Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 19
July 13, 1967
NUMBER 10, PAGE 6c-7a

Hungry Men Need More Than Bread

W. Arthur Moody

"If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread," were the words of Satan's temptation of Jesus who had just fasted forty days and nights in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1-11.

Satan was trying to lure Jesus into the same sin that others have so often committed. But Jesus refused to place his physical welfare first, to put dependence in a material thing (even if it should be food) or sin at Satan's tempting command.

Our Lord replied, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."' Matthew 4:4. This passage from the Old Testament scriptures referred to the time when Moses told the children of Israel that God had humbled them and had permitted them to go hungry and then fed them with manna. Thus God taught them that "Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Deuteronomy 8:2-6. The presence of manna from heaven warned them against exalting themselves, forgetting God and saying, "My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth." They were to remember the Lord their God and that it is He that giveth power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8: 14-19.

Therefore, Jesus refused to exalt himself and He remembered to put his trust in God, His Father, eternally, rather than in a piece of bread during a moment of physical weakness.