Deuteronomio 8

1 Cuidaréis de poner por obra todo mandamiento que yo os ordeno hoy, para que viváis, y seáis multiplicados, y entréis, y heredéis la tierra, de la cual juró el SEÑOR a vuestros padres

2 Y te acordarás de todo el camino por donde te ha traído el SEÑOR tu Dios estos cuarenta años en el desierto, para afligirte, por probarte para saber lo que había en tu corazón, si habías de guardar o no sus mandamientos

3 Y te afligió, y te hizo tener hambre, y te sustentó con maná, comida que no conocías tú, ni tus padres la habían conocido; para hacerte saber que el hombre no vivirá sólo de pan, mas de toda palabra que sale de la boca del SEÑOR vivirá el hombre

4 Tu vestido nunca se envejeció sobre ti, ni el pie se te ha hinchado por estos cuarenta años

5 Y sepas en tu corazón, que como castiga el hombre a su hijo, así el SEÑOR tu Dios te castiga

6 Guardarás, pues, los mandamientos del SEÑOR tu Dios, andando en sus caminos, y temiéndole

7 Porque el SEÑOR tu Dios te introduce en la buena tierra, tierra de arroyos, de aguas, de fuentes, de abismos que brotan por vegas y montes

8 tierra de trigo y cebada, y de vides, e higueras, y granados; tierra de olivas, de aceite, y de miel

9 tierra en la cual no comerás el pan con escasez, no te faltará nada en ella; tierra que sus piedras son hierro, y de sus montes sacarás bronce

10 Y comerás y te saciarás, y bendecirás al SEÑOR tu Dios por la buena tierra que te habrá dado

11 Guárdate, que no te olvides del SEÑOR tu Dios, a no cumplir sus mandamientos, y sus derechos, y sus estatutos, que yo te ordeno hoy

12 que por ventura no comas y te sacies, y edifiques buenas casas en que mores

13 y tus vacas y tus ovejas se aumenten, y la plata y el oro se te multiplique, y todo lo que tuvieres se te aumente

14 y se eleve luego tu corazón, y te olvides del SEÑOR tu Dios, que te sacó de tierra de Egipto, de casa de servidumbre

15 que te sacó por un desierto grande y espantoso, de serpientes ardientes, y de escorpiones, y de sed, donde ningún agua había, y él te sacó agua de la peña, del pedernal

16 que te sustentó con maná en el desierto, comida que tus padres no habían conocido, afligiéndote y probándote, para a la postre hacerte bien

17 y digas en tu corazón: Mi potencia y la fortaleza de mi mano me han traído esta riqueza

18 Antes te acordarás del SEÑOR tu Dios; porque él te da la potencia para hacer las riquezas, a fin de confirmar su pacto que juró a tus padres, como parece en este día

19 Mas será, que si te olvidares por completo del SEÑOR tu Dios, y anduvieres en pos de dioses ajenos, y les sirvieres, y a ellos os inclinares, yo lo protesto hoy contra vosotros, que de cierto pereceréis

20 Como los gentiles que el SEÑOR destruirá delante de vosotros, así pereceréis; por cuanto no habréis atendido a la voz del SEÑOR vuestro Dios

Deuteronomio 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.