It has been said that the primary task of teaching is not so much to reveal as it is to remind. And evidently Moses would agree, for as we have seen, the entire book of Deuteronomy is a reminder to the children of Israel of what God had done for them, of what He had taught them, and of what He expected of them.

The passage before us is no exception, beginning as it does with the word, “Remember” (verse 17), and ending with the words, “Thou shalt not forget” (verse 19).

What were the children of Israel not to forget? They were not to forget how during their wilderness wanderings the Amalekites attacked them not man-to-man, not face-to-face, but from the back. The Israelites were to remember how the Amalekites would wait in hiding until they passed by, how they would attack those who were weary and feeble.

We, too, have an Enemy who attacks us constantly. “Be sober,” Peter said. “Be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It is said that in the jungle, the lion wakes up each day knowing that he simply must outrun the slowest prey. And the same is true spiritually, for like the lion, Satan attacks the weariest or feeblest among us. And, like Amalek, he finds them at the back of the pack.

This is a word we need to remember, a word of which we need to be reminded constantly because we can say, “I’ve been walking with the Lord for a number of years. I’ve been involved in a lot of battles. I need to kick back a bit, to cruise awhile,” not realizing that those who think they deserve a break are the very ones most vulnerable to an attack . . .

He was a great man, a godly man. Year after year he had led his troops into battle. He was their commander, their king. But at the age of fifty, he said, “I’ve fought long enough. I’m going to kick back awhile.” So he sent another to lead the troops while he stayed behind. On the roof of his palace one night, enjoying the view of the golden city of Jerusalem, his eye came across a woman taking a bath. Intrigued by her, he had an affair with her and tried to cover it up by murdering her husband. He should have been fully engaged. He should have been front and center in the battle. Instead, he thought he deserved a break. And as a result, life was never the same for David, for his family, or for his Kingdom.

The same thing can happen to you and me. “I’ve been walking with the Lord for forty years,” we say. “Who says I have to have devotions and go to Bible study? Why not let someone else teach Sunday school? Why not let someone else work in the nursery? Why not let someone else go to the prayer meeting? I’m tired.”

We are currently seeing a rash of middle-aged men in our own community falling into immorality. The number of people who have been sucked into sin at this point in life is astonishing to me. And the common thread among them seems to be a misconception that they were justified in pulling away from fellowship, in drifting away from worship because they thought they had paid their dues, because they thought that spending time with the Lord or with His people no longer needed to be a priority.

Precious people, be oh, so careful that you don’t grow weary somewhere in middle life, saying, “I’ve fought the fight. Now it’s time to cruise.” Amalek attacks the back of the pack. He’ll be waiting for you.