In Deuteronomy 8 we have quite a different character. It is not the people’s consecration to God, but their discipline, the trial of heart, and exercise by the way to which Jehovah subjected the people; and a most instructive section it is in this point of view.
And this is another chapter from which our Lord quotes when tempted, to which we may refer in passing. “And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.” We see that what has been remarked is just what is expressed in this verse: “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,” (what exercise of faith was there in that?) “but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live.” This is precisely what does put man to the proof morally. The word of God tests whether he submits to it, whether he lives on it, whether he delights in it, whether his meat is to do the will of God as the Lord Jesus proved His meat was.
It was by this Scripture that the Lord, as we know, repelled the first temptation of the adversary. None ever honored God’s word as Christ did.
We need not dilate on the beautiful detail but at the same time simple truth of this chapter. Clearly it traces the discipline of Jehovah by the way.