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"But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided" (Gen. 8:1).
"When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh" (Gen. 9:14).
"Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles and the judgments He uttered" (1 Chron. 16:12).
"And He said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And He said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise' " (Luke 23:42–43).
The Hebrew word for remember, zakar ("za-KHAR"), is woven throughout the Old Testament. Each time it carries with it a far deeper meaning than a simple and passive recollection of the mind. Similar to other theologically rich words like compassion, zakar is followed by action — movement, intervention, and deliverance. God shows more than constant knowledge of Noah and all of creation. His love doesn’t stop at having us in mind; He is also acting in our best interest, always for us. "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isa. 65:24). In other words, God’s promises are not waiting for His children; they are actively seeking His creation. The moment His divine attention turns towards us, divine action follows (Gen. 30:22; Ex. 2:24).
There are also plenty of instances where this zakar is positioned to run in the other direction — prophets and the people of God encouraging themselves to remember the miraculous deeds of their creator and His covenant (Deut. 8:2; Ex. 13:3; Num. 15:39–40). The call to remember in the direction of God is particularly prevalent in the Psalms. "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord" (Ps. 22:27). If you have ever wrestled with the idea of fearing a loving God, let this new understanding of zakar permeate in you for just a bit longer. Remarkably, in one word there are the elements of both praise and repentance. Forgetting opens the door to disobedience and feeds our pride, but a deep spiritual remembering provides sustenance to our faith.
So it is only fitting that the thief on the cross used the Greek word mnaomai ("m-NAH-oh-my") in his faithful plea to Jesus. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this is the word consistently used for zakar. The man was dying. He wasn’t simply asking Jesus to think about him occasionally. The thief needed mercy, compassion, and action. Somehow, he knew that Jesus could save him, and his request for Jesus to remember was both praise and repentance. Of course Jesus answered with His immediate, divine promise: "Today you will be with Me in paradise."
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