What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 15:15? Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt • God invites Israel to pause and look back. They had spent centuries under Pharaoh’s whip (Exodus 1:11-14). • This memory is not meant to shame but to ground them in humility. They once depended on another’s mercy, so they must now show mercy. • Similar calls to remember appear in Deuteronomy 5:15 and 24:18, creating a pattern: never forget the pit from which you were dug (Isaiah 51:1). • For believers today, recalling “what we once were” (Ephesians 2:11-12) fuels compassion toward the vulnerable. and the Lord your God redeemed you • “Redeemed” points to a price paid and a freedom gained. Through the Passover lamb’s blood and the Red Sea miracle, the Lord bought their release (Exodus 6:6; 15:13). • Redemption showcases God’s personal claim: “I have called you by name; you are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). • This Old-Testament rescue foreshadows Christ, “who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6; Colossians 1:13-14). • Knowing we are redeemed people changes how we treat others—no longer grasping but giving (Titus 2:14). that is why I am giving you this command today • The command in context is the release of Hebrew servants in the seventh year, sending them away generously supplied (Deuteronomy 15:12-14). • God doesn’t appeal first to economics or social policy; He appeals to redemption. Grace received becomes grace extended (Matthew 18:32-33). • Obedience is not detached duty. It is a grateful response to deliverance: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). • Practical outworking includes: – Canceling debts (Deuteronomy 15:1-2) – Setting slaves free (15:12) – Giving liberally (15:14) – Guarding the poor from chronic need (15:7-11) summary Deuteronomy 15:15 ties memory, redemption, and obedience into one seamless fabric. God reminds Israel of slavery, celebrates their redemption, and then grounds His command to free and bless others in that history. The verse teaches that redeemed people remember where they came from and, out of gratitude, mirror God’s liberating generosity to everyone He places in their path. |
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