(Luke 4; Va’etchanan (D’varim/Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11) B”H 5783

The Word of God provides for our deliverance from ha-satan’s attacks. Today, we look at how our Savior used Scripture during the wilderness temptation in Luke 4 to cause the enemy to flee!

The enemy’s limited tactics: he waits for us to be weak

Have you ever noticed that the enemy of our souls preys upon us in our weak moments?

David certainly knew it:

“For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.” Psalm 143:3-4, NKJV

When we are at our best, fully confident of our place as children of the Most High God because of what our Savior and Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) has done for us and we are walking in the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) – it is much more difficult for ha-satan (satan) to attack. When we are physically healthy and strong, it is also more difficult for the enemy to attack because our alertness is at a peak – we are prayed-up and fighting off those enemy darts!

So why does the devil have difficulty attacking?

The devil is limited!

Unlike ADONAI Tzva’ot (the LORD of Hosts),

the devil is

not omnipotent

not omnipresent

not omniscient.

Like any mediocre warrior, the devil waits for you to feel weak, and then he strikes.

Trials, tests, and temptation: augmented when hungry!

It was no different when our Savior walked the earth.

Yeshua (Jesus) was led by the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) into the desert wilderness for forty days.

Notice that Luke, a trained physician, mentions the physical hunger that Yeshua (Jesus) was experiencing:

“Now He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.” Luke 4:2b

Our LORD Yeshua (Jesus), fully-God, fully-man was experiencing true physical hunger.

How do you feel when you are hungry?

It often depends on the day or the circumstances, but I observe that hunger can cause all sorts of issues:

tiredness

irritability

inability to think clearly without distraction

generalized weakness

Symptoms of hunger can make a person susceptible to giving into temptation.

Have you ever promised you would fast, and the first thing that happens when you begin is someone offers you the most decadent dessert or invites you out to eat?

Or maybe something less spiritual.

Maybe you simply want to keep a diet.

You commit to eating your salad greens and limiting your consumption of deep-fried deliciousness, but as soon as you get out of your car when you are heading to work or school you smell the most wonderful scent of fried chicken or some other fast food you love.

The devil knows this. As soon as Yeshua (Jesus) had completed his forty day fast in the wilderness, hasatan jumped at the opportunity to tempt Ben-Elohim, the Son of God.

How our LORD responded to temptation using D’varim

Attack/Temptation #1

“And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:3

Our LORD Yeshua (Jesus) responded using His knowledge of Torah (Pentateuch) and more precisely, the book of “D’varim,” which translates as the book of “Words.” (We know it as “Deuteronomy”):

“But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Luke 4:4

The LORD Yeshua (Jesus) quoted the Words:

“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” D’varim/Deuteronomy 8:3, emphasis added

Attack/Temptation #2

“Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” Luke 4:5-7

How did our Wise and Holy Savior Yeshua (Jesus) respond? Again with a passage from Torah, specifically Deuteronomy:

“And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Luke 4:8, emphasis added

But notice here: before quoting Scripture this time, our Messiah addressed the devil directly, ordering him to “Get thee behind.”

This is important for us today because the devil continues to be a bother.

The devil’s attacks are vicious and he looks for whom he may devour:

“Stay alert! Watch out! Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, searching for someone to devour.” Luke 4:8, TLV

It is critical to put on the armor of God!

Keep it shined up and ready for battle, not rusting away in a closet somewhere!

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11

Deliverance is dependent upon confessing trust in the Liberator – the God of Israel and His Son Yeshua (Jesus) – and upon knowing the Word and how to use it! Remember, the LORD is your defense and He has provided His Incarnate Word to lead us to victory.

“He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.” Psalm 62:6

Another point of note: during the second temptation, hasatan adds pressure to his demand by citing his own (limited) authority. This tactic is further augmented in the third temptation as we will see.

Attack/Temptation #3

“Then he brought Yeshua to Jerusalem and placed Him on the highest point of the Temple. He said to Him, ‘If You are Ben-Elohim, throw Yourself down from here.'” Luke 4:9

If you noticed that the devil cited his own authority in the second temptation, notice that in the third temptation he goes so far as to cite the LORD’s own authority by using Scripture, specifically Psalm 91:

“For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’ and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Luke 4:10-11

The devil is desperate!

Surely, the devil doesn’t appreciate Scripture because he knows his future is sealed.

Yet hasatan (satan) will do absolutely anything and everything just for the chance to make a person fall into sin and destruction, and ultimately death.

The LORD again cites D’varim. Deuteronomy 6:16:

“And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ” Luke 4:12

You shall not tempt the LORD your God.

Yeshua (Jesus) is reaffirming that the LORD is God and that even the devil must acknowledge that Truth.

The devil was left speechless

Do you notice that after each Scriptural response, the devil had no comeback?

That ugly serpent couldn’t come up with a suitable counterargument.

So he left. Only for the time being, but the point is – the devil had to flee because he is put to shame by the power of the Word of God.

So be sure to study the Word for yourself!

Here is a wonderful song that can help you memorize Psalm 62:

When the devil wants to come against you, stand firm on the Truth of Scripture and he will have to leave you alone.

Let us look to our Almighty Savior for the best example of what to do when the devil wants to confuse us or twist Scripture for his own benefit. Know the Word for yourself and stand firm in your faith!

Parashat D’varim (Deuteronomy 1-3:22) 5782 B”H

The Book of “Words”

The book of Deuteronomy is known as “D’varim” in Hebrew, which simply means, “Words.”

D’varim is comprised of 34 chapters, so yes, there are many words!

Our English term, “Deuteronomy” comes from the Greek term in the Septuagint, “deuteronomion,” which means “Second Law.” This is a misnomer; however. The Tree of Life Bible Introduction to Deuteronomy recognizes this and aptly states, “There is no second Torah.” It is a “second telling” of that which has already been told, the law and story of Israel, a recap for the next generation of Israelites.

Just as it was then, it remains important to continue to tell the story – HIStory: the marvelous true story of the LORD’s unfolding plan of salvation.

The wonderful words of life.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Wonderful Words of Life

Do you know that wonderful hymn? It is a great song to remind us of the beauty of the Word of God.

For the full lyrics and even Spanish translation, check out this page on Hymnary. Here’s a recording you might enjoy listening to today:

From stuttering to speech-giving

In D’varim (Deuteronomy), Moshe (Moses) has matured in his ministry role.

We must smile for a moment. Moshe the reluctant stutterer is now providing full speeches! D’varim records three of his speeches addressing the growing nation of Israel.

Moshe overcame his fear of using words!

This is a lesson for us: if we fear public speaking or get nervous sharing the Good News of salvation with strangers, we can overcome those fears and anxieties. Moshe knew that he needed to provide pastoral instruction to the Israelites, just as we are called to live out the Great Commission.

Sometimes we overcome our fears because there is a need. If we place the need above our personal preferences and pray that the LORD by the power of His Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) helps us, we can overcome and be used mightily for the salvation of souls.

Moshe did this and served as a spokesman for God. Then, One-Greater-Than-Moses came: Yeshua (Jesus). Yeshua was also a spokesman for God, but there is a key difference: Yeshua IS God!

HIS Word is so valuable, we must share the Good News that Yeshua has come!

May He help us share the wonderful words of life.

D’var HaShem (Lit.: “The Word of the Name”): The Word of God

The Hebrew term דָּבָר Davar (D’var) (plural: d’varim) is translated in the Septuagint (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) using the terms “logos” and “rhema.” “In the beginning was the Word (Λόγος/logos) and the Word (Λόγος/logos) was with God and the Word (Λόγος/logos) was God.” John 1:1

So, “In the beginning was the Davar and the Davar was with God and the Davar was God.” John 1:1

I point this out so that you can see a link between Deuteronomy and the Gospels. Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) quoted from Deuteronomy frequently! When He was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) He used the words of Deuteronomy to fend off the devil. Why Deuteronomy? It is a very practical book and contains the Sh’ma (Deuteronomy 6:4-9): the prayer that would become central to Jewish religious practice.

The Words, the D’varim, could be used as armor. Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) shows us that if we know the Bible, if we memorize Scripture, we can combat the fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16) of hasatan (satan) – and win!

There is power in those words because they are D’varim HaShem. They are the Words given by God. Divine words that all came together in the person of the Holy Word, the Word Incarnate – D’var HaShem, our LORD and Savior Yeshua (Jesus).

The Prophet Greater than Moses

Moses is so very revered by the Jewish tradition that to say anyone could be greater signifies a great deal. Many Jewish people today do not believe in Messiah because they do not realize that the One Greater-than-Moses has come. Great efforts have been taken to avoid using passages of Scripture such as Isaiah 53 in synagogue services so that Jewish people will not contemplate that the passage is talking about Yeshua of Nazareth. This is tragic! If you are able to befriend a Jewish person, you must share with them the d’varim of Isaiah 53 so they can see how this Scripture has been fulfilled in Messiah.

Just as Moshe gives a long discourse in D’varim, Messiah Yeshua gave a long discourse for the Sermon on the Mount. Messiah was proving He is the Prophet of whom Moshe spoke in Deuteronomy 18:15 – the One who would come and must be listened to! I love the way Dr. Christopher Smith explains this: “ . . . the farewell speech of the first Moses provides the inaugural content for the new Moses.” Moshe himself prophesied of Messiah:

“ADONAI your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst—from your brothers. To him you must listen.” Deuteronomy 18:15

This Scripture assures us that there will indeed be someone greater than Moses, and we know and the Scriptures testify that in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) alone we have eternal life (John 5:39).

So share the wonderful words of life with someone today, that you may be an instrument, a spokesperson for the kingdom of God!

Just as the unbelieving Jewish people need to know Messiah, the believing Christians in our world need to know their connection to Israel. How much more deeply can we know our Savior if we understand the Messianic prophecies and His connection to the Jewish nation! May you be blessed today by His Word! Join us in praying for the nation of Israel, that unbelieving Jewish people would come to know their Messiah. We are praying also for Christian believers to learn more about the Jewish roots of their faith! Please leave a comment below and share with your friends!