“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:” (De 8:11 AV)
Sometimes we need a reminder of the simple things of the word of God. No profound point here. No elaborate explanation of the context is needed. Israel is challenged in the book of Deuteronomy to walk according to the commandments of God because the former generation refused to do so. Above is a warning for a new generation not to do the same as the previous, or they will suffer similar consequences. I don’t feel led to take this down the path of a rebuke. Rather, a simple reminder. God only asks of us that which is reasonable. He is the Creator and we are created for His pleasure. The LORD has every right to demand of us anything He desires. Praise the LORD He is loving and benevolent. Not only does He require of us what is reasonable, but His motive is mercy and love. He requires of us only that which brings Him honor and works to our benefit. It may not seem so at the moment. But it always is. God desires His best for us. This means we must trust His judgment and live according to His divine plan. That plan includes obedience to His law. Again, His law is not intended to make our lives worse. Rather, better. The great Psalmist puts it this way. “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.” (Ps 119:45 AV) Obedience and faith are the foundations of our walk with God. They are the key to eternal life. They are the secret to finding the Creator’s plan for us.
Self-determination can be a curse. More times than not, it is. Adam and Eve were given the freedom of self-determination. God created mankind with the ability to choose. Right or wrong, we have the ability to choose which direction we are to go. Consequences are out of our control. But the ability to choose is not. Thus, Adam and Eve made a choice that set us all on a trajectory of disobedience and doubt. We fight this battle every day. It is the curse of having the ability to choose. Conversely, we have the ability to choose right, as well. Contrary to some theological systems, the Bible challenges all mankind to obey God. If we did not have that ability, the challenge would be mute. This ability to choose too often gets in the way of having a truly blessed life. Israel had a hard time learning this. It cost them greatly. We are no different. Obedience is not easy. It is not natural. It has to be learned. The quicker we learn it, the more blessed we can be.
Note here an important point Moses is making. Obedience and relationships go hand-in-hand. If we do not obey God, we will soon forget Him. To walk in faith and obedience is to walk in intimacy. Jesus teaches us that to love Him is to obey Him. This truth is soon lost on our current generation in Christendom. All emotion and no submission. What a shame. The challenge is to know God’s word and follow it. Maturity does not try to find a way around it. Maturity complies. Maturity wants to know exactly what the word of God says so obedience can be pursued. The verse above is not complicated. There is no secret truth hidden deep within the words. It is simple. Obey the LORD so that you do not forget Him. It really is that simple.
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