Lesson Thirteen - The Word of God is Sufficient for Everything
“…but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”.
At this point we see Jesus declaring His confidence of in the Word of God from which bread itself came. The Word of God is active in creating life, sustaining life and raising the dead. It is more to be relied on for sustenance than any other thing that God made. This is because God binds Himself by His Word (Ps 138:21; Is 55:11). For if God is not true, if His Word cannot be trusted, what is the foundation and the heritage of the righteous or the hope of those who trust in Him? By echoing every word, Jesus emphasizes that God does not just speak, unless He will accomplish what He speaks. He holds Himself accountable for every single declaration He makes, has made and will ever make. People therefore ought to find out what God has really said and put their trust in His promises.
Here we observe again that Jesus quotes the scripture accurately, indicating His acceptance of the Word of God. Psalm 1 praises the blessed man that he is pleased with the law of God. And the law of God is not always easy to obey. Yet, he is blessed who sees the design of God and accepts it even if it will put him in peril. Indeed, sometimes the acceptance of the will of God seems to put us under undue stress or to even jeopardise our lives as in the case of the three Jewish young men at the hands of Nebuchadnezzer in the book of Daniel (chapter 3); and as it seems in the case of Jesus here. It appears he was really hungered, nearing death, and the devil was suggesting that he should perform a miracle that He might live! Still Jesus chose not to go against the will of God. Rather, he put His faith in the Word of God, thereby putting His life in God’s hands. And God sustained Him!
Also, His reference is to Israel in circumstances similar to His own at the time of His trial. The Israelites were being led through the wilderness by God, and Jesus had been sent into the wilderness by the Spirit of God. Israel had hungered because there was no food where God had led them. Jesus had hungered because there was no food where the Spirit had led Him. What was the purpose of what God had done earlier? We learn it was to teach the Israelites not to rely only on food for sustenance, but to credit the Word of God with even greater power. Jesus drew inspiration from the purpose of God and decided to accept His state and rely on God to let the will of God for Him come to pass. He refused a quick fix or an interim measure and decided to endure the pangs of hunger until the provision of God had reached Him. It is a lesson to us that when we are in trying moments, we should seek first what God might be seeking to accomplish by the circumstance and to submit to Him rather than to persistently resist His will, for if we persistently resist His will, He may give us a way out of the trial, but we will not see the glory of God. When Esau chose food over his privileged position as first born, God did not kill him but He let that glory slip from him. Almost every trial that befalls us now has befallen people before and we need to draw on their lessons, whether they triumphed or failed, and to do this well, we need to study the scriptures that we might better accept the ways of God (1Cor. 10:13).
The Word of God gives life in another manner. It births and nourishes the faith by which we obtain eternal life, for faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Ro 10:17). Just as the sustained heeding of unchallenged lies breeds corruption, so does a constant study or hearing of the Word of God strengthen the heart, mind and resolve against corruption and lead to the acceptance of Christ as saviour, the forgiveness of sins and the inheritance of eternal life (1Co 15:33). John chapters one and six uphold Jesus as the Word of God and the bread of life that gives everlasting life.
At this point we see Jesus declaring His confidence of in the Word of God from which bread itself came. The Word of God is active in creating life, sustaining life and raising the dead. It is more to be relied on for sustenance than any other thing that God made. This is because God binds Himself by His Word (Ps 138:21; Is 55:11). For if God is not true, if His Word cannot be trusted, what is the foundation and the heritage of the righteous or the hope of those who trust in Him? By echoing every word, Jesus emphasizes that God does not just speak, unless He will accomplish what He speaks. He holds Himself accountable for every single declaration He makes, has made and will ever make. People therefore ought to find out what God has really said and put their trust in His promises.
Here we observe again that Jesus quotes the scripture accurately, indicating His acceptance of the Word of God. Psalm 1 praises the blessed man that he is pleased with the law of God. And the law of God is not always easy to obey. Yet, he is blessed who sees the design of God and accepts it even if it will put him in peril. Indeed, sometimes the acceptance of the will of God seems to put us under undue stress or to even jeopardise our lives as in the case of the three Jewish young men at the hands of Nebuchadnezzer in the book of Daniel (chapter 3); and as it seems in the case of Jesus here. It appears he was really hungered, nearing death, and the devil was suggesting that he should perform a miracle that He might live! Still Jesus chose not to go against the will of God. Rather, he put His faith in the Word of God, thereby putting His life in God’s hands. And God sustained Him!
Also, His reference is to Israel in circumstances similar to His own at the time of His trial. The Israelites were being led through the wilderness by God, and Jesus had been sent into the wilderness by the Spirit of God. Israel had hungered because there was no food where God had led them. Jesus had hungered because there was no food where the Spirit had led Him. What was the purpose of what God had done earlier? We learn it was to teach the Israelites not to rely only on food for sustenance, but to credit the Word of God with even greater power. Jesus drew inspiration from the purpose of God and decided to accept His state and rely on God to let the will of God for Him come to pass. He refused a quick fix or an interim measure and decided to endure the pangs of hunger until the provision of God had reached Him. It is a lesson to us that when we are in trying moments, we should seek first what God might be seeking to accomplish by the circumstance and to submit to Him rather than to persistently resist His will, for if we persistently resist His will, He may give us a way out of the trial, but we will not see the glory of God. When Esau chose food over his privileged position as first born, God did not kill him but He let that glory slip from him. Almost every trial that befalls us now has befallen people before and we need to draw on their lessons, whether they triumphed or failed, and to do this well, we need to study the scriptures that we might better accept the ways of God (1Cor. 10:13).
The Word of God gives life in another manner. It births and nourishes the faith by which we obtain eternal life, for faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Ro 10:17). Just as the sustained heeding of unchallenged lies breeds corruption, so does a constant study or hearing of the Word of God strengthen the heart, mind and resolve against corruption and lead to the acceptance of Christ as saviour, the forgiveness of sins and the inheritance of eternal life (1Co 15:33). John chapters one and six uphold Jesus as the Word of God and the bread of life that gives everlasting life.
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