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Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) gave three answers to HaSatan (the devil) after His 40 days in the wilderness. What was Yeshua trying to say with, “Man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)? In His refutations of HaSatan while being tempted, Yeshua quoted heavily from the Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eikev (“consequence,” Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25).
What did Yeshua want His disciples to learn from this account, recorded in Matthew 4:1–11? As I see it, anytime Yeshua cited scripture, it is a reference for the entire passage, not merely the verse itself. Yeshua’s apostles taught and wrote in the same manner. They didn’t write out entire passes of the Torah or the Tanak. They cited a reference, and expected their disciples to go to scripture and read it in context.
Yeshua gave three basic answers to HaSatan’s temptations. As He was rebuking HaSatan, this parashat was very much on the Messiah’s mind. All of Yeshua’s answers were rooted in Torah, and He pulled many lessons from Parashat Ekev, not just the small snippets He quoted.
Matthew 4; Deuteronomy 8: Will you let God feed you?
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”” (Matthew 4:1–4 NASB)
Yeshua quoted Deut. 8:3:
“You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:2–3 NASB)
What is the lesson of “not living by bread alone”? The point is that we are not to forget God. Moses tells the children of Israel that the point of these tests were so the children of Israel would know what was in their heart.
Yeshua understood He was being tested and by quoting this text is letting HaSatan know that He knows He is being tested.
HaSatan already knows the answers. He knows the Bible. He’s memorized every syllable of it. He knows it, believe me, he knows it. Yeshua is not trying to teach Satan something he doesn’t already know.
The point of the testing in the wilderness so Yeshua would know what in His heart. It was recorded so that we would know what is in His heart as well.
If HaShem tested His own Son, He will test you and I as well. We also see in the Book of Hebrews that Yeshua was tested or suffered in order to learn obedience on the deepest level.
Let’s make note that HaShem did not put Yeshua to the test when He was 10 years old. Our tests and our experiences change in time; hence, we won’t be tested only once in our lives. God will test us periodically throughout our lives.
God tested the children of Israel so they could see what was in their hearts, how they react when life is difficult.
Our problems are different from those experienced by the children of Israel in the wilderness. We have our own frustrations, but we can all related to feeling that we don’t have what we need or desire in life. Our perception can be skewed, and God will test us to see if we understand the difference between desires and needs.
Will you challenge God?
“Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”” (Matthew 4:5–7 NASB)
What Yeshua says here is actually repeated in the prior Torah portion as well as this one. Keep in mind that Yeshua is being quoted from the Greek rather than Hebrew.
“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” (Deuteronomy 6:16 NASB)
All testing is not the same. There’s testing of the heart to strengthen one seeking a closer connection with God, and there’s testing of who’s in charge. In Deut. 6:16, the test was this: Do we believe that God exists and that He can do what He says He will do? That’s a challenge to God.
Will you fear and walk with God?
“Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, “YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.”’” (Matthew 4:8–10 NASB)
The original text, as found in Deut. 6:13; 10:20:
“‘You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.’” (Deuteronomy 6:13 NASB)
“‘You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.’” (Deuteronomy 10:20 NASB)
The punchline Yeshua wants us to catch is this, from the beginning of Deuteronomy 8:
“All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your forefathers.” (Deuteronomy 8:1 NASB)
Deuteronomy 10–11: What is God’s definition of social justice?
There are four things God asks of us in the Ekev passage:
- Fear God.
- Walk in God’s ways.
- Serve God.
- Keep His commandments.
“‘Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13 NASB)
Fear and love are not just emotions. They are actions.
“You shall therefore love the LORD your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments.” (Deuteronomy 11:1 NASB)
What does it mean to “keep God’s charge”? What is God’s task? Who are God’s charge? It’s recorded in Deut. 10:17-18:
“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and fear–inspiring, who does not marvel at a person, neither will he take a bribe, doing justice to the guest and orphan and widow and loving the guest, to give him food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:17–18 New English Translation of the Septuagint)
Yeshua knew God’s charge. Yeshua looked out for the children, widows, orphans, and the outcasts. He said He did exactly what His Father did. Yeshua did not come to take care of the kings, the rich, the powerful and self-righteous people.
When we are under test, it is ok to take care to deal with the testing, but once the testing is over, we are ready to resume taking care of God’s charge. This is a priority to God.
Deuteronomy 9: Another 40-day fast
Yeshua was not the only one who undertook a 40 day fast alone. Moses did so as well, as Moses recalls to the second generation in Deut. 9:1-20.
When we have our trials and difficulties and we learn what is inside of us, what else are we also to focus upon? We are to remember where we came from and not forget our origins. I suspect that every one of us have provoked God to destroy us at one point or another but in His mercy, He did not do so. We are not to forget that.
For example, in the first year after the children of Israel left Egypt, God was going to kill Aaron for his sin regarding the Golden Calf. Because of Moses’ intercession, God not only spared Aaron but a year later, God appoints Aaron as the first High Priest. I’m sure this humbled Aaron, just as this should humble all of us.
The key to entering Zion is obedience
““The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.” (Deuteronomy 9:10 NASB)
Today’s haftarah (parallel) reading refers to this and to the Messiah: Isaiah 49:14–51:3.
Just as we write note on our hands when we don’t have a piece of paper nearby, God does as well (and has better handwriting). What does God write on His hand?
“But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me.’
‘Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
‘Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.’” (Isaiah 49:14–16 NASB)
Zion is a place, and the prophet personifies her. Zion is the ideal of what Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) should be. God replies to Zion’s rebuke. Just as God chiseled His laws on the stones for Moses, He chiseled His ideal of Jerusalem on His hand.
The adornment of Zion (Rev. 21:2) are her children. The children who will live in Zion and have begged to live there are those who live by all the words that proceed from the mouth of God.
For all the blessings, trials and temptations that Messiah went through, God’s word was always on His mind, as Yeshua is called the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Yeshua is the ultimate idealized child of Zion. All of the children of Zion will be the mirror image of the Messiah, as Yeshua is the exact image of the Father (Heb. 1:1–4).
The children of Zion will be both her own children and her adopted children. Her arms will be full. None of us are from Zion the physical place, but if we conform ourselves in the image of Messiah Yeshua (Rom. 8:28–30), we will be her children and live in her walls.
God tested Yeshua and found obedience. What should God find in our hearts when we are tested? Obedience.
The blessings of Zion are not immediate. Messiah focused His thoughts and His mission on Zion. He used the Torah to focus His mind on Zion, and we can do that too. He used it to learn what God’s charge is and how to take care of those God cares for the most.
Speaker: Daniel. Summary: Tammy.