Always Remember

17 “True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt. 18 Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command.

19 “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. 20 When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 21 When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 22 Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command. — Deuteronomy 24:17-22 New Living Translation (NLT)

We’ve all been slaves to something.  People pleasing, alcohol, sex, pornography, drugs, food, keeping up with the Joneses, workaholism … each one of us is able to fill in the blank if we’re honest with ourselves.  We’ve ALL been slaves to something, but we don’t have to remain slaves.  In Christ, we can find freedom.

Freedom automatically comes with a choice.  The choice to forget – or – to remember.  Verse 18 exhorted the Israelites to remember what it felt like to be a slave.  “Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery.”  Why would God ask the Israelites to ALWAYS REMEMBER their painful past?  Why would anyone want to remember his or her painful past?  Wouldn’t you prefer to forget?
 
They were asked to remember because responsibility accompanies freedom.