Which Old Testament event is Jesus referencing in Luke 4:12? Setting the scene in Luke 4:12 “Jesus answered, ‘It also says, “Do not test the Lord your God.”’” Old Testament passage Jesus quotes • Deuteronomy 6:16: “Do not test the Lord your God as you tested Him at Massah.” Event behind Deuteronomy 6:16: the test at Massah Exodus 17:1-7 records the incident: • The Israelites camped at Rephidim with no water. • They quarreled with Moses and cried, “Give us water to drink!” (v. 2). • Their grumbling turned accusatory: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” (v. 3). • Moses, fearing the people might stone him, sought the Lord. • God directed him to strike the rock at Horeb; water gushed out, satisfying the people. • Moses named the place Massah (“testing”) and Meribah (“quarreling”) “because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” (v. 7). Why Jesus reaches back to Massah • Satan urges Jesus to jump from the temple pinnacle (Luke 4:9-11), twisting Psalm 91 to tempt reckless presumption on God’s protection. • Jesus answers with Deuteronomy 6:16, grounding His obedience in Israel’s wilderness lessons. • Unlike Israel, He refuses to demand proof of the Father’s care; He perfectly trusts and obeys. Broader biblical echoes • Psalm 95:8-9 warns, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did on the day at Massah in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me.” • 1 Corinthians 10:4 points to Christ as the spiritual Rock Israel drank from, underscoring His presence even then. Key takeaways • Scripture is consistent: the God who supplied water from the rock remains utterly trustworthy. • Testing God—demanding He prove Himself on our terms—reflects unbelief; trusting submission reflects faith. • Jesus, the true and better Israel, succeeds where the nation failed, securing our salvation through flawless obedience. |
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