubborn about it.

Just barely dried off from the mist of the Red Sea, some immediately failed to remember their “chosen-ness”. They failed to remember the miracles. They failed to remember the provision in the desert. They failed to remember their identity. They failed to remember who they were and whose they were. They suddenly had some sort of spiritual amnesia.

In the desert, even after all these amazing miracles, some appointed a leader and made plans to return to Egypt. Can you imagine? They preferred the familiarity of bondage to freedom that required a walk of faith. Some even cast for themselves an idol— the image of a calf— and declared that this was the god that had led them and provided for them. They committed awful blasphemies.

But the wonder in all this was the declaration: “But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore, you did not desert them.”This is the heart of God. He is forgiving. He is gracious. He is compassionate. He is slow to anger. He is abounding in love. He will not desert his people. Even when his people have spiritual amnesia. Even when His people forget who they are. Even when His people long for the world and set up idols. He is patient. Patience does not mean that there are no consequences for these rebellions. There is. But thank God He is slow to anger and abounding in love.

Have you ever gotten spiritual amnesia? Have you ever forgotten for a while who you are in Christ or whose you are? The Bible tells us that we were bought at a high price (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23). We were redeemed. That word means to be purchased back from slavery. We were redeemed through the blood of Jesus. Yet sometimes we forget that.

Have you ever forgotten the wonder of redemption and longed to go back to slavery? It happens. Have you ever become enamored with an idol— something you allow to give you meaning more than Christ does? Something you pay more attention to than God in the hope you will find power and meaning? It might be a possession, a career, an accomplishment, a sports team, an image, or a television show. It could be a body image, a regimen, a rank, recognition, or an identity before the world. It could be Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, texting, surfing, a movie, or a television show.

God is forgiving, but he asks of us repentance. God is gracious, but the fruit of grace in us returns us to Him. God is compassionate, but He is even more passionate about just knowing you. God is slow to anger, but He does. God is abounding in love, but we must receive that love. He loves you just the way you are, but it's too much to leave you that way.

Lord God, thank You for Your patience even in the times when I have forgotten You. Forgive me for the times when I acted like I never knew You. Forgive me for my longing for the world. Cast down the idols that I have set up in the temple of my heart. Draw close to me as I draw close to You. Thank you for loving me too much to leave me Egypt or to allow me to go back there. Thank you for buying me out of slavery at such a high price. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.