Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He was able to resist Satan’s schemes by having the word of God hidden in His heart (Ps. 119:11). More specifically, it is obvious that Jesus had taken time to memorize Scripture—committing it to His mind so that He would remember it and committing it to His heart so that He would live by it.
One passage that He committed to memory was this one that He quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16—“You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matt. 4:7). Take time to memorize it.
How does one “tempt the Lord”? This is hard for us to fathom. We know that “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). So, what does it mean to “tempt the Lord your God”?
Put the verse in the context in which Moses used it and in which Jesus used it. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses told Israel, “You shall not go after other gods…lest the anger of the Lord be aroused against you…You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah” (6:14-16). If Israel worshiped and served foreign gods, they were, in effect, putting the Lord to the test, to see if He would actually do as He promised. Their complaining against the Lord’s providence at Massah had also tested His power, care and longsuffering. In Matthew 4, Satan was trying to get Jesus to presumptuously and unnecessarily test God’s love, power and promises. Thus Jesus proclaimed, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (NASB).
How does this apply to us today? How can we possibly tempt God or, more accurately, test God today? The simple answer is this—God has given us a number of commands in Scripture and God has made a number of promises to us, as well. Our response should be obvious—trust and obey! But, I test His commands and promises when, in my disobedience, I say, think or “rationalize”:
“Oh, I think God understands…God knows what I’m going through and is ok with what I’m doing…I know that’s what He says, but I feel that…God’s not going to let anything happen to me…God will understand…”
If it was wrong for Jesus to intentionally put Himself in a place of danger physically, it is wrong (i.e., testing God) for us to intentionally jeopardize our souls by putting them in a place of danger spiritually, doctrinally or morally.