Apostolic Scripture Reflection
for
Ekev

Matthew 4:1-11
Luke 4:1-13
James 5:7-11

"Wait Upon the Lord"

POSTED 31 JULY, 2010

by Mark Huey
mhuey@outreachisrael.net

This week’s Torah portion, Ekev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), is the third reading of the Book of Deuteronomy, and it continues the narrative of the Ancient Israel’s sojourn from Egypt to the Promised Land. Its title is derived from the conjunction ekev (bq[), often meaning either “because” or “because of” (CHALOT).[1] When Israel is found to be obeying the commandments of the Lord, then this is precisely the reason why He will bless them and prosper them.[2] Israel’s heartfelt willingness to obey the precepts, ordinances, statutes, and commands of the Creator will result in multiple blessings, including: fertility for procreation of either the people or their livestock, protection from enemies or their diseases, and victory over enemies and their gods.[3] Moses hearkens the Israelites to remember the deliverance that God enacted in saving the people from Egypt, and the great miracles He demonstrated—and how He will do it again in the conquest of Canaan.[4]

A major thrust of this parashah that we encounter is how all provision comes forth from the Holy One of Israel. Moses emphasizes that what is important is not just the physical provision that God provides His people, but the recognition al-kol-motza pi-Adonai yich’yeh ha’adam (~dah hyxy hwhy-yp acAm-lK-l[), or “on every utterance of the Lord’s mouth does the human live” (Alter):

“All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers. You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:1-3).

Within the narrative of Ekev, Moses recalls how he spent forty days and forty nights before the Lord: receiving the first set of Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 9:9-17), focused in a period of prayer and fasting for Israel after the golden calf incident (Deuteronomy 9:18-29), and then going up before the Lord to receive the second set of Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 10:1-10). Both Moses’ patience, and the Lord’s patience with His chosen people to give them a second chance—and not eliminate them and start anew with the offspring of Moses—points to how significant the virtues of patience and perseverance are for God’s people, especially those in positions of leadership. Of course, patience is listed by the Apostle Paul as being one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Patience is perhaps one of the hardest supernatural qualities for Believers today to maintain, especially in our hustling and bustling, “fast food” and “microwaved” society, that demands instantaneous change and is frequently unable to wait.

There is no better example for people today to emulate regarding patience than Yeshua the Messiah. In both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we see a record of how after His immersion by John, the Lord was directed by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. This is an important scene where some great and critical lessons can be learned, on how to not only patiently seek the Lord (perhaps focused via fasting and prayer), but most importantly how Messiah followers are to use their knowledge of the Holy Scriptures to combat the enemy when he attacks or presents various temptations. In this classic scene, Yeshua quotes to Satan directly from Deuteronomy 6:13, 16; 8:3; and 10:20, not falling prey to his temptations:

“Then Yeshua was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God [Deuteronomy 8:3].”’ Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, “He will command His angels concerning You”; and “On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone [Psalm 91:11-12].”’ Yeshua said to him, ‘On the other hand, it is written, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test [Deuteronomy 6:16].”’ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.’ Then Yeshua said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only [Deuteronomy 6:13].”’ Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him” (Matthew 4:1-11).

“Yeshua, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.’ And Yeshua answered him, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone [Deuteronomy 8:3].”’ And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.’ Yeshua answered him, ‘It is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only [Deuteronomy 6:13].”’ And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, “He will command His angels concerning You to guard You [Psalm 91:11],” and, “On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone [Psalm 91:12].”’ And Yeshua answered and said to him, ‘It is said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test [Deuteronomy 6:16].”’ When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:1-13).

When reviewing this testimony from the Scriptures, we see that the Adversary is not at all bashful, and is most willing to directly confront the Son of God during His time of discomfort. If Satan directly tempted Yeshua, then this means that he and his minions are certainly willing to go after any of the Messiah’s followers.

It is most critical to understand how the Devil knows and uses the Holy Scriptures, by trying to twist their meanings just ever so slightly. In this case, Satan quotes from Psalm 91:11-12 in order to try and make Yeshua think that in casting Himself down, there will be angels to rescue Him. The Devil, his dark angels, or his nefarious vessels will deliberately misrepresent and misinterpret the Bible for evil purposes. Even if someone can quote the entire Bible verbatim, it does not mean that he or she is necessarily speaking for God. The Scriptures must be interpreted properly, particularly in order to represent God’s character and purposes for His people.

In this scene we also should acknowledge how Satan has been given some degree of authority over the kingdoms of this world, with an influence over determining who he will give power to rule. By offering these kingdoms to Yeshua, we can deduce that over the centuries the Dark Prince has offered various kingdoms to others, who have not only willingly accepted the authority, but perhaps quite literally have given him their souls. What hollow promises did the Adversary really promise to those desiring power? In too much of history, those who end up being granted high positions of power end up losing it before dying. Hitler’s Third Reich, for example, by no means (and most thankfully!) lasted a thousand years.

Obviously, we could offer much speculation and propose many theories about how the Devil’s temptations have manifested themselves over the millennia—but most of us individually will never be offered control of a global empire. Instead, the temptations that the Adversary will present us with will be in more tangible things we desire, such as money or wealth (cf. 1 Timothy 6:10). When human beings lack the patience to wait on the Lord, the enemy often finds an opportunity to interject himself and offer us a quick way to what we need or want.

Knowing how the forces of darkness operate is key, because patiently waiting upon the will of our Heavenly Father is something which needs to become an active part of who we are as followers of the Messiah Yeshua. Each of us needs to seriously consider the admonition of James the Just, who uses the example of a farmer patiently waiting for the early and late rains. Crops do not grow instantaneously, and so the analogy is made that anything we need or require will not be given or provided for us instantaneously, either. James makes reference to the Prophets who spoke for the Lord, and the endurance of Job, both who had to endure in order to show that they were truly His. Via life experience, they were able to see how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy:

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful” (James 5:7-11).

Let me conclude with some words from the Psalmist David, who certainly knew of not only temptation, but also as king of Israel battled with those given authority over other kingdoms. Many times throughout his Psalms he speaks of the need to wait upon the Lord, and for people to commit themselves to Him:

“Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:1-9).

The contrast between the evildoers, and those who wait/trust/delight in the Lord, is obvious to see. One receives punishment, and other receives blessing. Patience is indeed a virtue! May we all learn to more fully wait upon the Lord, and allow His will to naturally manifest itself in His timing! Learn to place your life entirely in His hands, and give the enemy no opportunity to tempt you with a quick way only leading to perdition.

Mark Huey (B.A., Vanderbilt University in History and Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is the Director of Outreach Israel Ministries (www.outreachisrael.net). He is the author of several books, including: TorahScope, Volumes I & II, and Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot. He is also co-author of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study.

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