Book of Deuteronomy Memory and the Past Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter:Verse)

Quote #7

Remember today that it was not your children (who have not known or seen the discipline of the Lord your God), but it is you who must acknowledge his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to all his land; what he did to the Egyptian army, to their horses and chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued you, so that the Lord has destroyed them to this day; what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place (NRSV 11:2-5)

And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm, And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land; And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the Lord hath destroyed them unto this day; And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place (KJV 11:2-5)

This generation of Israelites is in a unique position because they have the benefit of hindsight and foresight. They have seen God's deliverance and wrath, and they will see the fulfillment of God's promises in the Promised Land.

Quote #8

You must not eat with it anything leavened. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it—the bread of affliction—because you came out of the land of Egypt in great haste, so that all the days of your life you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt. (NRSV16:3)

Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. (KJV 16:3)

Even some Jewish rituals, like eating matzah, are meant to help people remember. Because the Israelites were in a hurry to leave Egypt, they didn't have time to add yeast to their bread and wait for it to rise. Moses wants his people to remember? Well, it looks like he succeeded—because Jewish people are doing it even to this day.

Quote #9

Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your journey out of Egypt. (NRSV 24:9)

Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt. (KJV 24:9)

And… more remembering. This time, it's not so pretty. Because Miriam badmouthed her brother Moses, God gave her leprosy (Numbers 12:1-10), which separated her from the rest of the Israelites. Lesson? Be careful how you talk about your siblings. But really, Moses is using the "don't let this happen to you" strategy once again.