Deuteronomy 9

"Do Not Forget..."

Moses continues explaining that Israel is not going to inherit the Promised Land because of their righteousness, but because of the foreign people's wickedness, and because of the unconditional promise God had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to bring their descendants into the land (verses 4-6). To drive the point home even more, Moses reminds them of the episode with the golden calf, along with some of their other rebellions, and how they, being a stiff-necked people, provoked God so much that He was willing to totally destroy them had it not been for Moses' intervention (verses 14, 18-20). To introduce this section, God inspired Moses in verse 7 to use the strong statement, "Remember! Do not forget...." This double imperative provides emphasis and adds weight to the sober reminders that follow.

We too, if we are blessed today with physical possessions or status, might think that we obtained these because of our own righteousness. But God may have given us blessings for quite a different reason. It is possible to deceive ourselves, thinking that God is adding physical things to us because we are seeking Him first, when, in reality, we are doing nothing of the kind. Perhaps the blessings are even a test to see where our loyalties lie.

Verses 9 and 19 show Moses as a beloved servant of God because of His love for the people of God. He stood in the gap as Jesus did for us all—and reflected the true character of God in his attitude. Verses 25-29 demonstrate that it pleases God when we remind Him of His steadfast character and the promises He has made. Of course, He doesn't need reminding—rather, it shows Him that we remember who He is and what He has done for us and for others.