188. Former Troubles Forgotten
Isaiah 65:16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
The promise given to Abraham was that through him all the nations of the earth would bless themselves. This means all people would be blessed through the promise to Abraham, which was that a Messiah, a Savior, would come through his descendants. In Christ the world’s people would be blessed (bless themselves) through the same faith as Abraham’s. Those believers could swear by the God of truth.
We can bless ourselves in the God of truth and swear by the God of truth because He promises to forget our former troubles. The Lord hid our troubles from His own eyes because of the blood of Christ. The death of Christ covers our sins, forgiving and forgetting them, and the subsequent troubles caused by sin and its curse. God Himself hid our former troubles from His eyes. He puts our sins behind Him, walks away from them, never sees them, and He never brings them up again.
God’s forgetting of our sins and troubles is a significantly important truth in regard to our faith and life and our relationship with God. Humans have a hard time forgetting what they forgive, but God does not have a hard time forgetting. The emotions caused by hurt and pain may linger with us for a while, even sometimes for a very long time. God is also hurt and angry over sin and what it does to the people He created and loved, but the active love of God is more powerful than the wrath of God. When God gave us Jesus He gave us Himself. When God sees love working out in human history to save and forgive us He overwhelmingly loves. He loves us in Christ, and that love overcomes His just wrath. The result is that God forgets. “Love is strong as death; love is the very flame of the Lord [Song of Solomon 8:6}.” Nothing in heaven or earth or under the earth will overcome the strong love of God. Promise!