Pages

Saturday, November 29, 2014

A Post-Thanksgiving Warning (c. 1250 BCE)

source
"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  

"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.  

"Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  

"He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.  

"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth."

- Deuteronomy 8: 10-18 (New International Version) 

1 comment: