Read Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 4:23. What is the Lord telling them to do here, and why is this admonition so important for the nation?

Two verbs dominate the opening of both these verses: “take heed” and “forget.” What the Lord is saying to them is: take heed so that you don’t forget. That is, don’t you forget what the Lord has done for you nor the covenant that He had made with you.

Image © Mary Rumford at Goodsalt.com

The verb “take heed,” smr (which is also used in a different form in Deuteronomy 4:9, translated “keep yourself”), occurs all through the Old Testament, and it means to “keep,” “to watch,” “to preserve,” or “to guard.” Interestingly enough, the first time it appears in Scripture is even before sin, when the Lord told Adam to “keep” the garden that He had given to him (Genesis 2:15).

Now, though, the Lord tells the people, each one individually (the verb is in the singular), to guard themselves, lest they forget. This is not “forget” so much in the sense of memory loss (though over time and in new generations that could come) but more in the sense of being lax about their covenant obligations. That is, they were to be mindful about who they were and what that meant in terms of how they were to live before God, before other Hebrews, before the strangers among them, and before the nations around them.

Read again Deuteronomy 4:9 (see also Deuteronomy 6:7 and Deuteronomy 11:19), but focus on the last part, about teaching them to their children and grandchildren. What would that have to do with helping them not to forget?

It’s not a coincidence that right after Moses tells them not to forget, not to let these things “depart from your heart,” he tells them to teach these things to the next generation and to the generation after. Not only did their children need to hear about these things, but perhaps even more important, by telling and retelling the stories of what God had done for them, the people would not forget what those things were. Hence, what better way to preserve knowledge of what the Lord had done for His chosen people?

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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The post Tuesday: Take Heed. . . Lest You Forget appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-take-heed-lest-you-forget/

Key Thought: The Lord and His prophets always told the people not to forget, or to remember. We are always to remember and not forget God’s interaction in our lives..
December 4, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 9:8-17.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. How is the word remember used here and what can we learn from its use?
3. Personal Application: How should we remember what God has done for us in our lives? Share your thoughts on what you remember God has done for you specifically.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “The rainbow is a natural result of a physical reaction in the clouds. It is a pretty natural phenomenon. What does it mean to you?” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 4:32-40.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What is the Lord telling them to remember? Why is it important to remember these things?
3. Personal Application: What has Jesus done for us, and how are we to respond to what He has done for us? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 4:9,23.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What is the Lord telling them to do here, and why is it so important for the nation?
3. Personal Application: How has telling your experience with the Lord benefited not just others, but yourself as well? Has recounting God’s leading in your life helped you not to forget His leading? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why would teaching the nation’s history and geneology to their children and grandchildren help them not to forget?“ How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 8:7-18.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What warning is the Lord giving His people here, and what should it mean for us today
3. Personal Application: What does this teach us about the danger that comes from wealth? Do wealthy people and healthy people tend to forget their need of the Lord? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

Amen!(0)

The post 10: Remember, Do Not Forget – Teaching Plan appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/10-remember-do-not-forget-teaching-plan/