Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
The verse pictures Israel settled in the promised land in comfort and plenty, having eaten to fullness and built fine houses to live in, with flocks and herds and silver and gold and all possessions multiplied. It warns that such abundance can lift the heart in pride and lead the people to forget the Lord and fail to keep His commandments. It forbids taking credit for gain by saying personal power and might produced the wealth, since power to get wealth comes only from God to establish His covenant sworn to the fathers, and blessing comes from His undeserved mercy and lovingkindness rather than personal righteousness. Forgetting God in prosperity leads to walking after other gods and serving and worshiping them, which breaks the covenant and brings certain perishing like the nations the Lord destroyed, in contrast to remembering how He brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt and led and fed them through the terrible wilderness with water from rock and manna to humble and prove them for their good. Its warning was written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, and its lessons belong to God's people today as verily as to Israel, calling for obedience rather than following human judgment.
Prosperity's Danger to Israel
The verse pictures the settled prosperity Israel might enjoy in the promised land, having eaten and become full and having built fine houses and dwelt in them in comfort, with flocks and herds multiplying and silver and gold and all possessions multiplied. Israel is set forth as a holy people chosen above all others to keep God's commandments and statutes and judgments. Such plenty and self-sufficiency carry the danger that the heart will be lifted up in pride and the people will forget the Lord who provides and fail to keep His commandments.
The warning is against saying in the heart that personal power and the might of the hand gained the wealth, rather than remembering dependence on God. Power to get wealth comes only from God to establish His covenant sworn to the fathers, and the blessings come from His undeserved mercy and lovingkindness rather than personal righteousness. The warning recalls what the Lord had done in bringing Israel out of Egypt from the house of bondage, leading them through the great and terrible wilderness of fiery serpents and scorpions and drought with no water, bringing water out of flint rock, and feeding them with manna unknown to their fathers to humble and prove them to do them good at their latter end.
Forgetting God to walk after other gods and serve and worship them breaks the covenant, cuts the people off from God's life and blessing, and brings certain perishing for disobedience just as the nations the Lord destroyed perished. Israel's later idolatry and resulting oppression showed this danger, and when suffering led them to remember His works and cry to Him He raised up Othniel to deliver them. Prosperity in the land depended on strict obedience, and disobedience and selfishness kept them from the happiness obedience was meant to bring.
Instruction for Later Generations
The instruction in which the verse stands teaches that Israel's prosperity in the land depended on strict obedience to God's commandments, and the lessons of the chapter were also intended to guide God's people in later generations. The chapter's lessons are important for us as well as for Israel, so the setting and warning of eating and being full and building fine houses belong not to ancient Israel alone but remain relevant beyond it.
The verse belongs to God's requirements for Israel as they went to possess the land, expressing His will to be kept in mind and taught to later generations so they would not be forgotten. It is to be read together with the words of the Lord in Deuteronomy 1 and 7 and 8. It is written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Its lessons are given to God's people today as verily as to Israel, requiring obedience to God's commandments. Disobedience will bring vindication of God's word and judgment, as when Israel disobeyed and only two adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness, so leaders who depart from His commandments will likewise face judgment. The admonition calls its readers not to follow their own judgment up to a point but to view everything in the light of Christ's example and be molded after His likeness in self-denial and self-sacrifice to perfection of character.
The verse pictures Israel settled in the promised land in comfort and plenty, having eaten to fullness and built fine houses to live in, with flocks and herds and silver and gold and all possessions multiplied. It warns that such abundance can lift the heart in pride and lead the people to forget the Lord and fail to keep His commandments. It forbids taking credit for gain by saying personal power and might produced the wealth, since power to get wealth comes only from God to establish His covenant sworn to the fathers, and blessing comes from His undeserved mercy and lovingkindness rather than personal righteousness. Forgetting God in prosperity leads to walking after other gods and serving and worshiping them, which breaks the covenant and brings certain perishing like the nations the Lord destroyed, in contrast to remembering how He brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt and led and fed them through the terrible wilderness with water from rock and manna to humble and prove them for their good. Its warning was written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, and its lessons belong to God's people today as verily as to Israel, calling for obedience rather than following human judgment.
Prosperity's Danger to Israel
The verse pictures the settled prosperity Israel might enjoy in the promised land, having eaten and become full and having built fine houses and dwelt in them in comfort, with flocks and herds multiplying and silver and gold and all possessions multiplied. Israel is set forth as a holy people chosen above all others to keep God's commandments and statutes and judgments. Such plenty and self-sufficiency carry the danger that the heart will be lifted up in pride and the people will forget the Lord who provides and fail to keep His commandments.
The warning is against saying in the heart that personal power and the might of the hand gained the wealth, rather than remembering dependence on God. Power to get wealth comes only from God to establish His covenant sworn to the fathers, and the blessings come from His undeserved mercy and lovingkindness rather than personal righteousness. The warning recalls what the Lord had done in bringing Israel out of Egypt from the house of bondage, leading them through the great and terrible wilderness of fiery serpents and scorpions and drought with no water, bringing water out of flint rock, and feeding them with manna unknown to their fathers to humble and prove them to do them good at their latter end.
Forgetting God to walk after other gods and serve and worship them breaks the covenant, cuts the people off from God's life and blessing, and brings certain perishing for disobedience just as the nations the Lord destroyed perished. Israel's later idolatry and resulting oppression showed this danger, and when suffering led them to remember His works and cry to Him He raised up Othniel to deliver them. Prosperity in the land depended on strict obedience, and disobedience and selfishness kept them from the happiness obedience was meant to bring.
Instruction for Later Generations
The instruction in which the verse stands teaches that Israel's prosperity in the land depended on strict obedience to God's commandments, and the lessons of the chapter were also intended to guide God's people in later generations. The chapter's lessons are important for us as well as for Israel, so the setting and warning of eating and being full and building fine houses belong not to ancient Israel alone but remain relevant beyond it.
The verse belongs to God's requirements for Israel as they went to possess the land, expressing His will to be kept in mind and taught to later generations so they would not be forgotten. It is to be read together with the words of the Lord in Deuteronomy 1 and 7 and 8. It is written for admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Its lessons are given to God's people today as verily as to Israel, requiring obedience to God's commandments. Disobedience will bring vindication of God's word and judgment, as when Israel disobeyed and only two adults who left Egypt entered Canaan while the rest died in the wilderness, so leaders who depart from His commandments will likewise face judgment. The admonition calls its readers not to follow their own judgment up to a point but to view everything in the light of Christ's example and be molded after His likeness in self-denial and self-sacrifice to perfection of character.