Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Hunger may be the greatest felt need in all the world. (Research suggests it's the greatest motivation, over thirst and fear.) Men have renounced their inheritance (Genesis 25:30-32) and "women have cooked their own children" to escape starvation (Lamentations 4:10). Hunger bites at anyone's will. It even consumed God's people in the wilderness and made them want to go back into slavery. Their reasoning was simple: When they were slaves they "ate all the food they wanted," and they thought they would starve in the desert (Exodus 16:3). God heard their cries, and He spoke to them, "In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God," (Exodus 16:12). Everything happened as God said, so the Lord and His assured Word brought food to the Isrealites. Concerning this historic moment, it is written that God humbled His followers by prolonging their starvation. God let people go hungry (their greatest felt need) "to teach them that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord," (Deuteronomy 8:3).
God's Word is more valuable than bread. The poets who wrote the psalms knew this well. They proclaim God's Word is healing (Psalm 107:20). They tell of blessings for those "who find great delight in His commands," (Psalm 112:1). They say God's Word is "flawless, like silver purified in a crucible," (Psalm 12:6). The psalmists even remark that it is better to endure suffering than to avoid the Word of God. One poet writes, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees. The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold," (Psalm 119:71-72). They plead with God saying, "Never take Your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your laws," (Psalm 119:43). They declare, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103). God's Word is precious; greater than jewels, comfort or food.
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| Eating food is important, for it is not good when someone forgets to eat (Psalm 102:4). God made food to be eaten and savored (Genesis 1:29), so "eat your food with gladness," (Ecclesiastes 9:7), but remember Jesus' food was "to do the will of Him who sent Him," (John 4:34). |
It is more important to read Scripture than it is to eat, so it is also more important to give people the Word of God than to feed them. Jesus taught this. He once spoke to a large crowd who asked Him what He would give them to show His power. They reminded Him that their ancestors ate bread in the wilderness (John 6:30-31). Instead of offering temporary food to appease their hunger, Jesus gave them something better. He declares, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry," (John 6:35). Jesus says He "is the bread that came down from heaven. Their ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever," (John 6:58). After He said this, many "turned back and no longer followed Him," (John 6:66). Jesus' disciples, though, did not leave. One said to Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life," (John 6:68). The disciples knew anyone could give them delicious "food that spoils," but only Jesus gives "food that endures to eternal life" (John 6:27).
Opposed to Jesus, though, some believe God's Word does not offer enough sustenance. Many assert they can do better than living on His Word. (Some examples can be seen here, there and here.) The Sadducees believed this. They subtracted from God's Word, by claiming there would not be a resurrection unto eternal life (Mark 12:18). For this, Jesus says to them, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God," (Matthew 22:29). More than the Sadducees, though, the Pharisees also believed God's Word could not give people what they need. They added to God's commands, but the Bible says, "Do not add to what God commands you and do not subtract from it," (Deuteronomy 4:2). Jesus says of the Pharisees, "They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules," (Mark 7:7). So, He refers to their teachings as yeast to ruin His perfect commands (Matthew 16:11-12). Jesus shunned these foolish teachers (Luke 9:26), so too should God's people shun teaching that strips away or mixes into the bread of life.
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| "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. 'A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough,'" (Galatians 5:7-9). |
Whether the world believes it or not, the best thing anyone can do is preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:1-2). People's greatest need is salvation (Romans 6:23). Many on earth are already dead, like those who ate manna in the wilderness, (Ephesians 2:1). They need new life, and they will receive this if they believe in Jesus (John 3:16). "How can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14). The world needs preaching (Mark 16:15), but there are teachers in the Church who don't offer God but indulge in "godless chatter," (2 Timothy 2:16). These teachers "worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women," (2 Timothy 3:6). Why do God's people stand for this? Their reasoning is simple: They want to “gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear," and not what they need (2 Timothy 4:3). What a foolish world, salivating for temporary spoiled yeast ruined worm infested bread, instead of the sustaining delicious life giving Word.
Never searching just accepting
Feeds the mind enough to get you by
Scratching the surface
Yet to dig deeper down...
Wisdom from the sacred page
Is turned and ignored
In a world that's wired for sound
- Michael W. Smith
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