Good morning,
This week we begin a three-week series titled “Lest we forget”. Deuteronomy chapters 6, 7, and 8, will be our text.
The key verse is Deuteronomy 6:12, which states, “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
The children of Israel are getting ready to go into the promised land. Moses wants them to remember what has taken place in the last 40 years. He does not want them to forget.
This week we will look at Deuteronomy 6. Moses recounts Israel’s history.
Beware
10And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Success breeds forgetfulness. Moses wants the children of Israel to remember who gave them the land, the cities, houses, wells, vineyards, olive trees, and their food. It was the Lord!
How forgetful we are. We assume our success was our doing. That is not true. It was the Lord that allowed us to have life. He endowed us with knowledge, wisdom, strength, to be able to accomplish anything. Without Him we could do nothing.
Fear
13Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. 16Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
Moses reminded them to fear the Lord. No idol worship. Do not worship the idols of the countries you conquer. Do not worship the gods of these countries. He then reminds them of their previous idol worship.
How timely. Christians also worship idols. An idol can be anything that draws us away from Jesus. Cars, boats, activities, things we spend time doing. It may not be bad, but when it is more important than time with God, it becomes an idol.
If we remember what God has done for us, it will be hard to have idols.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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