Deuteronômio 8

1 Todos os mandamentos que hoje eu vos ordeno cuidareis de observar, para que vivais, e vos multipliqueis, e entreis, e possuais a terra que o Senhor, com juramento, prometeu a vossos pais.

2 E te lembrarás de todo o caminho pelo qual o Senhor teu Deus tem te conduzido durante estes quarenta anos no deserto, a fim de te humilhar e te provar, para saber o que estava no teu coração, se guardarias ou não os seus mandamentos.

3 Sim, ele te humilhou, e te deixou ter fome, e te sustentou com o maná, que nem tu nem teus pais conhecíeis; para te dar a entender que o homem não vive só de pão, mas de tudo o que sai da boca do Senhor, disso vive o homem.

4 Não se envelheceram as tuas vestes sobre ti, nem se inchou o teu pé, nestes quarenta anos.

5 Saberás, pois, no teu coração que, como um homem corrige a seu filho, assim te corrige o Senhor teu Deus.

6 E guardarás os mandamentos de Senhor teu Deus, para andares nos seus caminhos, e para o temeres.

7 Porque o Senhor teu Deus te está introduzindo numa boa terra, terra de ribeiros de águas, de fontes e de nascentes, que brotam nos vales e nos outeiros;

8 terra de trigo e cevada; de vides, figueiras e romeiras; terra de oliveiras, de azeite e de mel;

9 terra em que comerás o pão sem escassez, e onde não te faltará coisa alguma; terra cujas pedras são ferro, e de cujos montes poderás cavar o cobre.

10 Comerás, pois, e te fartarás, e louvarás ao Senhor teu Deus pela boa terra que te deu.

11 Guarda-te, que não te esqueças do Senhor teu Deus, deixando de observar os seus mandamentos, os seus preceitos e os seus estatutos, que eu hoje te ordeno;

12 para não suceder que, depois de teres comido e estares farto, depois de teres edificado boas casas e estares morando nelas,

13 depois de se multiplicarem as tuas manadas e es teus rebanhos, a tua prata e o teu ouro, sim, depois de se multiplicar tudo quanto tens,

14 se exalte e teu coração e te esqueças do Senhor teu Deus, que te tirou da terra o Egito, da casa da servidão;

15 que te conduziu por aquele grande e terrível deserto de serpentes abrasadoras e de escorpiões, e de terra árida em que não havia água, e onde te fez sair água da rocha pederneira;

16 que no deserto te alimentou com o maná, que teus pais não conheciam; a fim de te humilhar e te provar, para nos teus últimos dias te fazer bem;

17 e digas no teu coração: A minha força, e a fortaleza da minha mão me adquiriram estas riquezas.

18 Antes te lembrarás do Senhor teu Deus, porque ele é o que te dá força para adquirires riquezas; a fim de confirmar o seu pacto, que jurou a teus pais, como hoje se vê.

19 Sucederá, porém, que, se de qualquer maneira te esqueceres de Senhor teu Deus, e se seguires após outros deuses, e os servires, e te encurvares perante eles, testifico hoje contra ti que certamente perecerás.

20 Como as nações que o Senhor vem destruindo diante de vós, assim vós perecereis, por não quererdes ouvir a voz do Senhor vosso Deus. rovas, de sinais, de maravilhas, de peleja,

Deuteronômio 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

Exhortations and cautions, enforced by the Lord's former dealings with Israel, and his promises. (1-9) Exhortations and cautions further enforced. (10-20)

Verses 1-9 Obedience must be, 1. Careful, observe to do; 2. Universal, to do all the commandments; and 3. From a good principle, with a regard to God as the Lord, and their God, and with a holy fear of him. To engage them to this obedience. Moses directs them to look back. It is good to remember all the ways, both of God's providence and grace, by which he has led us through this wilderness, that we may cheerfully serve him and trust in him. They must remember the straits they were sometimes brought into, for mortifying their pride, and manifesting their perverseness; to prove them, that they and others might know all that was in their heart, and that all might see that God chose them, not for any thing in them which might recommend them to his favour. They must remember the miraculous supplies of food and raiment granted them. Let none of God's children distrust their Father, nor take any sinful course for the supply of their necessities. Some way or other, God will provide for them in the way of duty and honest diligence, and verily they shall be fed. It may be applied spiritually; the word of God is the food of the soul. Christ is the word of God; by him we live. They must also remember the rebukes they had been under, and not without need. This use we should make of all our afflictions; by them let us be quickened to our duty. Moses also directs them to look forward to Canaan. Look which way we will, both to look back and to look forward, to Canaan. Look which way we will, both to look back and to look forward will furnish us with arguments for obedience. Moses saw in that land a type of the better country. The gospel church is the New Testament Canaan, watered with the Spirit in his gifts and graces, planted with trees of righteousness, bearing fruits of righteousness. Heaven is the good land, in which nothing is wanting, and where is fulness of joy.

Verses 10-20 Moses directs to the duty of a prosperous condition. Let them always remember their Benefactor. In everything we must give thanks. Moses arms them against the temptations of a prosperous condition. When men possess large estates, or are engaged in profitable business, they find the temptation to pride, forgetfulness of God, and carnal-mindedness, very strong; and they are anxious and troubled about many things. In this the believing poor have the advantage; they more easily perceive their supplies coming from the Lord in answer to the prayer of faith; and, strange as it may seem, they find less difficulty in simply trusting him for daily bread. They taste a sweetness therein, which is generally unknown to the rich, while they are also freed from many of their temptations. Forget not God's former dealings with thee. Here is the great secret of Divine Providence. Infinite wisdom and goodness are the source of all the changes and trials believers experience. Israel had many bitter trials, but it was "to do them good." Pride is natural to the human heart. Would one suppose that such a people, after their slavery at the brick-kilns, should need the thorns of the wilderness to humble them? But such is man! And they were proved that they might be humbled. None of us live a single week without giving proofs of our weakness, folly, and depravity. To broken-hearted souls alone the Saviour is precious indeed. Nothing can render the most suitable outward and inward trials effectual, but the power of the Spirit of God. See here how God's giving and our getting are reconciled, and apply it to spiritual wealth. All God's gifts are in pursuance of his promises. Moses repeats the warning he had often given of the fatal consequences of forsaking God. Those who follow others in sin, will follow them to destruction. If we do as sinners do, we must expect to fare as sinners fare.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 8

In this chapter Moses repeats the exhortation to observe the commands of God, and urges the Israelites to it, from the consideration of the great and good things God had done for them in the wilderness, and even in those instances which were chastisements, and were of an humbling nature, De 8:1-6, and on the consideration of the blessings of the good land they were going to possess, De 8:7-9 for which blessings they are exhorted to be thankful, and are cautioned against pride of heart through them, and forgetfulness of God, and of his goodness to them while in the wilderness, and when brought into the land of Canaan, which they were to ascribe to his power and goodness, and not their own, De 8:10-18, and the chapter is concluded with a warning against idolatry, lest they perish through it as the nations before them, De 8:19,20.