Deuteronomy 24:17-18 “You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge. But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing.”

If you’ve ever read through the whole Bible, you might notice that the theme of Israel in Egypt just keeps coming back. You might even be tempted to think, “can’t you just get over it?!” But actually, no, God never wants Israel to get over it! The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ recap of the Law before Israel finally enters the Promised Land. It’s been a little over forty years, but Egypt is still fresh in their minds. Or at least, Moses (and God) want it to be!

“Remember when you were in Egypt and you were utterly at the mercy of those more powerful than you? Then make sure that when you have power over another person in a different context, you don’t act like the Egyptians you cried out to God about!” Moses’ instructions regarding this remembering Egypt are both specific and general.

It kind of reminds me of Jesus’ parable about the man who owed an unbelievably large sum of money to a king. So much, it could never realistically be paid back. He begged for mercy and the king was merciful. But then, in his newfound freedom, he found someone who owed him a very small amount and began beating him demanding repayment! He was soon cast into the king’s prison for his ungrateful spirit.

God has done so much for me. He saved me from a slavery from which I was power-less to escape. The forgiveness He freely offered me is to be forever at the forefront of my mind so that the next time I am in a position to offer retribution or grace, I remember what He did for me. This is so foundational to what it means to be a Christian that God definitely never wants me to get over it!

Blessings

Pastor Russ