In the biblical narrative, the concept of forgetting God is intrinsically linked to the neglect and abandonment of His law. The law, as given by God, serves as a divine guide for righteous living and a covenantal framework for His people. When individuals or nations forget God, they inevitably stray from His commandments, leading to spiritual and moral decline.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible consistently warns against the dangers of forgetting God and His law. In Deuteronomy 8:11, Moses admonishes the Israelites: "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes which I am giving you this day." This verse underscores the direct connection between remembering God and adhering to His law. The Israelites were reminded that their prosperity and well-being were contingent upon their obedience to God's commandments.

The Psalms also reflect this theme. Psalm 119:153-155 states, "Look upon my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten Your law. Defend my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word. Salvation is far from the wicked because they do not seek Your statutes." Here, the psalmist equates remembering God's law with seeking His salvation and favor, while forgetting it leads to wickedness and estrangement from God.

Prophetic Warnings

The prophets frequently addressed the issue of forgetting God and His law. Hosea 4:6 declares, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children." This passage highlights the catastrophic consequences of neglecting God's law, resulting in a breakdown of the covenant relationship between God and His people.

Jeremiah also speaks to this issue, lamenting the spiritual amnesia of the people: "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? But in fact, the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception" (Jeremiah 8:8). The prophet criticizes those who claim wisdom while disregarding the true essence of God's law, leading to deception and falsehood.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the importance of God's law is reaffirmed through the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Jesus emphasizes the fulfillment of the law in Matthew 5:17-18: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." Jesus' words affirm the enduring significance of God's law and the necessity of remembering and living by it.

The apostle Paul also addresses the role of the law in the life of believers. In Romans 2:13, he writes, "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be declared righteous." Paul underscores the importance of not merely knowing the law but actively living it out as a demonstration of faithfulness to God.

Consequences of Forgetting

Forgetting God's law leads to a host of spiritual and societal issues. It results in moral decay, as individuals and communities lose their moral compass and drift away from God's standards. This forgetfulness often leads to idolatry, injustice, and a breakdown of social order, as seen throughout the history of Israel and Judah.

Moreover, forgetting God's law severs the relational bond between God and His people. It signifies a rejection of His authority and a breach of the covenant, inviting divine judgment and discipline. The biblical narrative consistently portrays the restoration of this relationship as contingent upon a return to God's law and a renewed commitment to His commandments.

In summary, the act of forgetting God is inseparable from the neglect of His law. The biblical text calls for a continual remembrance and adherence to God's commandments as a vital aspect of faithfulness and devotion to Him.Psalm 119:153,176
Consider my affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget your law.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

D. The Question as to Paying Tribute. Ch. 20:19-26
... however, that there was danger of forgetting God, and our ... basis for citizenship is
devotion to God, and no ... were answered and rebuked, and his followers were ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/d the question as to.htm

The Law of the Lord.
... ready enough to think only of God's goodness, and ... humiliation in Judaea 1800 years
ago, forgetting that during ... if he governs himself according to his own fancy ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon x the law of.htm

The Law Given, not to Retain a People for Itself, but to Keep ...
... every mouth may be stopped, and no man seem great in his own eyes ... be little ones;
let the whole world become guilty before God." But I am forgetting myself in ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 7 the law given.htm

Tradition
... multitude, and afterward more fully to His disciples, Jesus ... the transgression of
the law of God, not the ... Forgetting how often Christ had given evidence that He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 42 tradition.htm

Whether the Old Law Should have Induced Men to the Observance of ...
... the perfection of man consists in his despising temporal ... the Apostle (Phil.3:13,
15): "Forgetting the things ... goods, albeit in subordination to God: whereas the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the old law should 2.htm

God's Glory in Hiding Sin
... of this covering, imitate the Lord in forgetting the sins of ... you, let that atonement
which satisfied God for sin ... me, I ask no atonement at his hands, because ...
/.../spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/gods glory in hiding sin.htm

Paul Worthy to be the Prince of the Apostles, and yet a Sinner.
... wherein he deserved the pre-eminence of his great apostleship. ... but this one thing
I do, forgetting those things ... the prize of the high calling of God in Christ ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 20 paul worthy to be.htm

Life.
... fleeing from God's Spirit, and forgetting His gracious inspirations ... the Living God,
and before His Spirit ... are a moral and spiritual being, God's Spirit exercises ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xvii life.htm

Unless the Scriptures be Understood through God's Great Grace, God ...
... God: since already we have received His testimony through ... place called by the name
of God, in order ... godless by worshipping idols and forgetting God, as indeed ...
/.../chapter xcii unless the scriptures be.htm

The Courage of the Saviour
... and pain for duty's-sake, instead of merely forgetting them in ... of peace and mercy,
which is for God's sake, God will reward him sevenfold into his bosom ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon xxv the courage of.htm

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