Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)

Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)

DEUTERONOMY 8

Do Not Forget the Lord

1 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 Lord promised 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 test you 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 teach you 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 him and 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 Lord your 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.

Application Notes

8:3 Jesus quoted this verse when the devil tempted him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:3-4). Many people think that life is about satisfying their appetites. If they can earn enough money to dress, eat, and play in high style, they think they are living “the good life.” But such things do not satisfy our deepest longings. In the end, they leave us empty and dissatisfied. Real life, according to Moses, comes from total commitment to God and living by every word that comes from him. How can we live by his word? (1) Recognize our need for it. (2) Agree that God alone can truly satisfy us. (3) Pray for God's presence, wisdom, and direction as we read Scripture. (4) Savor the relationship we have with him through Christ. (5) Practice what he teaches us.

8:4 We can easily take God's protection for granted. Most of us seldom take notice or thank God when our cars don't break down, our clothes don't rip, or our money isn't stolen. The people of Israel also failed to take notice, it seems, for they didn't even notice that in 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, their clothes didn't wear out and their feet didn't blister or swell. Thus, they did not remember to give thanks to God for these blessings. What has been working well for you? What has been giving you good service? What has been lasting for a long time without breaking down or apart? Remember to thank God for these quiet blessings. 

8:10 This verse is traditionally cited as the reason we pray before or after meals. Its purpose, however, was to warn the Israelites not to forget God once their needs and wants had been satisfied. Let your table prayers serve as a constant reminder of the Lord’s goodness to you and his call for you to help provide for the poor. 

8:11-20 In times of plenty, we often take credit for our prosperity and become proud that our own hard work and cleverness have made us rich. We can become so busy collecting and managing wealth that we push God right out of our lives. But it is God who gives us everything we have, and it is God who asks us to humbly manage it for him. 

Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)