Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Deuteronomy: God’s Law of Love

Love and Obey the *LORD your God

Deuteronomy

Philip Smith

Chapter 8

v1 ‘Be careful to *keep all the *commandments that I ordered you today. Then you will live and you will increase in numbers. You will be able to enter and to possess the country. The *LORD promised this country to your *ancestors. v2 Remember how the *LORD your God led you in the *desert for 40 years. He did that to take away your pride. And he wanted to examine you. Then he would discover what you intended to do. He would see whether you would *keep his *commandments. But maybe you would not *keep them. v3 He took away your pride. He allowed you to be hungry. Then he gave to you *manna to eat. You and your *ancestors had never known that food before. He did that to teach you that people do not live only on bread. They also need every word that the *LORD speaks. v4 During those 40 years, your clothes did not wear out. And your feet did not become unnaturally large because you had to walk too much. v5 Remember that the *LORD your God corrects you. And he punishes you. He does that in the same way that a father gives discipline to his children.

v6 So then, *keep the *commandments of the *LORD your God. Behave in the way that he has told you. And *fear him. v7 *Fear him because the *LORD your God will bring you into a good country. It has rivers, fountains and water that comes up from the ground. Water flows in the valleys and in the hills. v8 The land produces wheat and grain called barley. It produces *grapes and soft sweet fruits called figs. And it produces fruit called pomegranates and *olives and honey. v9 There will always be enough bread. You will not have a lack of anything. Its rocks have iron in them. And you can dig a red metal called copper out of the hills.

v10 You will eat and you will feel full. Then you must thank the *LORD your God because he has given to you such a good country.’

Moses reminded the *Israelites about what God had done in the past. Then he told them what God would do in the future. When they were in the *desert, God taught them to trust him. He wanted to take away their pride, so he allowed them to have difficulties. He wanted to see if they would really trust him. *Manna was the food that Numbers 11:8-9 mentions. God gave that food to them every day. Without it, they had nothing to eat. But God taught them that they needed more than food in order to live.

We all need God to speak to us and to feed our *spirits. The main way that God speaks is by means of the Bible. One day, the devil tempted Jesus. Then Jesus used this verse to answer the devil. Jesus was hungry. So the devil suggested that Jesus should change stones into bread. Jesus said that he needed God to speak to him. That was more important for him than food. (See Matthew 4:4.)

Moses reminded the *Israelites about other things. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not suffer. But God did allow them to suffer sometimes, just as a parent punishes his child. God did that so that they would learn lessons. The *Israelites should obey God and they should *fear him. God would bring them into a country with plenty of water. The land would produce many crops, and they would have enough to eat. There would be plenty of iron and red metal. They should thank God. And they should enjoy what he had given to them.

God tests our *faith by events that happen in our lives. He also gives to us everything to enjoy. (See 1 Timothy 6:17.)

v11 ‘Be careful not to forget the *LORD your God. Do not forget to obey his *commandments and his rules that I order you today. v12 You will have all that you want to eat. You will build good houses and you will live in them. v13 You will have a lot of *cattle and sheep, silver and gold and many possessions. v14 Make sure that you do not become proud. Do not forget the *LORD your God. He brought you out of the country called Egypt. And you had been *slaves there. v15 He led you through the large, terrible *desert where there were poisonous snakes. And there were small animals called scorpions. And they could sting you. There was no water in the *desert. But he made water to flow out of the rock for you. v16 In the *desert, he gave to you *manna to eat. That was something that your *ancestors had never seen. He did that to make you humble. He wanted to see what you would do. Then, in the end, good things would happen to you. v17 You must never think that your power and your strength made you rich. v18 You must always remember the *LORD your God. He gives to you the power to produce wealth. That is because he is still *faithful to his *covenant today. He promised that to your *ancestors.

v19 Never forget the *LORD your God. Do not follow false gods. Do not *worship them or serve them. I warn you about this. If you do forget the *LORD your God, he will *destroy you. v20 The *LORD is *destroying the nations round you. If you do not obey the *LORD your God, he will *destroy you too.’

Moses warns the *Israelites again. They must not forget what God had done for them. There was a danger that they might be proud. They might forget that God had given everything to them. They might say that they had achieved it all by themselves. God reminds them how he had brought them out from Egypt. He had taken them through the *desert. He had given food and water to them. *Manna was the food that God gave to them. The word means ‘What is it?’ Nobody had seen that food before. God had tested them. He wanted to see if they would trust him. He was *faithful and he would *keep his *covenant. But if the *Israelites would not obey God, he would punish them severely.

The Bible teaches that wealth is a gift from God. We depend on him for everything. We pray, ‘Give us today our bread for today.’ Paul reminds Christians that God is *faithful, in 2 Timothy 2:13. ‘If we do not believe, he will remain true. He cannot deny who he is.’ In Hebrews 3:12-4 the writer warns Christians not to be like certain people. They did not follow the God who is alive. The writer tells Christians to make every effort. If they obey God, then they will not fail.

Lord ~ a name for God. It translates the word ‘Adonai’ in the Hebrew language, which means ‘my ruler’. The word ‘lord’ (without a capital letter) means an ordinary ruler.

LORD ~ God gave this special name to himself. It translates the word ‘Yahweh’ in the Hebrew language. It is the Covenant name for God. It links to the words ‘I am’; it means that God has always been here.

covenant ~ the special promise that God made to his people. God’s covenant with the Israelites established a relationship between him and them. But they must obey him.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called *Israel; Israelites is another name for the Jews.

Jew ~ a person who belongs to the family of the Israelites. Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

descendant ~ a person in your family who will live after you.
keep ~ to do whatever you should do because of a promise or a law; to respect and to give honour to the law.
commandment ~ a rule or a command that God gave to the Jews; the 10 rules that God gave to Moses. That was on the mountain called Mount Sinai (or Horeb); a command from someone who has authority.

Jew ~ a person who belongs to the family of the Israelites. Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Mount ~ mountain. For example, ‘Mount Sinai’ means the mountain called Sinai.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called *Israel; Israelites is another name for the Jews.

descendant ~ a person in your family who will live after you.
ancestors ~ people in your family who lived before you.
desert ~ a wild place where there are small bushes and not much water. It has poor soil and people cannot grow crops there. So, not many people live there.
manna ~ a food like bread. God provided this food in a special way for the Israelites to eat in the desert.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called *Israel; Israelites is another name for the Jews.

desert ~ a wild place where there are small bushes and not much water. It has poor soil and people cannot grow crops there. So, not many people live there.

Jew ~ a person who belongs to the family of the Israelites. Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

descendant ~ a person in your family who will live after you.
fear ~ to be afraid; to respect someone who is very great.
fear ~ to be afraid; to respect someone who is very great.
grape ~ small green or purple soft fruit that people can use to make wine.
olive ~ small green or black fruit that comes from a tree. Oil comes from this fruit.
Israelite ~ a person from the nation called *Israel; Israelites is another name for the Jews.

Jew ~ a person who belongs to the family of the Israelites. Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

descendant ~ a person in your family who will live after you.
manna ~ a food like bread. God provided this food in a special way for the Israelites to eat in the desert.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called *Israel; Israelites is another name for the Jews.

desert ~ a wild place where there are small bushes and not much water. It has poor soil and people cannot grow crops there. So, not many people live there.

Jew ~ a person who belongs to the family of the Israelites. Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

descendant ~ a person in your family who will live after you.
faith ~ strong belief and trust.
cattle ~ cows and bulls.

bull ~ male farm animal; (the female is called a cow). The Israelites made a metal image of a bull, which they worshipped as an idol.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called *Israel; Israelites is another name for the Jews.

worship ~ when people show honour to God, or to a false god. People may sing or pray. Or they may kneel down or give a sacrifice.

idol ~ an image of a false god that people give honour to; an object of wood, stone or metal that people worship.

Jew ~ a person who belongs to the family of the Israelites. Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

sacrifice ~ something valuable that people give to God, or to a false god; or, to make such a gift.

descendant ~ a person in your family who will live after you.
faithful ~ when someone always does what they have promised to do; when someone is loyal at all times.
covenant ~ the special promise that God made to his people. God’s covenant with the Israelites established a relationship between him and them. But they must obey him.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called *Israel; Israelites is another name for the Jews.

Jew ~ a person who belongs to the family of the Israelites. Jews are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

descendant ~ a person in your family who will live after you.
worship ~ when people show honour to God, or to a false god. People may sing or pray. Or they may kneel down or give a sacrifice.

sacrifice ~ something valuable that people give to God, or to a false god; or, to make such a gift.
destroy ~ to damage something so that it does not continue to exist; to kill people or animals.