“You Must Not Forget”

“And it must occur that when Jehovah your God has given you rest from your enemies . . . You must not forget.”—Deut. 25:19

 1. What grave incident was Israel called upon to remember?

THERE was a very grave incident that occurred to the twelve tribes of Israel after they left Egypt in 1513 B.C.E. It was an action unprovoked and very unfriendly as well as unnecessary on the part of the people of Amalek. That is why the prophet Moses said to Israel: “There should be a remembering of what Amalek did to you in the way when you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you in the way and proceeded to strike in the rear of you all those straggling after you, while you were exhausted and weary; and he did not fear God. And it must occur that when Jehovah your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you as an inheritance to take possession of it, you should wipe out the mention of Amalek from under the heavens. You must not forget.”—Deut. 25:17-19.

 2. Who were the Amalekites, and so why was there little wonder that they hated the people of Israel?

² Who were these Amalekites that went striking down those exhausted and weary ones? Who were these people that did not fear God? Amalek was a grandson of Esau. No wonder! Esau was the one who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. So the offspring of Amalek were determined to perpetuate the hatred Esau had for his brother Jacob, even more than three centuries later. So they launched this unprovoked attack on the offspring of Jacob. Because of this dastardly action Jehovah God decreed that they should be wiped out, which meant ultimate extinction of the Amalekites.

3, 4. (a) What did God’s prophet Samuel tell King Saul of Israel to do to Amalek? (b) What did King Saul actually do? (c) Who else had dealings with the Amalekites, and when finally was Jehovah’s word toward them fulfilled?

³ During the period of the judges of the nation of Israel the Amalekites continued to be adversaries of Israel and they shared with other nations in assaulting Israel. (Judg. 3:12, 13; 6:1-3, 33; 7:12; 10:12) About four centuries after the Israelites left Egypt, Samuel the prophet of God said to King Saul: “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘I must call to account what Amalek did to Israel when he set himself against him in the way while he was coming up out of Egypt. Now go, and you must strike down Amalek and devote him to destruction with all that he has, and you must not have compassion upon him, and you must put them to death, man as well as woman, child as well as suckling, bull as well as sheep, camel as well as ass.’” (1 Sam. 15:2, 3) Jehovah did not forget!

⁴ King Saul struck the Amalekites down “from Havilah as far as Shur.” However, Saul overstepped Jehovah’s orders and he spared King Agag. The account says that “Saul and the people had compassion upon Agag.” Nevertheless, God was not to be mocked, for “Samuel went hacking Agag to pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.” (1 Sam. 15:2-33) But this was not the complete wiping out of the Amalekites. During King David’s time raids were made against the Amalekites. It was not until centuries later, during the reign of Hezekiah, that “some of the sons of Simeon” struck down the remnant of the Amalekites. (1 Chron. 4:42, 43) Finally in he fifth century B.C.E. Haman the Agagite and his family were wiped out because of attempting the extermination of the Jew Mordecai and his people. In this way the command, “You must not forget” what the Amalekites did to the sons and daughters of Jacob, came to complete fulfillment.

LISTEN

 5. (a) Was it only the command regarding the Amalekites that the Israelites were not to forget? (b) Can anyone today neglect the commands of Jehovah and still have his blessing?

⁵ That Bible account is only one instance pointing up this important matter of not forgetting what God has said. There were many more important things that the children of Israel were not to forget, especially that they were Jehovah’s nation, his inheritance. (Ps. 33:12) Eventually they forgot and the entire nation of Israel was cast off from God’s favor. In view of what happened to the Israelites centuries ago, is it not more important for people today not to forget the judicial decisions and teachings of God if they want to “inherit the earth”? (Matt. 5:5) Moses said: “Listen to the regulations and the judicial decisions that I am teaching you to do, in order that you may live and may indeed go in and take possession of the land that Jehovah the God of your forefathers is giving you. You must not add to the word that I am commanding you, neither must you take away from it, so as to keep the commandments of Jehovah your God that I am commanding you.” (Deut. 4:1, 2) No one, neither you nor the clergy of Christendom, has any right to tamper with the Word of God, to reject portions of it, or add to it, thinking that one has greater wisdom and knowledge than the Author of the Bible himself. If the Israelites wanted to live as individuals and as a nation, it was necessary for them to keep the commandments of Jehovah their God. Christians today are no different. When God speaks, Christians should listen! Most people, though, would like to forget God, ignore his sayings and teachings and live according to their own desires.

 6. How do we know that Jehovah is very much interested in humankind?

⁶ Regardless of what men think, the great God of the universe is still very much interested in his creation. In fact, ‘God loved humankind so much that he gave his only-begotten Son to save them (not destroy them) and to have them enjoy everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) When God’s Son Jesus Christ came to the earth, he studied the Holy Scriptures. He quoted scriptures to prove his teachings. As to his speaking he said: “I do not speak of my own originality.” (John 14:10) He read, believed and spoke from God’s Word. Jehovah tried to impress this very thing upon the Israelites long before he sent his Son into the world. But not all of them listened. That is why God said: “Only watch out for yourself and take good care of your soul, that you may not forget the things that your eyes have seen and that they may not depart from your heart all the days of your life; and you must make them known to your sons and to your grandsons.”—Deut. 4:9.

 7. (a) How can one care for his life and the lives of his sons? (b) How did the Israelites take steps to preserve their lives while in Egypt?

⁷ If one is going to take good care of his soul it means he is going to take good care of his life. Your soul is you. None of us should forget the things our eyes have seen, and we should listen to the things Jehovah says in his written Word. By doing so we take good care of our lives. Our hearing and not forgetting, and never letting God’s sayings depart from our hearts all the days of our lives, makes it possible for us to help our sons and grandsons. They, too, need to know what God said and did. What had God done? This: Israel had become a numerous people. After Joseph’s death they became slaves in Egypt. By Jehovah’s power he liberated them from Pharaoh’s oppression. However, before freedom came, God’s plagues fell, one after another, upon Egypt. Then, before the tenth plague came, Moses told all the children of Israel to prepare for their deliverance and their march out of Egypt. To gain this God-given freedom did not require much preparation on the part of the Israelites, but it did require faith. Each Israelite family was to kill a lamb, take its blood and sprinkle it on the doorposts and lintels of its home and then roast the lamb and stay inside the home and eat it. These instructions would not be difficult to follow, would they? For this act of faith, just doing what Jehovah said they should do, the angel of Jehovah passed over the children of Israel, but God’s angel brought death to all of the Egyptian firstborn, both of man and of beast. What a night of wailing and howling that was for the Egyptians! But what a night of rejoicing in the homes of the Israelites! They all were alive and soon began their trek to and through the Red Sea, following Moses, who led them out of the land of Egypt and on toward the promised land. Do you think this event was worth remembering and making known to their sons and their grandsons for generation after generation?

 8. How were the sons and grandsons for generations to come to know about Jehovah’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt, giving rise to what timely personal question?

⁸ About this day of liberation with all its excitement parents were to tell their children and their grandchildren for generations to come. ‘Do not forget the things that your eyes have seen,’ God said. About this great event they must tell year after year, on Passover day and at other times as well. Their release from slavery was not a myth. It was not just a story with which to entertain children. It was Jehovah’s doing! It was a reality! It was true history! Men and women lived it and, in order for them to watch out for themselves and take good care of their souls, they must not forget to tell these truths to their sons and grandsons. How many historical Bible events do you repeat to your sons?

 9. Because Israel quickly forgot God’s doings, what came to be the lot of the people soon after leaving Egypt?

⁹ But how quickly people forget! Not long afterward, while in the wilderness of Paran, Moses sent twelve spies into the promised land to look things over. Ten spies returned frightened and they urged: Return to Egypt. There they could get garlic and watermelons again. (Num. 11:5) Two of the twelve spies, Joshua and Caleb, were pleased with what they had seen, and they advised the people: “Let us go up directly” into the land flowing with milk and honey. (Num. 13:27-30) The people, however, listened to the ten fearful spies, forgetting the wonderful deliverance God performed in their behalf in Egypt. For lack of faith they spent forty long years in the wilderness until that older generation died off. The children of the new generation, who had heard of the deliverance of their parents or grandparents, were now ready to move under Jehovah’s direction into the land of promise.

10. In spite of Israel’s forgetfulness, how did Jehovah deal with them, and why?

¹⁰ While many of the families of Israel quickly forgot the salvation that Jehovah brought to them, God was not one to forget. “For Jehovah your God is a merciful God. He will not desert you or bring you to ruin or forget the covenant of your forefathers that he swore to them.” (Deut. 4:31) Centuries before that Jehovah had said to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give them this land and that through Abraham’s seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. That new generation had faith, and Jehovah gave them numerous successes. But again God warned them not to forget.

11. What blessings were going to be showered on Israel because of God’s promise, and what problems would this present?

¹¹ Jehovah God led Israel onward to the land that the Bible describes as being like the garden of Eden. They were going to have houses in which to live and that they had not built. They were going to be drinking fresh water from cisterns that they had not hewn out. They were going to eat grapes from vineyards and olives from trees that they had never planted. How would this prosperity and luxury affect them? Would this new generation receiving all these things in the promised land forget Jehovah too? Would they become satisfied and forget God?

12. How did Jehovah warn Israel about the dangers of the land of promise and its good things?

¹² Listen to the warning that Jehovah gave to the children of Israel: “And it must occur that when Jehovah your God will bring you into the land that he swore to your forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give you, great and good-looking cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things and that you did not fill, and cisterns hewn out that you did not hew out, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you shall have eaten and become satisfied, watch out for yourself that you may not forget Jehovah, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves.” (Deut. 6:10-12) How many people are forgetful like that today? They become prosperous, have everything they want materially, but lose all their spirituality and interest in Jehovah their God!

MANKIND FORGETS

13. What do many persons even now forget about God’s provisions?

¹³ Jehovah knew mankind could forget. That is why he gave the warning. But how many heeded Jehovah’s warnings? Many persons never think that it is Jehovah God who makes the sun to shine upon the good and the bad, that he makes it rain upon the just and the unjust; that God gave us the air we breathe, provided the vegetation we eat; that he made the land and the sea, the mountains and valleys with freshwater streams. These things were all here when you came to be upon the earth, but how often have you thanked the Creator for them? We have a great variety of food, of shelter in houses of stone, wood and other materials taken from the earth. We have clothing of cotton, wool and silk. There is no end to the things Jehovah supplies. He gave it all to mankind. Have you eaten and become satisfied too? Then watch out for yourselves that you may not forget Jehovah.

14, 15. Give the primary meaning of the word “forget,” and outline the questions that arise concerning the forgetfulness of people today.

¹⁴ Someone may say, ‘Well, we may forget momentarily,’ but is that the primary meaning of “forget”? According to Webster’s Dictionary the first meaning of “forget” is: “To lose the remembrance of; to let go from the memory; to be unable to think of or recall; . . . to lose the power or use of; to cease from doing.” This is the meaning of “forget” used in the scriptures cited, that is, completely letting go out of mind or memory the things that were so clearly established there previously.

¹⁵ How many people do you think have forgotten God today, are unable to remember him, who he is, what he has done? How many people do you think really worship the great God of the universe, the Giver of every good and perfect present? How many people do you think really believe that God loved mankind so much that he sent his only-begotten Son into the world that man might gain life everlasting? Do you think that the majority of Christendom’s population have forgotten God and his laws and what he has instructed Christians to do? Have you yourself forgotten?

16. (a) Give another, less serious, meaning for the word “forget”. (b) What is the relation between the quoted New York Times article and forgetfulness?

¹⁶ Of course, there is a second meaning to the word “forget,” namely, “To omit or disregard unintentionally; to neglect,” to fail to take, bring, speak of or notice. This kind of forgetting we find happening at home every day. The wife may ask her husband, ‘When you come home from work tonight would you please bring a loaf of bread with you?’ He forgets. He does not do this intentionally, because when he gets home he either has to go to the store for it or do without bread at the evening meal. Little things in life like this we forget to do sometimes, but we can correct them and do. But what have you done about true religion? Is it in your case very much like what appeared on the front page of the New York Times Sunday paper for September 15, 1968? The four-column headline read: “Public Apathy Creating Crisis in Church of England.” The report was written by a Mr. Edward B. Fiske and the article started this way: “LONDON—The church is like a pub. You go into a town, and it’s there, and maybe you go in and maybe you don’t. Personally, I don’t. The speaker was James Cavenaugh.” A little farther along in the article Mr. Fiske said: “Church attendance has dropped to the point where only eight out of every 100 baptized persons worship on Easter.” Would you say that 92 percent of the people of that land have forgotten God? How about the rest of Christendom? Are their religious centers crowded? You know the answer is No, and it is because the people have forgotten God! They have let go from their memories the things they have known about God, if they ever heard or read about Him during their lives. In fact, many have been taught that God is dead, and almost all others have been taught that what is written in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, is but a myth. They have no incentive or help from the clergy or from their elders to remember. So they forget God.

17. (a) To whom or what has the worship of many turned? (b) What questions need answering in view of man’s perverted worship?

¹⁷ Religion, some form of worship, is something that everyone in the world is involved in in one way or another. The natural tendency of man is to worship something. People whom we call “heathen” or “pagan” have gods that they worship. Some people worship money, movie stars, politicians, rulers, even themselves. It may be an image or something illusive, nirvana, for instance. But let us take a second look at Christendom, while we are on the subject, and seriously ask: What has Christendom’s religion done for mankind? Has it made the nations and its people better morally, spiritually? Has it made them peaceful? Do they love one another more now than fifty years ago or five hundred years ago? Has Christendom brought “glory . . . to God, and upon earth peace among men of good will”? (Luke 2:14) Why not? Because mankind and its religious priests and clergy have forgotten God, discarded his Word and rejected Jehovah’s kingdom by his Son Christ Jesus. Jesus said it plainly: “This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.” (Matt. 15:8, 9) The false religions are not teaching you God’s Word but they are teaching you their own doctrine. Listen to God, for he is saying to you now: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins.” (Rev. 18:4) Christendom and the whole world empire of false religion are doomed!

[Picture on page 5]

Moses reminded Israel that they were not to forget how Amalek defied God by assaulting his people