Daily Verse Devo - Deuteronomy 32:7

"Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations;ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you."

-Deuteronomy 32:7 (ESV)

If you had to give someone one last piece of advice before you left earth, what would you say?

I know that's a hard question. There's so much we learn in life (from mistakes and some success) that it seems difficult to narrow it down.

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses' life is nearing an end. He's preparing Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. God has just warned Moses that the Israelites will turn to idols and forsake Him, so God gave him a song to write that would remind the Israelites of God's ways.

Today's verse and much of chapter 32 is a part of that song.

I honestly never knew that this happened in the Bible. I knew that Joshua seceded Moses as leader, but I had no idea God gave Moses a song.

There's something about music that resonates with human memory. Alzheimer's patients that can't recognize their own family members can often sing every word to songs they grew up with. Throughout many cultures, traditions would be passed along through folk songs. Even when I try to memorize information for a test, songs make it so much easier.

God, of course, knew this. No matter how the Israelites rebelled, God's words would still be in their hearts through this song. They would know the truth, even if they chose to rebel.

Verse seven is all about remembering the past - God's covenant with Abraham's descendants, the forming of the Israelite nation, being freed from slavery in Egypt, and the numerous miracles God did to provide for His people.

The Israelites are commissioned to ask their fathers and elders. By this point, the Israelites had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness because of their complaining spirit. None of those over 60 (those that were over 20 when the wandering began) would be allowed to enter the Promised Land, except Joshua and Caleb. So it was vitally important for the younger Israelites to know what their parents had seen God do.

Can you think of any family or cultural stories that have been passed down to you?

We have so many resources to the past - the Bible, history books, diaries, memoirs, songs, television shows, genealogies, etc.

So our goal should be to learn about the past as much as we can. When we see the mistakes and successes of those who've come before us, we'll be less likely to fail in the same ways and can build upon their achievements.

As a history lover, I'm interested not only in the general past, but my family's own stories. What was life like for my great-grandparents? Who was the first to come to America? What mistakes were made that still have consequences today? How did members of my family come to know the Lord?

This verse can inspire us to find out more about our culture and loved ones, but also to preserve these stories and our own for future generations.

This is in essence the mission of Olden Day Revival. :)

Do you have any interesting stories from your family that you'd like to share?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. :)

#past #legacy #song #Moses