Read Deuteronomy 8
Do Not Forget the Lord
8 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lordpromised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and testyou in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teachyou that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.
6 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to himand revering him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lordyour God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.
Go Deeper
Deuteronomy 8 calls the people of Israel to remember the Lord their God and all that he has done for them in the past. This remembrance calls to mind God’s nature as a provider for us. Throughout this chapter, the writer highlights ways that the Lord has provided for Israel in the past, is providing for them now, and will provide for them in the future–both on this earth and forever in eternity.
In the past, God carried the Israelites out of Egypt, dwelt with them personally, and led them every step of the way through the wilderness (v. 2). The Lord fed his people with manna daily, even when they grumbled and complained against Him. What a perfect reminder of the way that the Lord provides us with our daily bread even when we have done nothing to deserve it from him. Their clothing did not wear out even though they wandered for years and years, and the Lord preserved their health and wellbeing (v. 4). He was the provider and sustainer of the Israelites in the past, and, as the chapter continues, we see He is still providing for and sustaining them in the present.
Verse 7 tells the Israelites about the land that the Lord is bringing them to, “a good land…of olive trees and honey” (v. 7-9). If the Lord was so closely acquainted with their needs and provided for them in the past, what would make the Israelites think that He wouldn’t do the same in the future?
In verses 7-10 we are given a wonderful description of the beautiful land the Israelites are being led to. And this promise is just a small image of the eternal “promised land” that He has in store for those who know Him as Lord and savior. He is not just providing for our present and future needs here on earth, but he is also providing for us an eternal inheritance that is beyond our wildest imagination. John 14:2 tells us that Jesus has gone to prepare this place for us. We have eternity to look forward to! He promises to provide us a place without suffering or pain where we can worship Him forever and we will truly “lack nothing”(v. 9). Verse 18 tells us that this is all part of the covenant that He has made with His people, revealing that He is, by nature, a God who provides.
We don’t have to be discouraged by our circumstances because we know that God is providing for us presently and for our future just like he has provided for us in our past. More importantly, He will provide us with a perfect, beautiful union with Him for all of eternity.
Verses 17 and 18 give the Israelites and us one last word as caution. They warn that against forgetting that God is the source of every blessing and provision we experience both in this age and in the age to come. Let us heed the call of Deuteronomy 8 and remember what God has provided for us in the past, recognize that he is providing for us even now, and hold fast to His promises for the future so that we may live with an eternal hope that shines a light in this dark world.
Questions
- What are some examples of ways the Lord has provided for you in the past that you can use to encourage your faith in Him in the present?
- How consistently do you remember that the Lord is the source of every blessing in your life by thanking Him for what He’s given you?
- How does Deuteronomy 8 help you live with eternal hope?
Did You Know?
The name of God Jehovah Jireh meaning “The Lord will provide” comes from the book of Genesis. In Genesis 22 the Lord provides a ram for sacrifice in place of Issac, and Abraham names the mountain “the Lord will provide.” Since the beginning of creation, the Lord has been a provider!
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7 responses to “Deuteronomy 8”
God’s disciplines
God LOVES those He disiplines
Do we LOVE Him?
I wanted to obey my dad,because I loved him dearly, but when it all came down to it, I thought my way was better. I still have that hard headedness today with my Heavenly Father.(ugg, forehead slap)
As I am reading this it was a A-ha moment. To have read and understood this explaination of discipline when I started raising a family,perhaps I could have been the Mom I see my oldest be.(Mostly I knew but not in the capcity to make it a challenge to help mature them, if that makes sense.) I have always thought of discipline as punishment for disobedience, but there is much more invovled. It is the prepartion of the “child” or me now, to be a responsible adult. A father/mother that understands this helps a “child” to mature. It is evidence of God’s love and of us being a part of His family. We should not envision or be an angry parent but a loving parent tht challenges his children to exercise their muscles physically and mentally to grow in maturity to become dependable adults. Like in Hebrews 12:1-15 we are like athelets that are in training, all the bumps and trials just training us for opportunity’s to grow.
To grasp this concept that God is growing us into mature responsible adults because of His great love for us. We can be conquerors, enjoy God’s blessings, BUT GOD will discipline us when we get wrapped in ourselves. When we do not have gratitude or when we pursue our worship in idols (stuff, nothing but stuff) He will help us turn back, if we listen, we can become the Mature Responsible Adult. REMEMBER where we were and look at where God wants us to be. The evil inclination in our minds was NOT destroyed upon our Salvation; we will continue to struggle with it, give in to it at times, and even occasionally believe it and obey it over God’s Word and His direction. Gratitude and giving God the glory at the beginning and end of all that comes our way should be our inclination.
God thank You for ALL that You do for me. I am so humbled when I read Your words and have those A-ha moments. I cant go back but I can move forward with myself knowing that You always and only want the best for me, here, in my walk of these minutes of this day. God may I be in a constant state of gratitude for whatever I walk through. God may I give You the glory, honor for being with me. God thank You for my daughter and son in law, understanding this disipline to grow up beautiful, women that understand who You are and why they are important. God thank You for wisdom, knowledge and understanding to the parents in these days. God grant them tenacity to raise children that LOVE You, God, first. Give us all a grateful heart today in these minutes of this day. God thank You in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Several overarching themes stood out in this chapter:
•Carefully obey his commands.
•Remember how God has led in the past.
•Commit to a holy reverence/fear of the Lord.
•Praise the Lord with gratitude for his blessings.
Today’s reading brings to mind in Philippians 4:9 “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
I am grateful to understand the assignment and put into practice with a heart that humbly and genuinely wants to glorify God. Lord, help me to be a doer of Your Word and not only a listener of Your Word. In Jesus name, Amen!
I was just pondering Gods provision over the years yesterday with a friend. When my 3 yr old and 5 yr old looked at me and asked some 30+ years ago.. “ if Daddy is not going to be our Daddy; who will be our Daddy?”. God was faithful! When we only had $5 and 5 days to go till payday, Gods was faithful! When my son was in a head on collision going 70 mph, God was faithful! I could go on and on. But one thing is sure and I dare not forget.. He is Jehovah Jireh! Why would he fail now?…He Won’t!🙌 https://youtu.be/uOP4s8fOEm0?si=qpYBAhmAn1ae0bLC
All praise to God, Jehovah Jireh, “The Lord will provide!”
I am blown away as I consider all He provided His people through all those years in the wilderness:
Deliverance.
Direction.
Provision.
Protection.
Instruction.
Conviction.
Compassion.
Benediction (blessing).
How thankful I am to belong to a God of so much MUCH-NESS!
Our God has and will always provide His people with the best — HIS best — so that we would:
• Know God alone as perfect and best (Deut. 32:4, Psalm 18:30).
• Receive and experience all God’s best (James 1:17, Phil. 4:19).
• Allow Him to shape us into and for His best (Hebrews 12:2-3).
• Honor Him with our best (1 Tim. 6:12 GNT, 2 Tim. 2:15).
• Inspire others by reflecting His best (Eph. 5:1-2).
Thank you, Lord, for bring us out of slavery and through the wilderness into Your very Best. To God be the glory!
5 “Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.“
Meditating on this today!
God has prepared and shown me so many opportunities in the work world that most don’t get to experience. Sometimes I get lazy but I need to understand that it all came from him and he could take it all away. May I fear, honor and praise god no matter how I’m feeling.