Don't Forget God

DON'T FORGET GOD

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8 & 9

8:11 "Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I commanded thee this day:"

Define Beware: 08104 shamar (shaw-mar') a primitive root; TWOT - 2414; v

AV - keep 283, observe 46, heed 35, keeper 28, preserve 21, beware 9, mark 8, watchman 8, wait 7, watch 7, regard 5, save 2, misc 9; 468

1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to keep, have charge of

1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life

1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)

1a3) to watch for, wait for

1a4) to watch, observe

1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)

1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain

1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)

1a8) to keep, preserve, protect

1a9) to keep, reserve

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware

1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain

1b3) to be kept, be guarded

1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed

1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from

Define Forget

07911 shakach {(haw-kakh') or shakeach (shaw-kay'-akh) a primitive root; TWOT - 2383; v

AV - forget 61, forgotten 40, at all 1; 102

1) to forget, ignore, wither

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to forget

1a2) to cease to care

1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten

1c) (Piel) to cause to forget

1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget

1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten

We can start to backslide when we ignore and let spiritual things wither.

We can start to backslide when we cease to care.

I. FULLNESS CAN LEAD TO FORGETFULNESS

Proverbs 30:7 “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 30:8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 30:9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

A. Abundance of water (v. 7) [In comparison to the desert places they had been walking in.]

B. Abundance of fertile land producing great food crops (v. 8)

--- "bread without scarceness" --- scarcity, poverty (v.9)

C. Abundance of ores to produce tools, weapons, utensils and vessels of metals (v. 9)

D. Goodly houses (v. 12) [Compared to the tents they had lived in for 40 years.]

E. Multiplying herds (v. 13)

F. Wealth (v. 13)

1. God can't bless some people with abundance in the natural because he knows

their weakness.

2. "For the love of money is the root of all evil: while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

I Timothy 6:10

3. There are special temptations that come with riches.

How many people have you seen prosper and then forget where they came from?

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." I Timothy 6:17

This is where America is at right now concerning prosperity. The numbers that indicate growth and wealth are astounding according to current news reports. We have never seen it better than we are seeing it today in the U.S.A.

II. SYMPTOMS OF FORGETFULNESS

A. Pride --- (v.14) "thine heart be lifted up"

Define "lifted up": 07311 ruwm {room} a primitive root; TWOT - 2133; v

AV - (lift, hold, etc...) up 63, exalt 47, high 25, offer 13, give 5, heave 3, extol 3, lofty 3,

take 3, tall 3, higher 2, misc 24; 194

1) to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be high, be set on high

1a2) to be raised, be uplifted, be exalted

1a3) to be lifted, rise

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to raise or rear (children), cause to grow up

1b2) to lift up, raise, exalt

1b3) to exalt, extol

1c) (Polal) to be lifted up

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to raise, lift, lift up, take up, set up, erect, exalt, set on high

1d2) to lift up (and take away), remove

1d3) to lift off and present, contribute, offer, contribute

1e) (Hophal) to be taken off, be abolished

1f) (Hithpolel) to exalt oneself, magnify oneself

2) (Qal) to be rotten, be wormy

(Remember: forget means to ignore or wither)

B. Self-righteousness

1. Deut 9:4 "For my righteousness" [What they might think of themselves.]

2. Deut 9:5 "Not for thy righteousness"

"As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one:" Romans 3:10

3. Deut 9:6 "thou art a stiffnecked people" [The truth about them.]

4. Deut 9:7 "Remember, and forget not, how thou provokest the LORD thy God to