Journal Through the Bible: Week 27 Thursday

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Deuteronomy chapter 8

Moses told the people that all the things that had transpired (hunger, thirst, etc.) were to test them to see if they would trust God because life does not consist in what someone can eat or drink. He warned them not to forget the LORD that provided all things for them on the journey or upon settlement in the land. (There really is no such thing as a self-made man.)

Does God issue any commands in this chapter?

• Through Moses God commands the people to remember Him and all His ways.

Does God make any promises?

• All of the provisions they would need would be abundantly supplied if they would trust God: bread, water, wheat, barley, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives, honey, iron, brass.
• The obverse curse was that if they would not trust God they would perish like the nations of Canaan.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• When being tempted by Satan in the wilderness Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 to overcome the temptation to turn the stones to bread. He knew that food is temporary (Esau is a good example of someone who found out about this too late!) but God's word is eternal and fills the spirit.
• Jesus told listeners to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and things like food and shelter would be given to them. This is the message that Moses is preaching to the people in this chapter.
• The warning that Moses gave them about forgetting God when they were rich and prosperous is the same type of warning Jesus gave when He told of the rich man who looked out on all his fields and dreamed of building bigger barns without giving any consideration to his soul which was going to be required of him that very night. (Luke 12:15-21)

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• It is for certain that if God rewards those who seek to do His will by providing for their every need in this world we need not worry about the provisions of the world to come!