Matthew Henry Commentary Deuteronomy 8:1-9

"All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. And thou shalt consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee. And thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For Jehovah thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig copper." — Deuteronomy 8:1-9 (ASV)

Obedience must be:

1. Careful, to observe and do;
2. Universal, to do all the commandments; and
3. From a good principle, with a regard to God as the Lord and their God, and with a holy fear of Him.

To encourage them to this obedience, Moses directs them to look back. It is good to remember all the ways, both of God's providence and grace, by which He has led us through this wilderness, so that we may cheerfully serve Him and trust in Him.

They must remember the hardships they were sometimes brought into, for humbling their pride and revealing their perverseness. This was to test them, so that they and others might know all that was in their hearts, and that all might see that God chose them, not because of anything in them that might recommend them to His favor.

They must remember the miraculous supplies of food and clothing granted to them. Let none of God's children distrust their Father, nor take any sinful path to supply their needs. Some way or other, God will provide for them in the way of duty and honest diligence, and truly they will be fed. This may be applied spiritually: the word of God is the food of the soul.

Christ is the Word of God; by Him we live. They must also remember the rebukes they had received, and not without need. This is the use we should make of all our afflictions: by them let us be stirred to our duty. Moses also directs them to look forward to Canaan. Look, whichever way you choose, both back to the past and forward to Canaan.

Whichever way we look, looking both back and forward will provide us with arguments for obedience. Moses saw in that land a type of the better country. The gospel church is the New Testament Canaan, watered with the Spirit in His gifts and graces, planted with trees of righteousness, bearing fruits of righteousness. Heaven is the good land, in which nothing is lacking, and where there is fullness of joy.