Those Who Fail to Remember the Past….
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them…See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.” Deuteronomy 1:3,8 ESV
The Book of Deuteronomy picks up where Numbers left off. Except it is now 40 years later. A new generation has risen as the rebellious ones have died in the wilderness. The Lord speaks to Moses and tells him that it is time for His people to enter into their possession.
But they don’t just “charge ahead” as it were. Moses takes time to prepare the people for the task ahead. The first step in that process is to remind them how they got to where they had been and where they are.
Moses begins by recounting how the Lord had him choose leaders from the tribes to share the burden of responsibility for the people. He then tells them how they were in this same spot 40 years ago and how spies went into the land and instead of trusting in the Lord who had shown Himself strong and faithful, they gave in to fear and panic.
“And the Lord heard your words and was angered, and he swore, ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers.” (Deuteronomy 1:34,35 ESV)
We then see the clock fast forward, “So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, the Lord said to me, ‘Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar.” (Deuteronomy 2:16-18 ESV) The move toward inheriting the promise land begins with victories on the east side of the Jordan River.
Moses tells the people how that he had disobeyed the Lord and was not going to be allowed to enter the promise land with them, but another one, Joshua, would lead them
So we see with great details Moses recounts the history of God’s people to the new generation. He lets them know the faithfulness of God in the past, the rebellion of the past generation and they are able to see the Lord bring victories in the present. Moses reminds them of the laws that are to guide their conduct and admonishes them to fully obey the Lord and to follow Him as the sure path for a bright future.
As we look at the history of God’s people from Egypt to the promise land, we see that disobedience and rebellion may delay, but not destroy God’s plans and purposes. God is looking for those who will fully trust Him and follow Him. In doing so, He will remind us of the past to encourage a “different spirit” and a better outcome for our lives than what was experienced by those who refused to fully trust and obey.
In the New Testament we see Paul making reference to the past failures to God’s people to serve as reminders and to instruct believers in his day. I believe taking note of the history and the lessons learned are important for us as well today. We can observe and know that God doesn’t change, and in many ways human nature is seen consistent over the eons as well.
Prayer for today…. Lord, thank You for the lessons we can learn from the past. Allow us to be humble as we look at the failures of others and to realize how we face our doubts and inconsistencies as well. Give us the strength to obey You and inherit all the promises You had for us.