Deuteronomy 26:8, commentary and pictures

The Lord brought Israel out of slavery and bondage in Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, by His mighty power with great terribleness, signs, wonders and great judgments. That display of power showed both Egyptians and Israelites that the Maker of heaven and earth is the living, all-powerful God, stronger than every ruler and every claimed deity, and showed Israel that God was their deliverer. Israel was to remember its former degradation and long servitude with grateful remembrance, and to recognize that deliverance and the gift of the land as grounds for publicly acknowledging God by dedicating and presenting the firstfruits of the land at the sanctuary. That offering was to be made with reverence and gratitude for God's gifts, not in self-sufficiency or as if God owed them anything, expressing enduring principles of His law and the obligations of all those He has blessed. The deliverance separated Israel from the world and prepared them to receive His word at Sinai, gave them a clearer view of God to encourage them to fear Him and choose His service, and stands as a sign and hope to others in similar distress to trust God and cry to Him.

Deliverance From Egypt

The verse is a confession that the Lord Himself brought Israel out of slavery and bondage in Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, by His mighty power, with great terribleness, signs, wonders, and great judgments. It remembers the rescue from Egyptian bondage as accomplished through mighty acts, and it remembers the affliction of Egypt from which God delivered His people by that power shown in signs and wonders. The mighty hand and outstretched arm describe a decisive display of power, with signs and wonders and great judgments marking the manner of the deliverance.

That display taught both Egyptians and Israelites that the Maker of heaven and earth is the living, all-powerful God, stronger than every ruler and every claimed deity. It showed Israel that God was their deliverer, bringing them out from under bondage by a strong hand and outstretched arm through signs and wonders. The signs were not directed only at Pharaoh, but gave Israel a clearer view of God.

The same deliverance included affliction and punishment upon the Egyptians who refused His word. God brought Israel out of Egypt from bondage by mighty power while punishing those who rejected what He had spoken. The power that freed Israel was thus also the power that judged their oppressors.

Having freed them, He led the Hebrews into the wilderness and brought them toward the land He gave them as a gift. The bringing out from under bondage was joined to a bringing in, delivering from slavery and preparing them to receive the land. The land itself was His gift, and the deliverance that led toward it was the ground of their acknowledgment of His goodness.

Grateful Firstfruits Offering

Israel was to remember long servitude in Egypt and former degradation, and to recognize God Himself as the One who rescued them from slavery by mighty power with signs and wonders. That rescue was to live in grateful remembrance of His deliverance and care.

That deliverance from Egyptian bondage and affliction, accomplished by mighty acts, signs, wonders and mighty power, and the bringing of the people into the land He gave them and prepared them to receive, was the ground of gratitude. It was to be remembered with gratitude and publicly expressed and acknowledged by dedicating the first fruits of the land to God and presenting them as an offering at the sanctuary in recognition of His goodness and His gift. This grateful return of the first-fruits acknowledged God's goodness to them.

The offering was to be made with reverence and gratitude for God's gifts, not in self-sufficiency and not as if God owed them anything. The directions for this grateful giving express enduring principles of God's law and the obligations of all those He has blessed.

Purpose and Application

The bringing out of Egypt was to separate Israel from the world and make them ready to receive the divine word at Sinai. The signs and wonders were not aimed at Pharaoh alone, but gave Israel itself a clearer sight of God as the living Maker of heaven and earth, mightier than every ruler and every pretended deity. That clearer sight was meant to move them to reverent fear and to choose His service rather than staying in Egypt. What was done for Israel then remains a sign and hope for all others in like cruel bondage and distress, teaching them to trust God and cry to Him, because He frees His people and magnifies His own name.

The same mighty hand and outstretched arm that freed Israel from Egyptian bondage was stretched out to free the colored people from slavery. That second deliverance laid a duty upon the nation to lift them up and help them become self-supporting. The first deliverance also opened a reform, for God led the Hebrews into the wilderness to curb appetite and supply wholesome food. This was needed because life in Egypt had fed appetite and passion, weakened moral power, and left them unfit to bear thirst and craving.