A LAND OF PROMISE AND PERIL
Opening Prayer
Lord, grant to me a good memory.
Read DEUTERONOMY 8
Do Not Forget the Lord
8 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.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, / Pilgrim through this barren land; / I am weak, but thou art mighty; / Hold me with thy powerful hand” (William Williams, 1717–1791).
Think Further
Saturday’s reading warned that Israel’s covenant loyalty would be undermined by the influence of the pagan inhabitants of the land. Today’s reading looks inward, at the dangers lurking within the hearts of God’s people.
Their wilderness experiences in “that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions” (15) have taught the Israelites continual dependence on God (2,3,16). It should remain an unforgettable reminder of God’s power and care (3a,4,15,16). The problems faced in the desert stand in contrast to the promise of a good life in a “good land” (7–9). This prosperity is affirmed—it is God-given (10) for their satisfaction and enjoyment—but the promises of prosperity are tempered by warnings about its perils. With their bellies full, their buildings impressive, their businesses flourishing, and everything they touch turning to gold (12,13), the people of God would soon be threatened not by fearsome giants or fortified cities, as in former times (Deut. 1:28), but by the deadly temptation to “forget” God, acted out in disobedience, pride, or idolatry (11,14,19). Verse 17 reminds us that “great wealth can lead to the delusion of self-sufficiency” (J. Gordon McConville, New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, 209). It is a delusion because “people do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (3b). Our need of God exceeds every other need. Without God, the richest among us remains a pauper, while the “poor in spirit” are heirs to God’s kingdom (Matt. 5:3).
The antidote to pride (14a,17) is praise (10b). Pride looks inward, to self; praise looks upward, to God. Praise remembers what God has done, recognizes who God is, and responds with an uplifted voice and a life of grateful and faithful obedience (11).
Apply
Lord, rid me of the pride that constantly seeks to take up residence in my heart. Let my praise rise up to glorify You.
Closing prayer
Lord, Your people understand the dangers of too much of this world’s goods, and we resolve not to let it interfere with our commitment to You.
Book and Author Intros
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.