Deuteronomy 8
Wilderness training of children of Israelverses 1-6
All the commandments which I command you this day shall you
observe to do – that you may live – and multiply
and go in and possess the land which the LORD
swore to your fathers
You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God
led you these forty years in the wilderness
TO HUMBLE you – PROVE you
KNOW what was in your heart
whether you would KEEP HIS
commandments – or no
And HE HUMBLED you – and SUFFERED you to hunger
and FED you with manna – which you knew not
neither did your fathers know
That HE might make you know that man does not live by bread only
but by every word that processes out of the
mouth of the LORD does man live
Your raiment waxed not old on you – neither did your foot swell
these forty years
You shall also consider in your heart – that – as a man chastens his son
SO the LORD your God chastened you
THEREFORE you shall keep the commandment of the LORD your God
to walk in HIS ways – and to fear HIM
Promise land describedverses 7-10
FOR the LORD your God brings you into a good land
a land of brooks of water – fountains – depths that
spring out of valleys and hills
a land of wheat – barley – vines – fig trees – pomegranates
a land of olive oil – honey
a land wherein you shall eat bread without scarceness
you shall not lack any thing in it
a land whose stones are iron
and out of whose hills you may dig brass
WHEN you hast eaten – and are full
THEN you shall BLESS the LORD your God for the
good land which HE has given you
Wealth should not product forgetfulnessverses 11-20
BEWARE that you FORGET NOT the LORD your God
in not keeping HIS commandments – judgments – statutes
which I command you this day
LEST when you have eaten and are full
and have built goodly houses and dwelt therein
and when your herds and your flocks multiply
and your silver and your gold is multiplied
and all that you have is multiplied
THEN your heart be lifted up – and you FORGET the LORD your God
which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt
from the house of bondage
WHO led you through that great and terrible wilderness
wherein were fiery serpents – scorpions – drought
where there was no water
WHO brought you forth water out of the rock of flint
WHO fed you in the wilderness with manna
which your fathers knew not
that HE might HUMBLE you
that HE might PROVE you
to do you good at your later end
And you say in your heart
My power and the might of mine hand
has gotten me this WEALTH
BUT you shall REMEMBER the LORD thy God
FOR it is HE that gives you POWER to GET WEALTH
that HE may establish HIS covenant which HE
swore to your fathers – as it is this day
And it shall be – IF you do at all FORGET the LORD your God
and walk after other gods – and serve them – and worship them
I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish
As the nations which the LORD destroyed before your face
so shall you perish because you would not be obedient to
the voice of the LORD your God
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 You shall also consider in your heart, that, as a man chasten his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. (3256 “chasten” [yacar] means instruct, correct, taught, punish, admonish, to punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience, or warn)
DEVOTION: God wants us to think about HIS way of dealing with rebellious children. The children of Israel were shown many signs of the power of God and they were supposed to realize that God was going to use HIS power to lead them in the right direction.
HE also knew the hearts of every human being. Each heart has the leaning to disobey the LORD on a regular basis. Every heart wants to have its own way. HE knows that there is only one way to have a heart return to the right path to follow HIM.
HE uses spankings. Parents are to disciple their children especially at a young age. It is thought that children learn about eighty percent of their habits by the age of six. After this age they only learn about twenty percent of their habits whether good or bad.
They LORD took many adults to task concerning their lifestyle that they had learned in Egypt. HE had to change adult habits which are very hard to do. HE didn’t give up. HE kept teaching them through discipline the right way to live. Some of them learned but others suffered the consequences of their actions.
Remember that a whole generation died because they didn’t trust the LORD. We need to trust the LORD and learn from HIS loving disciplines in our life. Also we need to train our children early in what we have learned from the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Discipline is necessary for growth in every individual. We need to accept the LORD’S discipline to become better servants.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which HE has given you. (1288 “bless” [barak] means to speak words of excellence about, to praise, adored, salute, to kneel down, to celebrate, or meet another with a positive verbal exchange)
DEVOTION: We apparently have two choices when we have our fill of good food. We can praise ourselves for the food or we can praise the LORD for HIS provision of the food.
There seems to be no middle ground. Either we understand that the LORD is the one who gives us the strength to earn the money to get the food that we eat or we think we can do it in our own strength and not give credit or praise to the LORD.
The Bible describes this truth through the lives of the children of Israel in the wilderness. The LORD provided manna for the children of Israel to eat each day. They were to thank the LORD daily for their daily bread. The only way they would thank the LORD was to genuinely believe that HE was the one who was giving them the manna.
Many in the wilderness complained about the manna because they wanted more choices of food instead of being thankful for what they were receiving. If this continued the LORD knew that when they entered the Promised Land and saw all the wonderful supplies of food they would think that they were just lucky to find such a land and not thank the LORD for giving them a good land.
We have to thank the LORD even for a meal at a fast food restaurant. We are to pray and give HIM thanks every time we eat even at these places to show the LORD that we are genuinely thankful for all HIS provisions. It is also a testimony to others in these places that you are thankful and they should be thankful to the LORD as they watch us give thanks to HIM.
A habit the LORD wants in all those who are HIS followers is that they say THANK YOU to HIM for all that HE supplies even the manna. Then when we eat in a fancy place we can bow our heads and give HIM thanks even there.
CHALLENGE: Are we a thankful people are do we expect even more from the LORD before we say thanks for the little things HE provides daily. Make a list of the blessing you have from the LORD and then say “thank you” to HIM.
: 16 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers knew not, that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do you good at your latter end (5254 “prove” [nacah] means to test, adventure, assay, tempt, to put to the test in order to ascertain the nature of something, including imperfections, faults, or other qualities or try)
DEVOTION: What a sermon!! There are three points right in this verse. God did so much for and to the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness.
The LORD wanted HIS followers to realize that all their lives they were going to be instructed by HIM. HE was going to make sure that HIS followers are humble. What does it mean to be humble? It means that an individual is dependent on the LORD for everything, even his daily bread. HE wanted HIS followers to realize that the words of HIS mouth are more important than daily physical bread. Christ quoted this verse to Satan when he tempted HIM in the wilderness.
The LORD wanted HIS followers to realize that not only would their physical bread be provided but also their raiment would be provided by the LORD. Not only their raiment, but even the shoes or sandals on their feet.
Here we find that Moses informs them the reasons for what HE did. The reason they are humbled and tested is so that they might understand that HE was doing it for their own good. In the end they would be better followers of HIM. HE wants obedient followers. The only way HE could have obedient followers is to give them HIS commandments, judgments and statutes to follow.
If they followed HIM in the wilderness, they might then follow HIM during the good times. They were going to move into the Promised Land and have wealth. Once they had wealth they could think one of two thoughts. They could think that they receive their wealth from the work of their own hands or they could think that they received their wealth as a gift from God. If they believed the first thought, they would be judged. If they believed the second thought, they would be blessed more.
When we receive these challenges from the LORD, it tells where we are in our relationship with HIM. God loves HIS children. One of the signs of HIS love is HIS chastening and/or purging of HIS children. HE wants us to understand that everything we have comes from HIM. If we fall into the trap of thinking that we did it ourselves we are looking to be chastened of HIM.
Remember the world is not chastened by the LORD because they are not HIS children. They are blinded into thinking that everything they have comes from their own doing. They think they don’t need God. One day they will face HIM and have to answer for their unbelief.
The time in the wilderness was to show Israel that they could overcome with the LORD all tests or adventures. We can do the same with the help of the LORD. The tests will come and we can have victory or defeat.
In defeat we can learn how to have victory. God NEVER gives up on HIS children. Don’t give up on HIM. We need to not give up on ourselves, God doesn’t. HE keeps working with us, just like HE did with the children of Israel in the wilderness.
CHALLENGE: When tested what will you do? Will you humble yourself and trust in the LORD or get angry with God? The choice is ours each time we are tested. God never wants us bitter but BETTER!!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 18 But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that HE may establish HIS covenant which HE swore unto your fathers, as it is this day. (3581 “power” [koach] means strength, ability, might, efficiency, means, resources, qualities or capacity)
DEVOTION: Here we have a group of slaves fresh from the wilderness getting ready to enter the Promised Land. Who are they going to give credit to for this new land that they are entering? Who is going to give them the ability to conquer the inhabitants of the land? Who is going to help them establish their presence in the land? Who is going to not allow them to take all the people out of the land but only allow them to conquer enough land for them to occupy and possess before HE gives them more land?
God wanted to give the children of Israel all of the Promised Land but HE knew that they would have to conquer it a little at a time because otherwise the animals would take over the land that they had conquered.
They needed to produce more children to grow up and take more land from their enemies.
So it was only through the strength of the LORD that they were able to build their possessions in HIS way and in HIS timing. Why was HE doing this for the children of Israel? It was because of HIS promise or covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God was a God that kept HIS word.
HE wants us to be more than conquerors also. HE wants us to spread HIS word around the world. HE wants us to encourage others to become believers. We are living under a NEW covenant. We have new promises. We are to spread the word of God because we are looking for a different Promised Land today. We are looking forward to storing our treasures in heaven which is what we are promised by the LORD.
Are you storing your wealth or treasures in heaven or just looking for enjoyment here on this earth for our lifetime? HE wants us to be storing our treasure in heaven where are true rewards wait for us.
CHALLENGE: If we become wealthy in worldly wealth, we need to use it for HIS glory. HE would like us to acknowledge HIM in all that we have.
: 19 And it shall be, if you do at all forget the LORD your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. (7911 “forget” [shakach] means forgotten, ignore, wither, to cease to care, fall into oblivion, wipe out the memory of, overlook, or be unmindful.)
DEVOTION: I tell people that I have a good memory but it is short. I think I can remember things but if it is not written down, I tend to forget easy. With the chemo I am presently taking for my blood cancer it seems like the memory is going quicker than ever. I can receive a prayer request and walk to another room and forget who sent it and/or what it was. I have to walk back into the room and stand there and think for a while.
I am glad that the cell phones keep numbers because I can look back at the phone to see who has called with the request. It is no fun to have such a short memory.
Here we find a warning that it is a sin not to remember the LORD and start trying to do things on our own or give credit to some other source for our help. The children of Israel tend to be just like us, in that, we forget the LORD when HE hasn’t done anything for us lately.
We forget that HE is the one who gives us the air we breathe. HE is the one who is the source of ALL blessings and if we cease to care for HIM, HE can take all the blessings away.
The children of Israel were to depend on HIM for everything and remember HIM in their times of worship. If this was not happening. HE would have to chasten them to get them on the right course again.
HE has to do the same for us because we are just like them. We appreciate the blessings from a distance and tend to forget they are coming from HIM. The longer we forget we tend to think that we are the source of our blessings.
Other gods can just be making ourselves our own god. We need to watch what we are thinking at all times. That is why it is important for us to be in the Word of God each day to keep us focused on HIM.
CHALLENGE: We need to be a thankful people not a forgetful people. The children of Israel had short memories and so do we at times.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Bread aloneverse 3
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Chastenverse 5
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandmentsverses 1, 2, 11
Judgmentsverse 11
Statutesverse 11
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1-3, 5-7, 10, 11, 18-20
God (Elohim)verses 2, 5-7, 10, 11, 18-20
LORD thy God verses 2, 5-7, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19
Mouth of the LORDverse 3
Commandments of the LORD thy Godverse 6
LORD your Godverse 20
Voice of the LORD your Godverse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Not keeping commandmentsverse 11
Forget the LORDverses 11, 14, 19
Heart be lifted upverses 14, 17
Walk after other godsverse 19
Serve other godsverse 19
Worship other godsverse 19
Not obedientverse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Observe to do commandmentsverse 1
Liveverse 1
Multiplyverse 1
Possess Inheritanceverses 1, 7-10
Ledverses 2, 15
Humbleverses 2, 3, 16
Proveverses 2, 16
Know heartverse 2
Sufferverse 3
Raimentverse 4
Chastenverse 5
Walkverse 6
Fear HIMverse 6
Fullverse 10, 12
Bless the LORDverse 10
Bewareverse 11
Fedverse 16
Goodverse 16
Give power to get wealthverse 18
Covenantverse 18
Obedientverse 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Perishverse 20
DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
19–20 Once more Moses warned that forgetting and disobeying the Lord and turning to follow other Gods to worship and bow down before them would mean the destruction of Israel as a nation as surely as those who followed other gods were destroyed by the Israelites as they displaced the inhabitants of Canaan. (Kalland, E. S. (1992). Deuteronomy. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 77). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
8:19–20. Just as failure to praise God would lead to forgetting Him, so forgetting Him would lead to worshiping other gods. That in turn would result in certain destruction (death). If Moses’ audience wanted an example of national destruction all they needed to do was to remember the nations the Lord destroyed, namely, the kingdoms of Sihon and Og (2:26–3:11). (Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 278). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Rejecting God’s authority (vv. 19–20). The climax of this spiritual declension is that the “wealthy Israelites” would turn from the Lord, the true and living God, and start worshiping the false gods of their neighbors. Idolatry begins in the heart when gratitude to the Giver is replaced by greediness for the gifts. “Because, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful” (Rom. 1:21). An ungrateful heart can quickly become a haven for all sorts of sinful attitudes and appetites that cater to the flesh. What would the Lord do? He would treat His own people’s idolatry the way He treated the idolatry of the nations that they dispossessed, and He would destroy Israel and their false gods. Before Moses finished his speech, he outlined the terms of God’s covenant with Israel and the chastening God would send if the people persisted in worshiping idols.
Prosperity—ingratitude—idolatry: three steps toward ruin. But these aren’t ancient sins, for they’re present in hearts, homes, businesses, and churches today. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be equipped (p. 64). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
Ver. 20. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish, &c.] Be cut off by the sword, or cast out as they were, the same sins, particularly idolatry, being committed by them. This is to be understood of the seven nations of the land of Canaan, which the Lord would be gradually destroying when Israel came into the possession of their land; and they might righteously expect the same treatment, should they be guilty of the same sins: because ye would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God; expressed in his law, especially in the two first precepts of it, which require the worship of one God, and forbid the worshipping of idols; or to the Word of the Lord, as the Targum of Jonathan, Christ, the essential Word, in whom the name of the Lord was, and whose voice Israel was to obey, Exod. 23:20, 21, 22. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 37–38). London: Mathews and Leigh)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
THE PURPOSE OF REVIVAL
…as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
Joshua 4:23-24
Why does God send revival from time to time? The first reason given in Joshua 4:24 is this: that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty. God does this thing from time to time, God sends revival, blessing, upon the church in order that He may do something with respect to those who are outside Him. He is doing something that is going to arrest the attention of all the people of the earth. Here, we must always realize, is the chief reason for ever considering this matter at all. This is my main reason for calling attention to this whole subject of revival and for urging everybody to pray for revival, to look for it, and to long for it. This is the reason the glory of God.
You see, Israel alone represented God and His glory. All the other nations of the world were pagan; they had their various gods, and they did not believe in or worship the God of Israel. But God had chosen Israel. He had made a nation for Himself in order that through them, and by means of them, He might manifest His own glory and that they might bear this testimony to all the nations of the world. That was the real function of the children of Israel, and the other nations were watching them and were ready always to scoff at them and to ridicule them. Whenever the nation of Israel was defeated, the other nations would say, “Where is their God? Where is His power?”
A Thought to Ponder
God sends revival to arrest the attention of all the people of the earth.
From Revival, p. 119. (Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Titus 1
Paul instructs Titus to appoint spiritually qualified men to oversee the church ministry.
INSIGHT
The Bible is an enormous book that is difficult to master. It contains nearly 1,000 pages of information, none of which is insignificant. While it is true that new Christians can read and study the Scriptures on their own and gain spiritual truths through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is highly unlikely that anyone can grow to a mature understanding of the Bible without relying on teachers who know more about the Bible than they do. Herein lies a danger: We may not know enough about the Bible to determine if what is being taught to us is accurate. Therefore, it is important to align ourselves with a church that believes and teaches the Bible. This type of setting will help safeguard us from being led into error. (Quiet Walk)
GOD WORKING IN YOU
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13
Are you aware of the fact that God is working in you? “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” says Paul, “for it is God which worketh in you.” This is a marvelous, wonderful thing. It is one of the great tests of the possession of the Holy Spirit. It means something like this: We are aware of the fact that we are being dealt with; it is not that we decide to do things. You see, moralists and religious conformists are doing it all themselves, and that is why they are so proud of themselves. They get up on Sunday morning instead of spending the morning in bed, and they go to church. They do it because they have decided to do it, not because they have been moved. They are in control the whole time; and having done it, they preen themselves with their wonderful, ennobling ideals. How marvelous they are!
But that is not what the Bible talks about. “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do.” In other words, you are aware of the power of God dealing with you, surging and rising within you, and you are amazed and astonished. Far from being proud you say, “It is not I. This is not the sort of person I am. It is God doing something; it is Christ dwelling within me; it is the Holy Spirit who is in me. I am taken up beyond myself, and I thank God for it.” Is God working in you? Are you aware of a wonder-working power active in you, moving, disturbing, leading, persuading, drawing you ever onward? If you are, it is because you have received from God the gift of the Holy Spirit.
A Thought to Ponder
You are aware of the power of God dealing with you, surging and rising within you, and you are amazed and astonished.
(From The Love of God, p. 99, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
Redeem the Time
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:5-6)
Time is the most precious resource available to us. Obviously, it becomes available moment by moment, and there is absolutely no way to recapture what has moved into the past. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
Our lifestyle should be recognizable from the wisdom that comes from the “fear of the LORD” (Psalm 111:10). So much so that our everyday conversation should not be “in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
“Every idle word that men shall speak” will one day be evaluated “in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). It is clear that “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
That is why we are to “redeem the time.” The Greek term is exagoradzo, meaning to buy up or to make the most of time “because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). Our speech must be consciously planned to “answer every man” in such a way that it is “alway with grace, seasoned with salt”—two apparently opposite characteristics.
Our words should be “as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24), “but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it?” (Mark 9:50). It is the combined power that is important; “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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