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| "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." | "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Deut 8:3 | He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deut 8:3 |
| "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." | "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" Deut 6:13; 10:20 | Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Deut 6:13 |
| "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Psalm 91:11,12 | "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Deut 6:16 | "Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah." Deut
6:16
Ref to "Massah": Ex 17:1-7 |
Just as "Out of Egypt I called my son." Matt 2:15, so also Jesus' Temptation in the wilderness was a reflection of Israel's own experience in the desert under the Law of Moses. In fact here Jesus quotes exclusively from the book of Deuteronomy which was a book given to Israel during their own desert wandering. And just as Israel was led into the desert by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, so these represent the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the desert. (Mark 1:12) And thus is also the case for many who come to Christ. As they cooperate with the Holy Spirit, he will lead them into the desert to prepare them to enter the promise land.
But Deut 8:3 indicates that the way God attempted to teach Israel to live on the Word was by taking away their material things and humbling them, making them dependent on his provision by faith. Humility is the most essential of character qualities prerequisite to coming to faith in Christ. For without it one will not be convicted of sin nor appreciate the Word of God. Thus humilation is often the path through which one comes to Christ.And we see that literally to follow Christ one would have to trod a path of humilation.
It is interesting also to note that the Deuteronomy verse doesn't use "worship" but "fear". We have lost this correlation in many evangelical circles, even eliminating the fear of God in the presentation of the gospel. Yet Paul says, "Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men." 2 Corinthians 5:11 As was also characteristic of the early church "Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord." Acts 9:31 Yet many today even in the Christian community do not live in the fear of the Lord.
It is interesting to note that according to Matthew's gospel angels came to minister to Christ after these temptations which is an application more in line with the proper interpretation of Psalm 91:11,12. It seems that the appropriate sense of the application of Psalm 91 is more passive than active. That is, in carrying out God's will He will protect you from such harm as is contrary to His will, rather than proactively throwing yourself in front of a truck.
In response to the devil Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6 which makes reference to an incident in Exodus 17.
Exodus 17:1-7 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?" But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?""Massah" means "temptation", and "Meribah" means "strife or contention". Notice carefully the manner of their contention. For their request was for a legitimate need - water. But it was the manner in which they requested it that constituted contention and testing God. They were not asking in faith with a spirit of submission, but rather in a doubtful complaining manner. This is not to say that God will not necessarily answer such requests. But they are not reckoned as acting in Biblical faith.