Deuteronomy is a favorite book of mine, because I take a lot of teasing about how often I "review" and repeat my teachings. The whole book is one long review. Moses, at the end of his life, just before he turns his leadership role over to Joshua and his life comes to an end, reviews the story of God's grace to Israel and the law that was told in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.
There is a reason why God, through Moses, gave the book of Deuteronomy, why he reviewed the story of his grace to these people. God's people have a tendency to forget his goodness. We have short spiritual memory. Look at the warning in Deuteronomy 4:9.
Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
The first thing the Serpent tried to do in the Garden is to convince Adam and Eve to forget the goodness of God. God had given them a vast array of tasty fruit. The Serpent got them to focus on the one tree they couldn't have and to forget God's goodness.
Many of the sacrifices, ceremonies and rituals of the Old Testament had one purpose - to help Israel remember what God had done. Jesus also gave us a ceremony to repeat, "in remembrance of me" - to help us memorialize his death on our behalf.
That is one of the key reasons we read God's Word, pray, and worship is simply to remember.
Father, may I never forget your goodness to me. May I remember the Cross, where you purchased my soul, the Empty Tomb which gives me life and the power of the Spirit which empowers me. Help me to remember, every day, what you have done.
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