In His wilderness temptations, Jesus declares the will of God for man, as given in Deut. 6 and 8. Although Israel in the wilderness failed to fulfill the purpose of God, Jesus succeeded. He remains faithful to the Lord through hunger and temptations, and He emerges as the premier man of God: righteous, obedient, and pleasing to the Lord (Matt. 3:17). The Spirit led the apostle Matthew to record this account, so that we would learn what is God’s will for man. These verses teach us the principles which governed Jesus’ life. We live by these also, in Jesus’ likeness (Matt. 16:24; Luke 6:40; John 12:24-26; 2 Cor. 3:18).

Live Biblically (Matt 4:4): Man is no mere physical being—we do not live on bread alone. We are spiritual beings created by God to carry out His will (John 4:34)—we live on every word from the mouth of God. For this reason, we meditate in the Law of the LORD (Ps. 1:2), because the Word is our lifeline and we live by it (1 Pet. 2:2). We live by hearing, believing, and obeying the Bible.

Live Dependently (Matt 4:7): Man is not to question God’s care for him as Israel did at Massah (Deut. 6;16). We instead trust in Him (Prov. 3:5) and depend on His care for us (1 Pet. 5:7). We live as children cradled in the arms of our heavenly Father, where we find contentment, comfort, and peace. We depend on the LORD, and we guard against an unbelieving heart (Heb. 3:12).

Live Worshipfully (Matt 4:10): Man is to worship and serve the LORD only. We are to value Him supremely (Ps. 73:25) and love Him above all else (Matt. 10:37). No matter what we are offered in exchange, we dare not give our souls to anything or anyone else (Matt. 16:26). We worship the LORD only.