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All too often we quote scriptures on prosperity in an attempt to gain financial blessings from God. One of those scriptures frequently quoted is Deuteronomy 8:18 which reads:

But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18 KJV

The part of this verse that we love to quote (or mis-quote) is God gives us power to get wealth or God gives us wealth.

Yes, this is an important principle of God’s promise to us. He does give us the power (or ability) to get wealth and He does give us wealth. However, we need to not take this part of the scripture out of context. That is, we need to also see this promise from God in the historical and Biblical context in which it was written.

As Moses was preparing Israel to enter the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the desert, he was recounting to the people their history of dependence on God, the laws that God had given to them and he was preparing them to remember God after they took possession of the Promised Land.

As we look at Deuteronomy 8:18 it would be easy to take it out of context if we did not read the entire 18th chapter of Deuteronomy from verse 1 to verse 20. In those verses Moses delivered to Israel seven declarations from God for what Israel was to do. All of these declarations had to do with the people remembering God and not turning from Him once they got their blessing in the Promised Land.

God told them (through Moses) to follow all of His commands (v. 1). Here is a summary of those verses in Deuteronomy 18:

1. Remember how God led us in the desert for 40 years (v. 2);
2. Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God (v3) (the same scripture quoted by Jesus when tempted by the devil in the desert in Luke 4:4);
3. Know in your heart that as a man disciples his son, so the Lord disciplines us (same point made in Hebrews 12:5-11);
4. Observe God’s commands – walking in His ways, revering Him (v. 6);
5. Praise God for the land He has given us;
6. Observe His commands, laws and decrees given this day (v. 11); and
7. Remember it is God that gives us the ability to get wealth (v. 18).

The consequences (v. 19-20) – if they were to forget God and follow false gods:

1. Be destroyed, like the nations God destroyed before Israel; and
2. Destroyed for not obeying God.

Now, let us look again at the scripture, this time from the New International Version of the Bible

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 forefathers, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV

Four essential points from this verse are more clearly understood as:

1. Remember God.
2. The ability to get wealth comes from God.
3. God blessed Israel to fulfill the covenant promise made to their forefathers.
4. Forget God and be destroyed.

In conclusion, when we see and examine scriptures we need to understand them in their proper meaning and not just run with verses without really studying them. If we fail to do this then we are just reducing scriptures to slogans and chants – which can render them powerless and ineffective in our lives.

However, when we get the proper and deeper meaning of God’s word then we are prepared to complete what God has commanded us to do – thus enabling God’s power to be realized in and through us.

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God Bless You,

Akili and Daisy Kumasi
GIL Publications