However he answered and mentioned, It’s written, Man shall not dwell by bread alone, however by each phrase that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
The primary instruction given to man by God after creation was an instruction about bread. The instruction was direct and with a lot readability. The phrases of the Lord to man was:
However of the tree of the data of excellent and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for within the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt absolutely die.
However man disobeyed this solemn warning. His disobedience triggered a curse which was pronounced upon him by God. Genesis 3:19;
Within the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou return unto the bottom; for out of it wast thou taken: for mud thou artwork, and unto mud shalt thou return.
This curse has since affected the whole human race. Like a domino impact, it has birthed laborious labor and set into movement the course of all of the miseries of the whole human race. Consequently, it seems that the survival of man hangs upon his entry to bread. The curse of labor has positioned humanity in a dire strait for survival. To the carnal man, the pursuit of bread is a factor to be most treasured above all different, no surprise it’s written in Ecclesiastes 6:7; “All of the labour of man is for his mouth, and but the urge for food just isn’t stuffed”. This then made it appear as if the whole lifetime of a person is only a story about his labor and his bread.
Nonetheless, it’s price noting right here that the dying which came about in man after he ate out of the forbidden fruit might be termed a “religious implosion” which has made the spirit of man to break down inward rendering him weak, insensitive and non conscious of God’s phrase as a result of they’re religious. The impact of this “religious implosion” is that the flesh of man grew to become weak to do the issues of God however robust to execute its personal fleshly needs. Albeit there may be nonetheless the willingness in man’s spirit to please God and obey His phrases however this impact is instantly suppressed by the desire of the flesh for the reason that spirit has imploded. The phrase from the foregoing might be buttressed with what the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned in Matthew 26:41;
… the spirit certainly is keen, however the flesh is weak
However God’s phrase is supreme and ought to be treasured above all different issues. The primary man (Adam) failed on this regard, in that he extremely esteemed his need for “bread” above God’s phrase. As a matter of truth the very first impression Adam’s spouse (Eve) had concerning the forbidden tree was that it was good for meals. Genesis 3:6;
And when the girl noticed that the tree was good for meals…
This lustful need is after all an act of revolt in opposition to God’s phrase. Apparently, the girl didn’t overlook concerning the warning God gave them, for she advised the serpent concerning the instruction of restriction given to them by God that they need to hold off from the forbidden tree. Genesis 3:3;
However of the fruit of the tree which is within the midst of the backyard, God hath mentioned, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye contact it, lest ye die.
One in every of God’s needs for man is solely for man to be obedient to Him. As a result of to obey Him is to like Him. Obedience is the true take a look at of affection. The important thing to treasuring God’s phrase above all different issues is locked up in obedience. Obedience in flip is engraved in love, which was why the Lord Jesus Christ mentioned in John 14:15;
If ye love me, hold my commandments.
The phrase “hold” used within the scriptures above might suggest “obey” whereas the phrase commandments might additionally suggest “phrases”. So if we should always attempt to reconstruct the phrases of the scripture it’s going to learn “In case you love me, obey my phrases”.
God’s phrase is of a fantastic significance. It ought to be revered and immediately obeyed. Apparently, God is at all times able to go an additional mile to be able to deliver a vessel into conformity and commonplace to His phrases. A have a look at His (God’s) dealings with the youngsters of Israel presents us with this actuality. In Deuteronomy 8:2-3 Moses enlightened the youngsters of Israel by making them know why God led them by way of the wilderness;
2 And thou shalt bear in mind all the way in which which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years within the wilderness, to humble thee, and to show thee, to know what was in thine coronary heart, whether or not thou wouldest hold his commandments, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to starvation, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he may make thee know that man doth not dwell by bread solely, however by each phrase that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man dwell.
In a transparent contradistinction with the ideas of the carnal man who thinks that survival is hinged upon entry to bread alone, the religious man then again is anticipated to dwell by each phrase that proceeds out of the mouth of God. It’s crystal from the scriptures above that one of many the explanation why God needed to lead the youngsters of Israel by way of the wilderness is simply to make them know that they’re to dwell by each of His phrase and never by bread alone. The lesson to be realized right here is that we’re to make God’s phrase the essence for our existence. God’s phrase ought to be made major whereas our labor for bread ought to be made secondary.
Every time we come to a fork within the highway of selecting between bread and the phrase of God, we’re anticipated to boldly stroll the trail of the phrase with out worry. It’s no coincidence that the primary try of the tempter to tempt the Lord Jesus was to tempt Him about selecting between bread and the phrase of God. See Matthew 4:4;
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter got here to him, he mentioned, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 However he answered and mentioned, It’s written, Man shall not dwell by bread alone, however by each phrase that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The only intention of the tempter was to inquire concerning the Son ship of the Lord Jesus as a result of he knew that God’s son would in any respect time obey each phrase that proceeds out of the mouth of His Father. The “Son of God” won’t ever disobey His Father and that was why the response of the Lord Jesus to Lucifer the tempter was a pointy one “man shall not dwell by bread alone, however by each phrase that proceedeth out of the of God”. It ought to be remembered that what transpired previous to the temptation of the Lord might be alluded to the annunciation made by the Father concerning the Son-ship of Jesus. See Matthew 3:17;
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, That is my beloved Son, in whom I’m nicely happy.
So Lucifer was set to test the validity of this important announcement. That was why the tempter requested “If thou be the Son of God…” this straightforward query is the crux of the tempter’s try and tempt the Lord Jesus. An vital lesson to be taught from that is {that a} son would at all times stick to each phrase that proceeds out of the mouth of the Father.
