Remember, and Do Not Forget!
Deuteronomy 7:6-7
#deuteronomy #dueteronomy7 #remeber #zakar
New Revised Standard Version
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession. It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples.”
Ephesians 2:1-10
New Revised Standard Version
”You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”
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The Hebrew people stood on the edge of The Promised Land. And the book of Deuteronomy is Moses giving the people some final words before they take possession of the promises of God. It was right that the people were filled with spirit of celebration. But Moses calls on them to balance this celebration with a heart of gratitude for all that God has done We, who live many thousands of the years later, must think of The Promised Land as a symbol of God’s promises to us. As we stand on the edge of his promises, we too want to celebrate all that has been accomplished. But we must also balance our spirit of celebration with a heart of gratitude for all that God has done.
This morning is Senior Recognition Sunday and we are celebrating and recognizing the accomplishments of our graduating high school seniors. This morning, I want all of us to consider the victories and celebrations that have been important to us. And as we do, I want us to balance a healthy sense of celebration with a humble sense of gratitude. It’s okay to feel good about yourself and to have a sense of healthy pride over your accomplishments. Yet, we also need to guard against that kind of pride that leads to arrogance, when we forget all that God has given us to help us make it to where we are today.
In order to achieve this healthy balance, we are going to look at Deuteronomy, which records Moses’ final instructions to the people, just before they entered into The Promised Land. He wanted them to have the right perspective on this great day of celebration. Moses wanted them to remember how they go this moment; to remember how far God had brought them.
Head/Mind – Helpful Information
Today I am going to teach you a Hebrew word. I know that you are super excited about that. I know that is why you clicked on this post. You wanted me to teach you some Hebrew. Don’t freak out yet. This word is going to be super easy to remember because it means to remember. The word is “zakar,” and I will give you a super-easy way to remember the word for remember, which is zakar.
I want you to pretend that you are French – okay? You are French, and you are out on a romantic date. You get to pick the person for your romantic date; after all, this is your pretend date. You are French. You are out on a date. And, it is raining. You want this night to go well, so you do not want your date to get wet from the rain. So, you go to the parking lot to get “zakar.” Zakar is the word for remember.
So, let’s see how you’ve done memorizing the word zakar. You are French. You are on a date. It is raining. You do not want your date to get wet. You go to the parking lot to get zakar. And, what is the Hebrew word that means to remember? That’s right! It’s zakar. Pat yourself on the back. Good job!
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An elderly wife was concerned about her husband because he was becoming increasingly forgetful. So, they made an appointment to see their primary care provider. Everything checked out, with a clean bill of health. There were no signs of dementia. So, the doctor gave this advice.
“It is very common for people to become more forgetful as they get older. Just take time daily to exercise your memory. Work a crossword puzzle, study a new language, play a musical instrument, read, take some light exercise. These types of activities keep the brain healthy. Also, it might not be a bad thing to keep a pen and pad of paper nearby. You can make yourself a to-do list. That will help you keep track of the things you need to remember.
Frankly, the advice irritated the man. He was not thrilled about having to keep a to-do list. That hurt his pride, but his wife insisted that it would be good for him. So one night, as they sat watching television, the husband said, “I’m going to the kitchen for some popcorn. Do you want anything?”
“Yes,” his wife said. “Bring me back a bowl of ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream. You got that?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “Ice cream. I got it.”
His wife said, “With strawberries and whipped cream.”
He said, “Yes, dear. With whipped cream.”
“And strawberries,” she said, “And strawberries,” he repeated.
She then said, “Don’t you think you should write it down on your little pad?”
Irritated, he said, “I am only going to the kitchen. I think I can remember to bring back a bowl of ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream.”
Ten minutes later, when he had not returned with their snacks, the wife got up and went into the kitchen to check on him. He found him at the stove cooking scrambled eggs and bacon.
Beside herself with frustration, she said, “I knew it. I knew it! I knew you would forget why you came into the kitchen. You’re making bacon and eggs. But where is my toast?”
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Heart – The Personal Connection
God wants the people to remember a few things. First among them, God wants them to remember how much he loves them and how much he has done for them. Remembering how gracious God has been to them is supposed to help them to remember to be gracious to others. They are to imitate God’s own graciousness. Specifically, they are to remember those who cannot stand up for themselves, and those who cannot provide for their own needs; the powerless, the marginalized, and the stranger in their midst.
In Deuteronomy 10:14-19 we read:
“To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”
The Lord repeats this message thirteen times in the book of Deuteronomy; Because, the way his people treat the least, the last, and the lost among them will show whether or not they have really understood the grace of God. If they remember the least, the last, and the lost, it will demonstrate that they have kept God in the center of their lives. If they forget the least, the last, and the lost, it will demonstrate that they have lost sight of God. So, the Lord says, remember the widow, the orphan, the immigrant.
Hand – The Practical Application: Don’t Forget
The Old Dog
As we said at the beginning of this message, one of the key ideas of Deuteronomy is remembering. There are some things Moses does not want his people to forget. Our word, zakar, occurs 15 or 16 times in Deuteronomy. However, the idea occurs even more than that. Deuteronomy is saying:
Remember
Remember
Remember
Remember
Remember
As the people are about to take possession of The Promised Land, there is a real danger of them forgetting how they got there. There is a danger that they will forget where they came from.
Moses is saying to the people, “Don’t forget the desert. Don’t forget the hardships and the trials. Don’t forget the mistakes and the setbacks. I know you would like to forget, but don’t. All of this is a part of who you are because it was a part of the journey that got you to where you are today.”
Some of us can sing Barry Manilow’s words, “It looks like we made it!” Or maybe these words, “I’m so excited and just can hide it.” Some of us know what it is the run the victory lap. Some of us know what it is to dance in the in-zone, or to throw the cap up in the air at graduation. This morning is Senior Recognition Sunday which means I am talking to families who have something to celebrate. So, I am talking to people who have made it or who are just about to make it to your Promised Land.” When you get to your Promised Land, don’t start thinking that you’ve made it on your own. Don’t re-write the story to make it sound like you were always the hero in your story.
Yeah, you had some victories, and you overcame some tests, and you certainly proved that you know how to handle the pressure. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that you always did that by yourself. Yes, you did some good work. Yes, you persevered. But you also caught some good breaks. Some folks gave you a pass. Often, people treated you better than you deserved. There were better, stronger, smarter, more talented people who didn’t make it to where you are. You and I did not get here on pure merit.
There were people who helped us and encourage us when we felt like quitting. We had coaches, teachers, and mentors who would not give up on us. We had traveling companions who shared the journey. None of us is self-made success. Likely, we have a family, a community, a church, a group of friends, and school full of talented staff that are part of our success story.
As Israel stood on the edge of The Promised Land they had much to celebrate. But they also had a need to recognize how they got there, which was mostly due to God’s favor, his blessings and his grace.
In fact, God wants his people, Israel, to know that he did not pick them out because they were a better variety of people. He did not pick them out because their ethnicity was purer. He did not pick them out because they were the A-student of the class or the star athlete. He did not pick them out because they were more spiritually inclined than other people groups. He picked them out because he loved them. But that love was not given to them to the exclusion of all the people in the world.
The Jewish people were chosen to be the vehicle through which God would bless the world. Unfortunately, the Jewish people have always had a tough time remembering that. Their temptation has always been to start thinking that God simply loves Jewish people better than others, which is not true. God has blessed the Jewish people in order for them to be a blessing to others.
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We Gentile Christians have our own way of falling into that problematic way of thinking. Paul, who wrote Ephesians, gives us a reminder not to forget where we came from. He doesn’t want us to forget how we got where we are.
We are not in church on Sunday mornings because we are better than our non-religious neighbors. We do not come to worship each week because we are superior to those who only come to church on Christmas and Easter. Instead, we come to church because we realize just how good, how loving, and how great is the grace of God.
We, including the one writing this, do not deserve to have a place in God’s church. Our place in the family of God is not some kind of exclusive right unique to us. We have taken our place among the children of God by the grace of God, when God poured out his grace on us in Jesus Christ. He saved us. He rescued us from sin and death. And it is so important to remember and to never forget this.
I say all of this because I dream about the positive ways the church can impact the world in the 21st century. As a church historian, I can say that the church always makes its best contributions to the world when it is a servant community. Humility and gentleness are compelling, when they are accompanied by excellence. But, we only develop these traits when we remember where we came from and how we got here. We can’t forget to dance with the one who brought us. We didn’t get here by our own merit.
Over the years, I have been given the privilege of mentoring several young professionals. One day, after one of them had their first day on the job, this young person called me. They said they did not think they could go back tomorrow because they felt like such a phony.
Despite having sparkling credentials and years of training, this young person felt like a fake for showing up and pretending to be some kind of expert. This is a common experience called The Imposter Syndrome. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome
It is a common struggle for people who have just started their careers. Here is how I responded to my young friend.
Every teacher you’ve ever had, every doctor or dentist you have ever seen, every leader, every mechanic, every pipe-fitter, every scholar you have ever heard of had their first day on the job. And, they showed up feeling like they were faking it. It didn’t feel real. They questioned themselves and wondered if they were really ready to take on the world. They were sure that the boss could have found a better, more qualified candidate than themselves. #impostersyndrome
But they kept showing up, and day after day, little by little, they grew into their new role. Gradually that new role felt more comfortable, like a new pair of shoes that are finally broken in. And then, one day, they looked around and noticed that they were the oldest member on the team and that others deferred to them for their experience and expertise. At some unnoticed moment in the past, they had become the old dog.
I then told that young person, someday, you will be the old dog. And when some new pup joins the team, you will be able to help them along, so long as you don’t forget what it was like to be the new guy or new girl on the job.
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Friends, we, the people of God, the church, can be a real blessing to the world if we do not forget what it was like to be lost, to be left out, to be on the outside looking in; if we do not forget what it was like to be broken, to hurt, to be addicted, to be messed-up, mixed up, and turned around. We will be a blessing to the world if, instead of congratulating ourselves for making it, we remember how we got here. #outsiders