Matthew 4:1-11
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Have you ever had a face to face confrontation with the
devil? Neither have I. But Jesus did, and he won! There are a lot of lessons to
be learned from this passage in Matthew.
First though, let’s take a look at the
back story. Let’s dig deeper to see what else was going on.
Jesus quoted several verses from the book of Deuteronomy.
The lessons of Deuteronomy occurred as the nation of Israel finished wandering
in the wilderness for 40 years. They were at the Jordan River as Moses gave
them his final words of instruction to prepare them before they entered the
Promised Land.
Here are just a few of the lessons that Moses passed
along to them:
13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his
name. Deuteronomy 6
16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. Deuteronomy
6
3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you
with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors 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. Deuteronomy 8
Do
these verses sound familiar to you? They are the same words that Jesus used to
defend himself against the devil. Spoken 1400 years before, they were still
powerful! Some things never change.
I
would bet that while Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, that he was
meditating on Deuteronomy because he was getting ready to lead the people of
Israel to the Promised Land. Not a physical land, like Moses lead them to, but
a spiritual home, inhabited by those who have faith in Jesus.
In light of this, as we wander in the wilderness, doesn’t
it make sense for us to meditate on God’s word to prepare us for battle? Some
things never change.
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I
give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your
children. Talk about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the
road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as
symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write
them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6
Today's message through images.
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others.)
SIDEBAR:
Before leading the people to the Promised Land, Jesus was
baptized in the Jordan River and then wandered in the wilderness for 40 days. This
is the reverse order for Moses and the people of Israel who wandered in the
wilderness for 40 years before crossing the Jordan to the Promised Land.
Some
things do change, but the purpose doesn’t.
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