Remembering Egypt held value for the people of God—as noted in yesterday’s post.
Today we’ll look at a few more instructions from God from the Book of Deuteronomy. Consider these three points that have application for us today:
Remaining idol-free
Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God
that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol
in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden
(Dt 4:23).
We live in covenant with our Lord and are called to remain faithful to Him. Remembering God is a jealous God (Dt 5:9) is to remind ourselves of the depth of His love and longing for relationship. The greatest threat to our heart’s devotion are idols, those things that rob God of our adoration and attention.
How many idols are we confronted with daily? What cultural competitors attempt to divide your heart and vie for your allegiance over sole affection for Jesus? Identify them. And steer clear.
Recognizing our propensity to rebellion
Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God
to anger in the desert. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here,
you have been rebellious against the LORD. At Horeb you aroused the LORD's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you
(Dt 9:7-8).
The Israelites were often called, by God, stiff-necked. They wanted things done their way, in their timing? This stubbornness led to disobedience.
Sound familiar? This human propensity warrants frequent reminders.
Being identity-conscious
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God.
Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth,
the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession
(Dt 14:2).
Have you forgotten who you are in Christ?
It is a faith-building practice to remember who you are in Him. You are a treasured child of God and an ambassador of Christ. The reminder not only builds confidence, it gives you a sense of belonging and purpose. It aligns values, attitudes, behaviors, and priorities.
Our identity as His is life-giving . . . and valuable beyond measure.
God deemed it necessary to instruct His people to remember. Much of what they were to remember kept their minds focused on their relationship with Him.
How might remembering these same things do the same in your relationship with Jesus?
Remembering kept God’s people on track to the promised land—lest they forgot Egypt.
Father God, as I walk with You, teach me what I need to learn and remember from Old Testament books like Deuteronomy.