Connect Ezekiel 16:22 with Deuteronomy 8:11-14 on remembering God's provisions. Setting the Scene God tells the same story in two very different moments. In Ezekiel He speaks to a spiritually wayward Jerusalem; in Deuteronomy He warns a hopeful generation about to enter the land. Both passages hinge on a single issue—remembering the Lord’s gracious provision. The Problem Highlighted in Ezekiel 16:22 “ And in all your abominations and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.” ∙ The Lord recalls Israel’s earliest helpless state—“naked and bare.” ∙ Forgetfulness produced moral collapse: idolatry, unfaithfulness, social injustice. ∙ Their sin was not merely breaking rules; it was failing to remember love shown to them. The Warning Repeated in Deuteronomy 8:11-14 “Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments… Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied… your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” ∙ Blessing invites complacency. ∙ Pride grows when provision is enjoyed without gratitude. ∙ Forgetting always begins in the heart and moves outward into disobedience. Parallels Between the Two Passages • Same root issue: spiritual amnesia. • Same setting: people enjoying God-given prosperity (Ezekiel’s Jerusalem was wealthy; Israel in Deuteronomy was about to inherit abundance). • Same consequence: pride that leads to covenant unfaithfulness. • Same cure implied: deliberate, heart-level remembrance of the God who rescues and supplies. What Remembering Looks Like Today • Viewing every provision—job, meal, home—as a fresh act of God’s kindness. • Recalling salvation testimony: “He brought me out of Egypt, out of slavery to sin.” • Letting memory fuel obedience; commandments are safeguards against forgetfulness. • Refusing to let prosperity or comfort dull spiritual affection. Practical Steps to Cultivate Remembrance • Speak the story: rehearse your conversion and answered prayers with family and friends. • Trace God’s hand: keep a journal of daily provisions and unexpected mercies. • Schedule gratitude: build pauses into meals, paydays, and milestones to thank the Lord audibly. • Celebrate deliverance: observe the Lord’s Supper regularly (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). • Sing the truth: choose hymns and worship songs that recount redemption history. Other Scriptural Witnesses to the Call to Remember • Psalm 103:2 — “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” • Judges 8:34 — The people “did not remember the LORD their God.” • Luke 22:19 — “Do this in remembrance of Me.” • Revelation 2:5 — “Remember how far you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first.” For Israel then, and for believers now, abundant grace remains the very reason we dare not forget. Remembering fuels humility, worship, and steadfast obedience—the surest safeguards against repeating the tragic cycle exposed in Ezekiel 16 and forewarned in Deuteronomy 8. |
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