Are you quick to forget like Israel? These stories are included to remind us that we are weak like they were. We are forgetful. We are disobedient. The next time you walk in a wilderness or are disciplined by the Lord, remember, that he was, is, and always will be your faithful God who remembers you when you forget him. Remember his, “previously on…” for your life. 

My children love Star Wars. Last year we watched a new Star Wars show on Disney. Unlike most of today’s programs that stream, this one did not release all the episodes at once. This horrified and confused my children. They came to appreciate a dying piece of television that I grew up with, “Previously on…” The “previously on…” at the beginning of a show connected what happened last time and also gave direction to the new episode about to come on.

This week we began reading the book of Deuteronomy. The first three chapters of Deuteronomy serve as the “previously on…” for the show, “Israel.” It covers the time from their departure from Mt. Horeb, 1:6, through the wilderness years (2), and up to their current location, Mt. Pisgah across from Jericho (3:27). In fact, the entire book of Deuteronomy may be viewed as a “previously on…” of the books of Exodus-Numbers.

There is an important theological theme throughout Scripture – remember. We may think, “How hard could it be to remember all God had done for Israel?” Psalm 106 is similar to Deuteronomy 1-3.

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