They are to remember God’s promise, His provision, His faithfulness and grace. They are also to remember the awesome things God has done: their deliverance from Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and providing food and water in the desert. He also wanted them to remember their own unworthiness, rebellion and sin. Remember! You will find the word repeated throughout the book. 

 

Much of what is to be remembered was mentioned in the first four books of the Bible. Deuteronomy is primarily a review in preparation for when they would cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land. Why this emphasis on remembering? Why all this repetition? 

 

First and foremost, God didn’t want them to forget--He wanted them to have these facts indelibly impressed upon their minds. They were to be memorized. If they forgot them and they succeeded and prospered in the Promised Land they would likely get proud and self-sufficient. On the other hand, if they forgot them they would likely make the same mistakes in the future that they made in the past. 

 

In fact, they were to rehearse these facts with their children and impress them on their minds and hearts so they would not need to learn them the hard way. The Psalmist emphasizes this point in Psalm 78. Notice the importance of teaching future generations God’s law and the great things He has done in the past as a basis for building strong and fruitful lives that will glorify God. 

 

Never forget the importance of remembering!