Print a copy of this post on Deuteronomy 8:18: God Give Us the Ability to Get Wealth, But …

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.

Print a copy of this post on Deuteronomy 8:18: God Give Us the Ability to Get Wealth, But …

I was reading Chapter One of the Gospel of Luke this morning and I was especially struck by the plight of Elizabeth. When Elizabeth acknowledged her pregnancy for her son to be John the Baptist she said:

The Lord has done this for me … In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people. (Luke 1:25 NIV) (Emphasis Added)

The word that struck me was disgrace. Elizabeth was disgraced because she was an elderly woman who was barren. She had no children. She lived her life in disgrace because it was expected of women to have children and she could not. But God had another plan for her.

Let us look at her life briefly. Her husband Zechariah was a priest serving at the temple. They lived a righteous life observing all the commandments. They were blameless (holy) in God’s sight (v. 6). They prayed for children, yet they thought that God had not answered their prayers. Thus Elizabeth lived in disgrace.

God had a Plan for Zechariah and Elizabeth

This Godly couple gives us a very good example of why we should not give up on God. They lived their lives right – yet they were not blessed with what they prayed for. Had they given up on God then they would have missed God’s blessing.

Often God has a plan for us that we cannot know (or understand) until God reveals it to us.

• Elizabeth was barren for God’s purpose.
• She suffered a life of disgrace for that same purpose.
• It was the plan of God. God was not ready to bless them with a child until the time was right for His purpose.
• God needed Elizabeth to be barren so that He could bless her with a special son.
• Their misfortune was not their fault. It was not a punishment for doing wrong.
• They could not have changed their situation until God was ready – for His purposes.
• What they thought was disgrace was actually God’s preparation for them to birth and raise the forerunner of Christ!

Therefore, when it seems that God does not hear your prayer – keep praying. Wait on God by preparing yourself for His miracle in your life. Ask God to reveal to you His plan. Be patient and don’t give up, God might not be done yet.

You can also visit our other websites at GIL Publications.com.

God Bless You,

Akili and Daisy Kumasi
GIL Publications