In Matthew 4:7, Jesus is responding to a temptation presented to him by Satan. Satan had challenged Jesus to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple, saying that the angels would save him. In response, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, which says, “You must not test the Lord your God.” This quote was intended to show that it would be wrong for Jesus to test God’s power by putting himself in a dangerous situation just to see if God would save him.
In verse 12, we learn that Jesus left Judea and returned to Galilee after he heard that John the Baptist had been arrested. This was likely because Jesus did not want to draw too much attention to himself while John was still preaching and baptizing in the same region. Jesus was careful to follow God’s plan and timing for his ministry.
Overall, these verses show us that Jesus was obedient to God’s will, even in the face of temptation, and he was careful to follow God’s timing for his ministry. It also highlights the importance of not testing God’s power for the sake of curiosity or testing, but rather trusting in Him and following His will.
“Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’””
Jesus – Matthew 4:7
Matthew 4:7 NLT