Remembering

Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:5-10 ESV).

In Deuteronomy, a book that the Jewish Bible simply calls Devarim (meaning words), Moses gives a farewell address to the people who will enter into the Promised Land. Moses will not be allowed to enter and will die in Moab, yet he reminisces about the goodness of God and His promises for Israel’s future. A central theme of Deuteronomy is encouragement to remember and not to forget. While that might seem like the same encouragement coming and going, there is an important distinction which we see in our reading today. Just prior to these verses they are told to remember that God faithfully led them in the desert for 40 years; their clothes never wore out; neither did their sandals; they had food to eat; and water to drink. Day after day for 40 years God was faithful. Every day for 40 years, God ensured they would have no doubt His hand had delivered them. He was continually delivering them. Forty years, the full lifetime of everyone under the age of 40, God had proven His faithfulness every day of their lives. This was grace in the desert. We are also told this grace in the desert had a purpose; it was to humble them and test their hearts so they would be prepared to keep His commands, even as they experienced prosperity. Later, in verse 18, God reminds them neither grace nor wealth are earned. Both are a gift from the hand of God. They weren’t to remember the testing per se but only that God proved He is faithful and He is good. The other point of the message was “Don’t forget.” This was their responsibility. Don’t forget to obey God because it has consequences. In verse 19, the mounting case of “pride goes before the fall” warns of a dramatic conclusion: they would be destroyed. God did His part for 40 years demonstrating His faithfulness. But entering a land of promise and temptation, wealth and idolatry, obedience and destruction, they were not to forget their role. They were called to observe the commands of the Lord, walk in His ways, and revere Him. It would serve us well if we were careful not to forget the LORD also.