It seems wild to me that Moses has now spent the better part of eight chapters reminding the nation of Israel over and over again about all the things God has done for them.
Is he worried they would forget the experience in the wilderness and/or Egypt, or is he just trying to prolong the message before getting to the technical details about the Law?
Both, probably.
The message of Deuteronomy is split into two halves. The first eleven chapters are mainly exhortative (that’s the part we’re in), while the second half is a restatement of the Laws. Both seem exhaustive. But both are necessary, and the link between the two is stated in the first two verses of this chapter.
In Deuteronomy 8:1, Moses reiterates the need to do the commandments. Why? Because if you don’t, they won’t “live and multiply” in the land. Easy as that.
In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses tells them to remember the way in which God tested them through the wilderness. He withheld food sometimes to remind them that food wasn’t the most important thing. Instead, it was reliance on Him. That’s the primo lesson to take from their time in the desert.
The message is clear. If you remember God, obedience will come naturally. Your brain will be hard-wired to know that He is present and near, and that His promises are inalterable.
If you go a little further in this same chapter, Moses lays out that “forgetting the Lord” is actually the backbone of disobedience (Deuteronomy 8:11-20). When we begin to think that we’re all alone in the land, or even worse, that we did it ourselves, that’s when we move away from God’s commandments.
But how are we supposed to “remember” Him, especially in a world that is so noisy and in the midst of a life that has so many demands?
As with everything else, prayer and Bible study make up the basis for this answer. But so does attending worship services, spending time with His people, stopping work for a period of time (a modern “sabbath,” if you will), physical cues—all of those (and more) can trigger thoughts of Jehovah.
You could argue that the incursion of idols into Israelite worship was the beginning of the end for Israel, but I think it’s more the natural effect of forgetting God. Once you ignore the reality of God’s presence, it’s much easier to allow for other gods to come into your life.
And once that happens, Jehovah is lost to you forever.