Faith Capsule: Do not neglect Old Testament attempting to navigate into the blessings of God.

Malachi 3

Bible recorded how Jesus took His stand against Satan’s temptation. Matthew 4:1-3 stated, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Satan tempted Jesus and Jesus responded, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”(Matthew 3:4) Interestingly, Jesus response was from the Old Testament’s book of Deuteronomy 8:3 which stated, “…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.”

Satan was not done with Jesus when he took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple asking Jesus to throw Himself down if He was the Son of God. Again, Jesus responded, “It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” (Matthew 3:7) Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16 to shut Satan up. As if the Satan is deaf and not able to hear and see that Jesus is not in position for him to sway to sin, he went further by leading Jesus to a high mountain promising to give Jesus what does not belong to him if Jesus should fall down and worship him. Jesus responded, “…Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”(Matthew 4:10) Without debate Jesus’ quotation from the Old Testament’s Deuteronomy 10:20 derailed Satan’s temptation. Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, the one we are to live life by His example proved to us that Old Testament is very much our manual for life as much as the New Testament.
Are you one of those that are reducing the words of Old Testament and expecting to increase in the blessings of God’s promise? For example, the Old Testament’s book of Malachi 3:8-10 stated “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” Do not neglect Old Testament attempting to navigate into the blessings of God. It is important to engage and embrace both Old Testament and New Testament for the manifestation of His blessings.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to open your understanding.