At times one hears that the religion of the Old Testament was, compared with Christianity, a religion of the flesh; that well-being was understood by Old Testament people too materialistically, too earthbound; that the main signs of God's blessing were...
At times one hears that the religion of the Old Testament was, compared with Christianity, a religion of the flesh; that well-being was understood by Old Testament people too materialistically, too earthbound; that the main signs of God's blessing were good harvests and good increase of livestock, many children, abundance and prosperity, triumph over the enemy in war. Some verses of the Torah, it would seem, confirm such an attitude. And yet speculations of this kind should be considered more a tribute to the spiritualism traditional in church-adjacent circles than a properly Yahwistic attitude.
As for Yahwism, which is usually what is meant by "Old Testament religion," it was completely alien to every kind of spiritualism, as indeed was Christianity, which was never a "religion of the spirit" or a "religion of suffering," as some called it, but the life of the Kingdom. Yahwism, for its part, knew a spiritual foretaste, a spiritual anticipation of that life. And Yahwism saw nothing blameworthy in earthly well-being, on one condition: that this well-being is not achieved by violating the Torah, the commandment given by God. The point here, of course, is not that before the coming of Christ people were naive enough to think that righteousness in the fallen world is accompanied by prosperity. One need only open Ecclesiastes or the Book of Job to be convinced that spiritually mature people did not suffer from such naivete even in pre-Christian times.
The point was something else: believing Yahwists looked at the God-given land as the Kingdom of God, which lacked only the righteousness of those who lived on that land in order to be revealed in fullness. And it must be acknowledged that there was a truth in this approach, though not the whole truth. In fact, the essence of the Kingdom of God does not lie in the nature of the universe, but in its relation to God. If God is at the center, the world becomes the Kingdom. And God, from the time of the Sinai theophany, had already come to His people and made a covenant bond with them precisely in order to remain among His people forever. And the people truly were called to become a community of the faithful, while the place where they lived was called to become the Kingdom. Of course, this concerns an ideal and a supreme task, one that could not be adequately resolved before the Messiah came into the world. And yet the people always carried an understanding that well-being on the God-given land is possible only if that land is the Kingdom. For God loves His people. And He wants them to be happy.
8 An exhortation to obedience, in consideration of past and promised mercies, Deu 8:1-9.
A caution not to forget God in prosperity, Deu 8:10-18.
A threatening, in case of apostacy, Deu 8:19-20.
8:1 Live - Live comfortably and happily.
8:2 All the way - All the events which befel three in the way, the miraculous protections, deliverances, provisions, instructions which God gave thee; and withal the frequent and severe punishments of thy disobedience. To know - That thou mightest discover to thyself and others that infidelity, inconstancy, hypocrisy, and perverseness, which lay hid in thy heart; the discovery whereof was of singular use both to them, and to the church of God in all succeeding ages. It is good for us likewise to remember all the ways both of God's providence and grace, by which he has led us hitherto through the wilderness, that we may trust him, and chearfully serve him.
8:3 By every word - That is, by every or any thing which God appoints for this end, how unlikely so - ever it may seem to be for nourishment; seeing it is not the creature, but only God's command and blessing upon it, that makes it sufficient for the support of life.
8:5 As a man chastiseth his son - That is, unwillingly, being constrained by necessity; moderately, in judgment remembering mercy; and for thy reformation not thy destruction.
8:7 Depths - Deep wells or springs, or lakes, which were numerous and large.
8:9 Whose stones are iron - Where are mines of iron in a manner as plentiful as stones, and upon which travellers must tread, as in other parts they do upon stones.
8:10 Bless the Lord - Solemnly praise him for thy food; which is a debt both of gratitude and justice, because it is from his providence and favour that thou receivest both thy food and refreshment and strength by it.The more unworthy and absurd is that too common profaneness of them, who, professing to believe a God, from whom all their comforts come, grudge to own him at their meals, either by desiring his blessing before them, or by offering due praise to God after them.
8:14 Lifted up - As if thou didst receive and enjoy these things, either, by thy owns wisdom, and valour, and industry, or for thy own merit.
8:16 That he might humble thee - By keeping thee in a constant dependence upon him for every day's food, and convincing thee what an impotent, helpless creature thou art, having nothing whereon to subsist, and being supported wholly by the alms of divine goodness from day to day.The mercies of God, if duly considered, are as powerful a mean to humble us as the greatest afflictions, because they increase our debts to God, and manifest our dependance upon him, and by making God great, they make us little in our own eyes. To do thee good - That is, that after he hath purged and prepared thee by afflictions, thou mayest receive and enjoy his blessings with less disadvantage, whilst by the remembrance of former afflictions. thou art made thankful for them, and more cautious not to abuse them.