"Remember the Lord Your God"

Moses Recounts the Journey

This section of Deuteronomy begins with Moses admonishing the Israelites to remember how God had led them through the wilderness. He told them how God had provided manna for them, how their clothes had not worn out, and how their feet had not swelled. He reminded them that God had disciplined them like a man disciplines his child. Now they were poised to enter a good land with all of the resources they would need. Moses told the people not to forget all that God had done for them and to obey His commandments, rules, and statutes. If they did not do as God commanded, then they would die like the people that had come before them.

Moses told the people of Israel that they were about to go into the land that God had promised them. He said that there were people there (in fortified cities) that were stronger than the people of Israel. Moses told the Israelites that God would subdue these people before them. He told them that it was not because the Israelites were righteous but because the people that lived there were wicked. This was the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses reminded the people of Israel that since they had left Egypt, they had rebelled against God many, many times during their journey through the wilderness.

Then, Moses told the people of Israel how he had received the commandments. God had sent him down from the mountain because the people were worshipping a golden calf at that time. God had been ready to destroy the people of Israel, but Moses had said that he had destroyed the calf and prayed for the people. It was because of this that God had spared them. God had made the people of Israel wander in the wilderness so that a whole generation died there, and this was the heritage of the people that Moses was now speaking to.

Moses explained to the people of Israel how God had commanded him to make two new stone tablets and how God had written the commandments on these new stone tablets that were placed into the ark. He also told the people how the Levites had been separated to minister to the people of Israel.

What God Requires

Moses told the people of Israel that they were to obey God's commandments and to love God with all their hearts and all their souls. Moses said that God cared for the fatherless, widows, and travelers (just like they had been travelers in the wilderness). Moses reminded them how God had destroyed sinful people like the Egyptians in the Red Sea. He had also destroyed Korah, Dathan, and Abiram for rebelling against Him.

Continuing, Moses said that as long as the people obeyed God, He would clear the way for them, and their enemies would fear them. Moses told the people that this was both a blessing and a curse. It would be a blessing if they followed the commandments of God but a curse if they did not.

Moses told the people that they were to destroy all of the false gods in the Promised Land. The people were to go to the place that God had chosen for them to worship and make their offerings there. Moses cautioned the people not to do what they thought was right in worship; instead, they must do what God told them to do. This included how to make burnt offerings. Moses cautioned the Israelites not to forget to take care of the Levites. He reminded them to keep the diet that had been commanded and not to eat unclean things or eat blood. Moses warned the people again about idolatry. If a prophet was revealed to the people, and that prophet told them to disobey what God had commanded, then they were to kill that prophet because he had rebelled against God.

Then, Moses reminded the people of Israel to tithe. He told them they must keep the sabbatical year at the end of the seven-year period. Moses also informed them that they were to release Hebrew servants that they had bought after seven years. He instructed them to dedicate the firstborn of their herd and flock to God unless the animals had blemishes. He told them that they were to keep the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. He said that they were to appoint judges over the people. They were also not to plant any trees beside the altar of God.

Summary

Moses recounted the years of wandering in the wilderness and the sins of the people of Israel. He told them that if they obeyed God, then they would have good lives in the Promised Land, but if they rebelled against God, then they would suffer. He ordered the Israelites to keep the commandments, laws, and statutes of God. He reminded them of the obligations that they had to God.

Application

This is an important lesson on the value of history. Moses reminded the people of Israel what their previous generation had experienced and had been taught. This was an effort to learn from the past so that previous mistakes would not be repeated.