In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is passing on to the nation of Israel the commands God wants them to obey. They’ve spent 40 years in the desert, but now they’re about to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land.
Here is Deuteronomy 4:9-13…
9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” 11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. 12 Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 And the LORD directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.
So Moses tells the people to be careful, to watch themselves closely. Why? SO THAT they do not forget the things they’ve seen God do for them. He warns them to not let those things slip from their hearts. He then instructs them to teach these things to their children and grandchildren. They are to take great care to remember what they’ve seen God do and then make sure their children know about them.
Next, Moses tells them to remember the day they stood at the base of the mountain and heard God speak to them and communicate His laws to them. Why? SO THAT they learn to revere God. To be in awe of Him. To fear Him. They are also to teach their children what they heard. And then they are to remember God’s commands and teach them to their children.
You would think they wouldn’t have to be told to not forget all they’d seen God do. He’d led them out of Egypt. He provided manna every day for 40 years. He caused water to gush from rocks. During the day, they saw a large pillar of cloud lead them. At night, it was a pillar of fire.
If that wasn’t enough, they saw a mountain covered with blazing fire and black clouds and deep darkness. And then they actually heard the voice of God. Think about that. They heard God’s voice. Not the voice of Moses or Aaron. The voice of God.
These people were seeing supernatural things occur every day. And yet God is warning them to be careful, to watch themselves closely, because they will have a tendency to forget what they’ve seen and experienced.
If God knew they would forget, then what about us? How much more do we need to take steps to remember?
I know I easily forget. I’ll experience an answer to prayer or God will meet a need in an unexpected way or He’ll reveal something from His word to me, but I soon forget. When trouble comes, it’s as if I’ve never experienced God at all. Rather than walking with Him in quiet trust, remembering what He’s done for me in the past–I get worried and anxious and doubt He will come through for me again.
I wonder if teaching our children (or others, if you don’t have children) is a key component to “remembering.” When you teach something, you have to first believe it. I have found it to be a very powerful experience when I actually verbalize to someone else what I believe. There’s great power in speaking it. More than if we simply think it.
If you’ve experienced God at work in your life, be sure to share it with others. If God has spoken to you through His word, let someone else know what you sense God saying. If God is teaching you something, begin to look for opportunities to share what you’re learning with others. He may want to use you to speak to someone else.
When we forget what God has done and forget what He has said–we fail to trust or revere Him. Our problems seem big and our faith seems very small. And then we have nothing to pass on to others.
Be careful, watch yourself closely so that you do not forget.