Read Matt. 4:1-11; Deut. 8:3; 6:16,13, Resisting Temptation

We are making an exception today.  This passage is not a fulfilled prophecy but involves Jesus’ use of the OT.  We are asking the same question: did Jesus pull Scriptures out of the blue or was He confronting Satan with relevant Scriptures?

·        Matt. 4:4: This is from Deut. 8:3 where Moses is reminding the people that God had humbled them in the wilderness wanderings.  Even though they were His chosen people He allowed them to be hungry, and He fed them with manna.  He did this so that they would know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.  They were supposed to learn that God’s promises could be trusted; He would keep His word, which included caring for their basic needs of life.  Jesus used these words after fasting forty days, being hungry, and hearing Satan tell Him to use His divine powers to turn stones into bread.  The context was perfect.

·        Matt. 4:6-7: In verse 6 Satan quotes Scripture, from Psalm 91:11-12.  His words are accurate, although he omits half of v11: to keep you in all your ways.  But it is a classic misrepresentation of what God is saying, classic in that people today use this same Psalm in a similar fashion.  Psalm 91 is about God, our refuge.  He does promise to care for His own.  Satan’s temptation, taking Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, put Jesus in the driver’s seat.  It made Him sovereign over His Father. This very thing had happened in the wilderness with Israel.  In Exodus 17:1-7 the Israelites complained because thre was no water.  Moses rightly charged them, not only with contending with him (why have you brought us out here to die?), but with the more fundamental sin: Why do you tempt the LORD (17:2).  He even called the place “Massah” which means tempted.  Jesus quotes Deut. 6:16 which says, in its entirety, You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah.  He trusted in the sovereign plan of His Father, which would include the cross before He would be delivered from death after three days.

·        Matt. 4:10:  In this temptation Satan plays no games.  He is bold in telling Jesus He can have now what the Father promised to give Him at the right time. Satan says, “worship me and you can have it now.”  Jesus again quotes from Deut. 6, verse 13.  The context involves Moses telling the people, “when you enter the land and enjoy all the good things God provides, beware lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.  You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him.  Israel, on many occasions, did what Moses warned them not to do.  They turned away from God in the “good times.”  Jesus understood there is never a time to worship anyone but the LORD God of Israel!

You will note that Jesus quoted from the early chapters of Deuteronomy, where Moses reminded Israel of the broad and fundamental conditions of God’s covenant with Israel, before he turned to the more specific statutes and judgments in Dt. 12:1.  He knew the importance of God’s will and God's uniqueness.  What Jesus was doing was passing the same tests the nation had failed.  He truly bore their burdens.