Deuteronomy 8:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Just as the remembrance of the saints must be genuine, so too must there be a vibrant remembrance of God nurtured within our hearts. We will remain focused on our celebration, enriching it through reflections on the commandment, ‘Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God’. This command was given to the people of God by the Prophet Moses in his profound teachings at the culmination of his prophetic and legislative mission and is recorded in Deuteronomy. ‘Hear, O Israel’ (Deuteronomy 6:4), the Prophet proclaimed, as he guided them through the significant passage of forty years under God's direct care; a time is approaching when you will be able to guide yourselves as you enter the promised land: ‘thou shalt not eat thy bread with poverty’ (Deuteronomy 8:9), ‘and thou shalt eat and be filled’ (Deuteronomy 8:10). Reflect on how you will utilize the prosperity bestowed upon you: ‘Thou shalt remember all the way in which the Lord thy God hath led thee’ (Deuteronomy 8:2). Contemplate the dangers you have faced, the trials you have surmounted, the miracles you have both witnessed and experienced; what benefit will you derive from these memories?—I reveal to you the path of righteousness and salvation: remember God, the giver of all these blessings. ‘Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God.’

If we consider this instruction as simply a minimal requirement, it might seem trivial, perhaps even insufficient. Should a son need to be reminded to remember his father? Isn’t such a reminder superfluous? Can a son truly forget his father? Isn’t it even a slight against the son’s dignity to assume he could forget? If human beings owe so much more to God than a son owes to his father, for the father imparts life—not his own, but that which he received from the Creator—the debt is even greater. The father raises his child with support, introduces him to society, and provides for his well-being, yet all of this is done by the grace and safeguarding of God, the ultimate Provider. The son acts with his own thoughts and desires, independent of his father’s will; however, man cannot genuinely act, think virtuously, or live a truly blessed life without God, who ‘beareth ... all things by the voice of His power’ (Hebrews 1:3), without whom “we live and move and are” (Acts 17:28), as we cannot ourselves even conceive anything independent of Him (2 Cor. 3:5). Without divine attention, ‘I will turn away ... the face, all men will be moved...’ (Ps. 103:29). Given humanity's relationship with God, is it sufficient to simply ask that we occasionally remember Him? Is it unnecessary to prompt it? Is it conceivable for humanity to forget God? Is it not a grave offense, both to God and to oneself, to think one might forget Him? Surely our consciences would affirm this truth: it logically must be the case.

Yet, reflecting on our lives, what do we observe? Rather than focusing on the faults of others, let us first examine our own lives for any shortcomings. Do we not squander countless hours and even entire days engrossed in earthly tasks, whims, and self-serving distractions without recalling our heavenly duty to ‘remember the Lord thy God’? When we are confronted with challenges and setbacks, do we not often find ourselves dwelling in sorrow or frustration, seeking solutions through our own efforts, while neglecting the simplest and closest means—turning to God for assistance or yielding to His will? In times of success, security, and abundance, do we not transition from frenetic activity to a state of moral lethargy, where we become so consumed with our accomplishments and aspirations that we forget to acknowledge God’s benevolent hand in our lives, neglecting to offer Him praise and thanks?

When we evaluate these life experiences against the standards of truth and justice mentioned earlier, we must admit that if it is viewed as excessive to remind a son to remember his father—since the son owes his father reverence, love, and duty—then how much greater is our fault for not fulfilling even the basic obligation of remembrance to God, for which we are required to also offer reverence, love, and adherence to His commandments? If it seems almost unnecessary to remind a son of the duty to remember his father, how much more is it essential for a man to remember God? Consequently, how astonishing and unnatural it seems that a man can forget God. If it is an affront to a son’s dignity to suggest he might forget his father, how much more so is it a grave insult to humanity's dignity to imply forgetting God? And how deeply do we offend not only our own dignity of mind, heart, and conscience, but we also grieve God Himself! O righteous God! If, for all our neglectful forgetfulness of You, You were to respond in kind with a fleeting moment of forgetfulness of us, we would surely be cast down to the very depths, for even those who dwell in the abyss are not strangers to Your remembrance, as they cannot escape Your providential care. Yet, O Longsuffering One, You do not forsake those who forget You; You gently beckon them back through Your Revelation: ‘Remember the Lord your God’.

‘To Thee, O Lord, is truth; but to us is shame of face’ (Dan. 9:7). The prophet emphasizes remembrance, especially during times of prosperity: ‘Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for He shall give thee strength to do the work of strength.’ This emphasis does not imply we should only remember God in good times, but rather that prosperity exposes us more readily to the peril of forgetting Him, thus necessitating a reminder. The Prophet illustrates this through a poignant prophetic song, bitterly validated by reality: ‘Jacob shall eat, and be filled, and shall deny his beloved; he shall wither, he shall thicken, he shall widen, and shall forsake God who made him, and shall depart from God his Saviour’ (Deuteronomy 32:15). Take heed of this warning, dear new Israel. In times of prosperity, let it be your practice to moderate your enjoyment; when you feel strong, remember God who has endowed you with strength. Guard your heart against earthly pleasures that may render it vulnerable and dulled to heavenly sensations. Instead, strive to nourish it with the thought of the invisible Giver of all good things, ensuring it remains receptive to His grace.

Some of the considerations raised necessitate addressing the apparent inconsistency: why does the Prophet, in asking for remembrance of God, seem to settle for so little, when man owes God not merely remembrance but also reverence, love, and adherence to His commands? It is similar to a farmer sowing a small seed, knowing that when it takes root in fertile soil, it will yield bountiful growth and fruitfulness. The act of remembering God serves as the seed for all virtues and happiness. As we cultivate our remembrance of God with genuine intent, it naturally evolves into a continual state of mindfulness of Him. This constant remembrance fosters our awareness of His presence, our contemplation of His attributes and deeds, and inspires within us reverence for Him, faith, prayer, love, a desire to please Him, and an awareness of our duty to uphold His commandments. God called Abraham and desired to perfect him through the simple practice of remembrance and walking in His presence: ‘Walk before Me,’ He instructed, “and be thou perfect” (Gen. 17:1). In the presence of an earthly king, we exercise care and decorum; how much more, then, should we strive to be righteous in the presence of our Heavenly King, avoiding sin and dedicating ourselves to works that honor Him!

‘I have remembered God, and I am glad’ (Psalms 76:4), declared the Prophet, marking the beginning of eternal joy that comes from experiencing God in heaven: “Thou wilt fill me with joy in Thy presence” (Psalms 15:11). ‘Arise, O Jerusalem,’ the Prophet calls, “and see thy children gathered together from the east of the sun unto the west, rejoicing in the memory of God by the word of the Holy One” (Bar. 5:5). Gracious new Israel! Let not the ancient be your only standard; instead, through the divine grace bestowed upon you, strive to exceed it. Always aspire to present before heaven the glorious sight of your children, guided by the Word of God, ‘rejoicing in the remembrance of God’. Remember Him not merely with your intellect but, more importantly, with your heart, holding Him in reverence, faith, and love, expressing gratitude for His blessings, and desiring to please Him. In doing so, ‘the Lord will remember’ you ‘in the favour of His people’, ‘will visit’ you ‘with His salvation’ (Psalm 105:4) both in this life and the next. Amen.