What other Scriptures warn against forgetting God in times of prosperity? A Familiar Pattern: Prosperity Breeds Forgetfulness Deuteronomy 32:15 paints the picture: “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked… then he forsook the God who made him.” Scripture repeats this warning throughout both Testaments. Old-Testament Passages That Sound the Same Alarm • Deuteronomy 6:10-12 – “When the LORD your God brings you into a land… houses full of every good thing… then beware, lest you forget the LORD.” • Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 17-18 – “When you have eaten and are satisfied… your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD… You may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand have produced this wealth for me,’ but remember the LORD your God.” • Psalm 103:2 – “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” • Psalm 106:13, 21 – “They soon forgot His works… They forgot God their Savior.” • Psalm 62:10 – “If riches increase, set not your heart on them.” • Proverbs 30:8-9 – “Give me neither poverty nor riches… otherwise, I may have too much and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’” • Hosea 13:4-6 – “When they had pasture, they became satisfied; they were satisfied, and their hearts became proud; therefore they forgot Me.” • Nehemiah 9:25-26 – “They became fat and delighted themselves in Your great goodness. But they were disobedient and rebelled against You.” • Jeremiah 2:31-32 – “Yet My people have forgotten Me for days without number.” • Amos 6:1, 4-6 – “Woe to those at ease in Zion… who drink wine by the bowlful… but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.” New-Testament Echoes and Reinforcements • Luke 12:16-21 – Parable of the rich fool whose barns were full yet was “not rich toward God.” • Luke 8:14 – Seed among thorns choked by “riches and pleasures of life.” • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 – “Instruct those who are rich… not to be arrogant, nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but in God.” • James 1:10-11 – “The rich man will pass away like a flower in the field.” • Revelation 3:17 – Laodicea: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ but you do not realize that you are wretched.” Connecting the Dots • Prosperity itself is a gift; pride is the danger. • Forgetting God begins subtly: satisfaction → self-reliance → silent drift. • The antidote repeated in every passage: deliberate remembrance—praise, thanksgiving, generosity, humility. • Deuteronomy 32:15 is not an isolated complaint; it’s a thread that runs through the entire biblical storyline, urging us, in every season of abundance, to keep the Giver foremost in heart and mind. |
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