How does Lamentations 1:7 connect with Deuteronomy 8:11-14 about remembering God? Setting the Scene - Deuteronomy 8:11-14 captures Israel on the brink of prosperity, warned not to “forget the LORD.” - Lamentations 1:7 records Jerusalem after disaster, “remembering” former treasures while enemies mock. - Together, the two passages frame the same storyline: God’s people are told to remember; later, they look back in grief because they did not. The Call to Remember (Deuteronomy 8:11-14) “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments…” (v. 11). Key emphases: • Remember through obedience. • Prosperity is the testing ground (“when you eat and are satisfied…build fine houses…your silver and gold increase”). • Forgetting begins in the heart (“then your heart will become proud”). • Deliverance from Egypt is the anchor of memory. The Tragic Forgetting (Lamentations 1:7) “In the days of her affliction and wanderings Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old…” Observations: • Memory is forced by loss—Jerusalem now “remembers” what she once neglected. • The city’s treasures are gone; so is help (“there was no one to help”). • Mockery from enemies underscores covenant consequences (cf. Deuteronomy 28:36-37). Thread of Cause and Effect 1. Warning issued → Deuteronomy 8: “Do not forget.” 2. Warning ignored → Judges 3:7; 2 Kings 17:7-18. 3. Consequence realized → Lamentations 1:7; Hosea 13:6 “they were filled, and their hearts were exalted; therefore they forgot Me.” 4. The biblical narrative validates the literal link between remembering God and national blessing—or forgetting and judgment (Deuteronomy 30:17-18). What Remembering Involves • Obedient practice – keeping commandments (John 14:15). • Grateful humility – acknowledging every blessing as from the LORD (James 1:17). • Regular retelling – teaching the next generation (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 78:4). • Heart examination – resisting pride (1 Corinthians 10:12). Lessons for Today - Prosperity remains a subtle threat; comfort can dull spiritual memory. - Remembering God is proactive, not passive—rooted in worship, Scripture, and obedience. - The historical arc from Deuteronomy to Lamentations is a gracious warning: heed God’s Word now, or memory will one day be tinged with regret. |
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