A Warning Against Forgetting About the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8: 11-20)

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Episode Notes: "A Warning Against Forgetting About the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:11-20)

Context: Moses' Warning to Israel

• Background: In Deuteronomy 8, Moses addresses the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He reminds them of the importance of remembering God and the lessons learned during their time in the wilderness.
• The Risk of Forgetting God: Verses 11-17 warn against the danger of forgetting God in times of prosperity. Moses emphasizes that when the Israelites are satisfied and prosperous, they might be tempted to take credit for their success, forgetting that it is God who provided for them.

Key Lessons from Deuteronomy 8:11-20

• Remember the Past Lessons:
  • Dependence on God: Moses reminds the Israelites of their dependence on God during their wilderness journey. The hardships they faced were meant to humble them and teach them to rely on God.
  • Gratitude for God's Provision: The manna, water, and protection they received were clear demonstrations of God’s provision. Forgetting these would lead to pride and self-reliance.
• Remember God's Covenant:
  • Divine Promises: The prosperity the Israelites would enjoy in the Promised Land was part of God’s covenant with their ancestors. It wasn’t a result of their efforts but a fulfilment of God’s promise.
  • Warning Against Idolatry: Moses warns that forgetting God and turning to other gods would lead to destruction, just as it did for the nations that were destroyed before them.

Application to Christian Life Today

• Prosperity and Humility:
  • Pride vs. Humility: Just as the Israelites were tempted to forget God in their prosperity, Christians today face similar temptations. It’s vital to remain humble, acknowledging that all blessings come from God, not from our own efforts.
  • Biblical Reminder: James 4:6 teaches that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Humility involves trusting God for our needs and recognizing His hand in our successes.
• Trusting God's Provision:
  • Dependence on God: Philippians 4:19 assures us that "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." This promise, like the lessons from Deuteronomy, encourages reliance on God rather than self-sufficiency.

Conclusion: Blending Knowledge and Experience

• Remembering God's Faithfulness: The ultimate lesson from Deuteronomy 8 is the importance of remembering God in both prosperity and need. By recalling His past faithfulness, we strengthen our trust in His continued provision.
• Heeding the Warning: Moses' warning to the Israelites is a reminder for us today. In times of success, we must remain humble and thankful, and in times of struggle, we must trust in God’s faithfulness. By doing so, we keep our hearts aligned with God, acknowledging that all blessings come from Him.

Transcript

A Warning Against Forgetting About the Lord.  (Deuteronomy 8: 11-20)

Transcript.

When I was a young Christian, I’m not sure what possessed me to do this, but I started asking older Christians, “What is the greatest lesson you have learned as a Christian?” 

As you can imagine, I received some interesting answers. The one that stands out the most happened when as a teenager of maybe 14 or 15 I received the answer back from a youth club leader wasn’t expecting what he said. He told me, “My troubles have been my greatest teacher, and he shocked me further by saying, “he was grateful for them”.

That statement made such a profound impression on me that I’ve never forgotten it. Reflecting on it now, I think he had a point. Troubles often teach us more than we learn when everything is smooth sailing.

This got me thinking: What would the great figures of Scripture—like Moses or Paul—say in response to that question? What would they consider the greatest lessons learned? 

While I can't definitively answer that, there is a passage of Scripture where Moses instructs the children of Israel to remember a couple of critical lessons. These lessons could very well be among the most important things we need to keep in mind as we move forward in our spiritual journeys.

In Deuteronomy 8, there’s a significant point about gratitude that resonates with what that youth club leader said all those years ago.

In the wilderness, the Israelites depended on God for their basic needs. However, once they entered the promised land and experienced prosperity, their posture of heart shifted. Which is way Moses reminded them that they needed to maintain the same dependence on the Lord even in times of abundance.

The key takeaway from this passage is that failure to praise God for His blessings leads to forgetting Him and eventually disobeying His commands. I

n verses 11 to 17, Moses warns the Israelites about the risk of forgetting God when they become prosperous. They must remember that their abundance and blessings come from God, not from their own efforts.

“Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God

(Deuteronomy 8: 11-20)

When they are well, living in beautiful houses, and enjoying multiplied wealth, the temptation will be to think that their own power and might have earned them this prosperity. The challenge here is to remain humble and acknowledge that all success and wealth are gifts from God.

These verses serve as a grave reminder that forgetting God and turning to other gods will lead to destruction.

Just as those who did not trust in God during the wilderness perished, so too would those who forget Him in times of prosperity. The material blessings of the promised land could easily lead to forgetting the Lord if not kept in proper perspective.

The prosperity in the promised land contrasts sharply with the hardships of the wilderness. While the wilderness was a place of scarcity and dependence, the promised land represents abundance and comfort. 

Moses warns that this very prosperity could become a snare, causing people to forget the lessons learned in the wilderness and the God who provided for them.

The history of Israel, as Moses points out, bears witness to this danger.

When they failed to remain obedient and grateful, they suffered the consequences. The Israelites are reminded that their material blessings are not merely rewards for their goodness but are gifts of God’s grace. If they forget this, they will face the same fate as the nations that were destroyed before them.

Moses emphasizes two crucial lessons:

Remember the Past Lessons: 

Reflect on how God humbled them in the wilderness to teach them dependence on Him. 

This historical context is vital in understanding their current blessings. It’s not merely about material prosperity but about recognizing God's hand in their lives.

Remember God’s Covenant: 

Behind their current prosperity is the fulfilment of God’s covenant with their ancestors. This covenantal promise underscores that their blessings are part of a divine plan and not merely the result of their efforts.

Thinking about how we might apply these lessons to Christian life today:

Prosperity can reveal the essence of pride and humility. Just as Israel was tempted to forget God in abundance, so can we. 

It’s crucial to maintain humility and recognize that material blessings are not rewards for personal merit but expressions of God’s sovereign grace.

James 4:6 underscores this truth, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Humility involves trusting God to meet our needs rather than relying on our own efforts or becoming self-sufficient.

God’s Provision: Philippians 4:19 assures us,

"My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

This promise reflects the same principle of dependence and trust in God’s provision that Moses taught the Israelites.

Moses’ message in this passage is a profound reminder of the dangers of forgetting God in times of prosperity. The Israelites are called to remember their past experiences of dependence on God, understand that their current blessings are part of His covenantal promise, and avoid the pride that comes with material success.

For Christians, the lessons are clear: recognize the source of our blessings, maintain humility, and trust in God’s provision. By doing so, we honour the divine grace that sustains us and keeps us aligned with God’s will.

As we conclude, the message we’ve explored centers on the powerful interplay between divine promises and personal experience in our walk with God. 

Philippians tells us that, “God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus," 

This is often quoted to assure believers of God’s provision.

However, it's important to understand the context. Paul was addressing those who had given generously to God’s work. The promise is that God will supply needs according to His vast riches, not just out of them.

The distinction is crucial. 

If Bill Gates gave you money out of his wealth, it might be a fraction of what he has. But if he gave according to his wealth, you’d receive more aligned with his total resources.

Similarly, God provides according to His infinite resources, not merely from them.

But the lesson extends beyond understanding the promise; it involves reflecting on past experiences where God has met your needs. Just as Moses reminded the Israelites to recall how God provided for them in the wilderness, we should remember how God has previously come through for us in times of need.

We need to be able to learn from times of plenty and in times of scarcity: 

In times of plenty, it’s easy to forget God, just as in times of need, it’s easy to panic. The key is to integrate both elements—trust in God’s promises and the lessons learned from past experiences of His provision.

At this time in my life I face great financial uncertainty, (Expand)

Today I live off love offerings from people who listen to this online. 

This has been a challenges, I’ve learned to trust God’s provision, and to focus on just creating the best most helpful and theologically sound biblical content that I am able to and leave the rest to God.

This experience of being humbled and learning dependence on God during those years became a cornerstone of his faith.

My recent personal history underscores for me that understanding God’s promises is reinforced through lived experience. 

It’s not enough to just know the promise; one must also experience God's provision in real-life scenarios, which strengthens faith and trust.

Whether in need or abundance, believers are called to trust in God's provision. 

In times of difficulty, it’s essential to remember God’s past faithfulness. In times of prosperity, it’s crucial to remain humble and acknowledge that all blessings are from God.

The ultimate lesson is to blend the knowledge of God's promises with the experiences of His faithfulness. By doing so, we can navigate both prosperity and need with a deep-seated trust in God’s unwavering provision.

True trust in God involves both an understanding of His promises and a recognition of His past provisions. By remembering how God has been faithful, especially in times of need, we fortify our trust in His continued support. 

This combination of remembering God’s promises and acknowledging His past faithfulness equips us to face both challenging and prosperous times with a heart that remains both grateful and humble. 

As we bring today message to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on the powerful warning that also lies behind the message of Deuteronomy 8. 

Remember God is speaking to the Israelites as they stood on the brink of entering the Promised Land, reminding them of the dangers that lay ahead—not from enemies or obstacles, but from within their own hearts. 

He warned them not to forget the Lord when they had eaten their fill, built their homes, and enjoyed the blessings of the land. Why? Because the greatest danger in times of abundance is the temptation to rely on us, to become proud, and to forget the One who provided it all.

Today, this warning is as relevant as ever.

We live in a time of unprecedented prosperity and convenience, yet how easy it is for us to take our eyes off the Giver and fix them on the gifts. 

But let me encourage you—God has blessed you for a purpose, and that purpose is to glorify Him. When we remember the Lord in all we do, we stay grounded in His grace, acknowledging that every good thing comes from His hand.

As we exit Deuteronomy Ch 8 lets us carry this truth in our hearts but at the same time heed the waring it gves.

Never forget where your blessings come from.

In times of success, remain humble and thankful.

In times of struggle, remember His faithfulness in the past and trust Him for the future. Let us be a people who, in every season, declare, “The Lord is our God, and we will not forget Him.”

God’s warning is not just to protect us from danger but to keep us close to His heart. 

When we remember the Lord, we walk in the fullness of His promises, the security of His love, and the joy of His presence.