When are people more likely to pray - when things are going great in their life or when there are serious problems? We all know that we are more likely to turn to God when we have troubles and we need His help, rather than when we are prosperous. That seems to be human nature. However, that shouldn’t be the case for Christians. In our Scripture passage today from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, the people of Israel were about to enter into the land that the Lord had promised them. This land was to be a blessing to them, an abundant and fruitful land. On the eve of their entry into this land, Moses gave them a warning. Let’s look at what that warning was.
For the past forty years the people of Israel had been traveling through and living in the wilderness. That was a difficult existence, with a scarcity of food and water if it wasn’t for the Lord’s provisions. Now they were going into a fruitful land, one blessed for farming and raising livestock, a land that had pre-existing cities and infrastructure. This may seem like a great blessing, and it was. However, with the blessings, Moses warned that there was a great danger. Israel’s greatest danger had not been the wilderness that they were leaving. It was Canaan’s prosperity.
In the wilderness the people had lived in tents, sleeping on the ground or on cots. It was hot, it was dusty, provisions were scarce, and it was not very pleasant. Now they were entering a land where the cities and houses were already built, where the wells were already dug, and the farmland was already prepared (vs. 10-12). This was a blessing from the Lord, a gift of His grace. The people needed to remember that, and not fall into pride and feelings of self-sufficiency. God is the giver of every good thing, and they, along with us today, need to beware of forgetting that.
Forgetting God is not a memory lapse. It is a spiritual drift that can lead to idolatry. When life becomes easier, prayer often becomes weaker, as we might feel that we don’t need God’s help anymore. Comfort can dull our spiritual vigilance. The antidote for forgetting about God is having a grateful heart.
Moses instructed the people, and us as well, to continue to have a fear of God, to have a heart of reverence for Him, to serve Him in obedience, and to swear or show public allegiance to His Name (vs. 13-15). God demands exclusive worship. This includes the mixing of worship of Him, of true Christianity, with that of other false religions. Some churches falsely teach that it is fine to mix into our faith the teachings and beliefs of other religions, however God’s Word warns against that. Also, idolatry is not only the worship of false gods, but it is also the giving of one’s heart loyalty to anything other than God. This could include our career, hobbies, entertainment, and relationships. We must consciously choose God over everything else.
Reading further, Moses reminded the people of an event from their time in the wilderness, where they had tested God at Massah (Exodus 17:1-7), where they doubted God’s goodness and demanded proof from Him (vs. 16-19). God never has to prove Himself to us in order to deserve our obedience. Testing God is unbelief, and trusting Him is obedience. We “tempt God” when we demand signs, manipulate circumstances, or obey only when it is convenient for us. Faith will always obey, even when the path is unclear.
Our Scripture continues by instructing us to teach the next generation the meaning of redemption (vs. 20-25). During the days of the Old Testament the people were to explain to their children how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt, bringing them out and giving them the Promised Land. Following Jesus’ resurrection, believers are to teach their children about the Savior’s redemption of us through His shed Blood upon the Cross, and the necessity of putting their faith and trust in Jesus. We should share testimonies of God’s faithfulness, and teach our children His Word clearly, consistently, and joyfully.
As Moses warned, prosperity can become spiritually dangerous. Forgetfulness of God’s blessings can lead to pride, idolatry, and sin. Obedience to God’s Word is the only safe response to His redeeming grace. This passage is a sober warning for believers today who live in a world full of comforts, distractions and competing loyalties. Let’s remember to praise and thank God during our times of blessings, when things are going well, coming to Him often in worship and prayer, and not develop spiritual amnesia.
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