Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. I. ADAM'S BRIEF LIFE NOT BY BREAD ALONE IN EDEN. 1. The angels living by the Word of God alone without bread. "He maketh His angels spirits; and the highest of their heavenly host, those amongst them that "excel in strength " live only by" hearkening to the voice of His Word." The prince of this world in his first estate lived by the Word of God, but he kept not that Word, for "His Word is truth," and he "abode not in the truth," but became "a liar and the father of it." 2. The ox living by bread alone without the Word of God. To the ox his Creator gave "every green herb for meat," but without imparting the knowledge of his Maker, or capacity for acquiring it. The beast of the field was formed by the Word of God, and sustained by His power; but with no command either what to eat or from what to abstain, with no consciousness of good or evil, of obedience or transgression, and with no conception of the great Being to whom He owed his life. He ate the grass without sin and without holiness, and lived by grass alone without the Word of God. As he was formed, so he liveth on from generation to generation to the world's end, "asking no questions." 3. Adam living by bread with the Word of God. "In the image of God made He man," and He made him for communion with Himself. He did not evolve him from any beast of the field after its likeness, but fashioned him in His own likeness, "a little lower than the angels," leaving the ox utterly and for ever incapable of entering into the heart or mind of man; but creating man capable at once of entering into His own thoughts, and of loving and being consciously loved by the invisible God. From the day of man's creation he lived by bread, but not for one hour by bread alone without the Word of God. Of every tree of the garden he might freely eat; but the liberty was by the Divine Word in express permission, and in so eating man lived. II. ISRAEL'S CHEQUERED LIFE NOT BY BREAD ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS. 1. Israel redeemed from Egypt and day by day fed by the hand of God. One chief end of the forty years' travelling through the wilderness was to train Israel to know that man doth not live by bread only, but by the Word of God; showing us both how high a place this lesson takes in the Divine teaching, and how slow men are to learn it. 2. Ransomed men learning to live not by bread alone. When the three thousand converts at Pentecost were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, "they did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God." It was repentance unto life and deliverance from condemnation that had been granted them from heaven; and they had no care "what they should eat or wherewithal they should be clothed." But for the first time in their lives they had learned that man does not live by bread only, but by every word of God; the eating of their daily food became part of their higher and everlasting life; and receiving it from the hand of a reconciled Father, they lived not by bread alone, but by bread with the Word of God that sanctified it to them. III. THE SON OF MAN'S WHOLE LIFE ON EARTH NEVER BY BREAD ALONE. (The Expositor,) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. |
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