8:11Deuteronomy 8:11

To forget the Lord God is to fail to keep His commandments and His judgments and His statutes.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+2 The warning bears especially when fullness has come, with satisfying food and fine houses and multiplying herds and flocks and silver and gold and all possessions.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+2 In such abundance the heart is lifted in pride to forget the Deliverer and Sustainer and to claim that personal strength and might gained the wealth, instead of remembering that God gives power to get wealth to establish His covenant sworn to the fathers.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+3 Forgetting Him in this way leads to following and serving and worshiping other gods and refusing His voice, bringing certain perishing like the nations destroyed for disobedience, while obedience is joined to life and blessing.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4 These lessons are of the greatest importance now as when first given, calling those who enjoy generous blessings to show gratitude by keeping His commands and continuing in obedience despite temptation.Lt 292, 1908, par. 7–12+4

To forget the Lord God is to fail to keep His commandments and His judgments and His statutes.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4 The warning bears especially on times of prosperity.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4 It looks to the time when people have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and dwelt in them, and when herds and flocks multiply and silver and gold is multiplied and all possessions are multiplied.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4

In such abundance the heart can be lifted up in pride.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4 Then people forget the Lord who delivered and sustained them, and claim that their own power and might gained their wealth.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4 Prosperity with fullness, good homes, growing herds, and increased wealth tempts to credit success to self rather than to God.Lt 178, 1903, par. 20–21+3 Gratitude for generous blessings is to be expressed through keeping His commands.Ms 131, 1902, par. 11–12+1

Saying in the heart that personal strength produced wealth is forbidden.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+2 Instead, God is to be remembered as the giver of power to get wealth, to establish His covenant sworn to the fathers.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4 His promises are conditional on obedience.Lt 178, 1903, par. 20–21+2 Remembering God means obeying Him and giving thanks for His blessings.Ms 131, 1902, par. 11–12+1

The commanded memory includes being brought out of Egypt from the house of bondage.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22 It includes being led through the great and terrible wilderness with fiery serpents and scorpions and drought.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22 It includes being given water from the flint rock.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22 It includes being fed with manna unknown to the fathers, to humble and prove them to do them good at their latter end.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22

It also recalls God's leading and care in the wilderness.7MR 309.1–3+1 Hardship there taught dependence on His word.7MR 309.1–3+1 That remembrance belonged to keeping His commands and walking in His ways.7MR 309.1–3+1 In this way Israel was to obey Him as His holy people.7MR 309.1–3+1

Forgetting God is failing to keep His commandments and judgments and statutes, and it leads to walking after other gods and serving and worshiping them and refusing His voice, bringing certain perishing like the nations destroyed for disobedience to the voice of the Lord.Ms 63, 1897, par. 20–22+4 Obedience is connected with life and blessing, while turning aside from His commands brings a curse and destruction, as taught also in connection with Deuteronomy 11.Ms 64, 1899, par. 8–9+3 Disobedience brings harmful consequences, while those who obey are blessed, and the requirements were to be remembered and taught so they would not be forgotten.Lt 59, 1898, par. 4–8

Israel ignored the warning, forgot God and its calling to represent Him, used its blessings for self-glorification, and withheld the religious guidance and holy example it owed others.COL 290.3–291.2 Its prosperity depended on obedience, but the people became unthankful and selfish and transgressed God's law.COL 290.3–291.2+1 By disobedience Israel prevented fulfillment of God's agreement for its prosperity and happiness, though He bore patiently with its impatience and self-exaltation to protect His name among the nations.Ms 130, 1899, par. 7

Israel's later history fulfilled the warning, for after prosperity the people turned to idolatry, and when subdued and distressed they remembered God's works and cried to Him.ST Jun 9, 1881 Their idolatrous alliances could not save them, but when they repented God showed mercy and delivered them.ST Jun 9, 1881 Disobedience verifies God's spoken word in judgment, for only two adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness, and He will vindicate His word today if leaders of His people depart from His commandments.FE 508.1–4

Transgression brings a curse upon the earth, animals, and people, with suffering and disease as the result of departing from His commandments.18MR 353.1–4+1 Obedience preserves the people from disease and helps them live in health and holiness, for God's requirements express His will and were to be remembered.18MR 353.1–4+1 Keeping the commandments requires Christ to take away sin, bearing the penalty and imputing His righteousness to each believing, repentant person.Ms 64, 1899, par. 8–9

The lessons of this chapter are of the greatest importance and apply as directly now as they did to Israel.RH Aug 23, 1906+3 Forgetting God is failing to keep His commandments and His judgments and His statutes, and the instruction given to Israel is the word of the Lord written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the world are come.Lt 292, 1908, par. 7–12+3 Prosperity depends on strict obedience to every principle He has laid down, with obedience bringing blessing and turning aside from His commands bringing a curse, as taught also in connection with Deuteronomy 11.Lt 292, 1908, par. 7–12+2 Disobedience verifies His spoken word in judgment, for only two adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness, and He will vindicate His word today if leaders of His people depart from His commandments.FE 508.1–4

The charge is to obey the Lord's directions and neglect nothing important in His Word, keeping His commands carefully from the greatest direction to what may seem least.STB 628.4–629.2+1 It applies especially to people carrying sacred responsibilities, whose prosperity depends on strict obedience to every principle God has laid down.STB 628.4–629.2+1 These commandments are to be repeatedly taught and kept, remembered and taught so that the requirements are not forgotten.Lt 292, 1908, par. 7–12+1

Enjoyment of abundance and the good land must not lead to forgetting God, and gratitude for His generous blessings is to be expressed through keeping His commands.Ms 130, 1899, par. 4 Remembering God means continuing in obedience despite Satan's temptations, while disobedience brings harmful consequences and obedience brings blessing.Lt 59, 1898, par. 4–8+1

His guidance must be followed fully rather than only to the point that agrees with personal judgment, without holding fast to human ideas and refusing to be molded after His likeness.Lt 73, 1896, par. 30–31+1 Everything is to be viewed in the light of the example of Christ, who is the truth, by copying His self-denial and self-sacrifice, with perfection of character as the Lord's standard rather than feeble human standards.Lt 73, 1896, par. 30–31 His words are to be taken seriously as His people prepare for the final review, when every character will have been investigated and every case decided.7MR 309.1–3