“And if you surely forget Yahweh your God, and if you pursue new gods and serve them and bow to them, then I witness against you this day that you will perish.”

(Deuteronomu 8:19)

It struck me last night, as I was listening to a young seminary student preach on the text of Deuteronomy 8 and the matter of the interplay between the forgetfulness and remembrance of God’s people, that our remembrance or forgetfulness of God’s Law reflects the level of gratitude we have toward God for His provision. How often do we, as God’s people, act like spoiled, petulant children even in the face of God’s rich blessings and provision? How often do we, the church, insist on our own way rather than submitting to God’s Law?  How often do we do what is right in our own eyes rather than listen to what God has told us to do? How many times do we need to hear, “Has God not said…” before we, the church, repent? Indeed, as the prophet Micah declares: 

“He has declared to you, oh man, what is good! And what does Yahweh require from you? It is to do justice, to love covenant faithfulness, and to go along humbly with your God.”

(Micah 6:8)

Humility and pride are incompatible. Obedience and submission are what God calls for, not headstrong independence. God is not interested in the designs of men; He has told us how we are to live and how we are to worship Him. Yet, how often do we do our own thing instead? How often we try to tell God what is best for us instead of submitting when He declares what is truly best. Not only do we forget the things God has done, we wilfully forget and we show our ingratitude toward God by doing so. Yet, what does Moses remind us of here? If we surely forget, we will surely perish. Equal emphasis is placed on both clauses in the Hebrew above: If we forget — forget, we will perish — perish. In contrast, God calls upon us over and over to remember. And in remembering, we show our gratitude when we obey. 

The parallel is a simple one. The theme is a recurring one. Oh Christian, what then will you do with that information?