A God Who Calls to Mind and Intervenes

This chapter of The Mercy of God in the Old Testament considers God’s remembering, taking stock, and intervening, both in mercy and in calling to account. God observes and takes note of his people’s plight; he hears and responds to their cries, or takes initiative himself. More than mental recall, God’s remembering is a deliberate awareness and readiness to respond as needed. An appeal for God to remember is an appeal for him to act with favour (or disfavour with regard to one’s enemies). God is said to act in response to earlier covenant commitments, such as to the patriarchs. While God’s remembering implies subsequent action, this can be made explicit in a variety of ways, such as with the word פקד. God intervenes in situations needing redressing, particularly with care and attention for his people.