The Nugget:
Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
My Comment:
The Scriptures are designed for supporting life. Physical life is supported by food. Even the nation of Israel in the wilderness journey needed food to eat. God miraculously supplied them manna as physical food six days a week for forty years. During that time their clothes did not wear out. On that long desert walk their feet did not swell. Another Scripture tells us their shoes did not wear out (Deuteronomy 29:5). But God declares we need more than physical clothing and food. We need spiritual food that comes out of the mouth of God. In our time that spiritual food is found in one place–your Bible. Just as you could not stay alive very long without food and water, so your spiritual life will not continue to live apart from feeding regularly on God’s written word in the Bible. The Scriptures are designed for supporting spiritual life. Failure to feed on God’s Word in the Bible surely results in spiritual death. This verse (Deuteronomy 8:3) ought to take on special significance when you realize that Jesus quoted this verse in answer to Satan during His temptation in the wilderness. Take time to read the Bible and so choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19. Joshua 24:15). Bring fresh vitality to your spiritual life by feeding regularly on God’s Word.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 188 for Deuteronomy 8:3.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 206 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Deuteronomy 8:3.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Deuteronomy 8:3. he humbled thee. Dt 33:8. Pr 29:23. suffered thee to hunger. Ec 7:14. Da 11:35. fed thee. ver. Dt 8:16. Ex 16:2, 3, 12-35. Ne 9:15. Ps 78:23-25. 105:40. 143:5. 144:13. +*Je 31:2. Mt 4:4. Mk 6:42. Lk 22:35. Jn 6:30-35, 41, 48-51, 57, 58, 63. 1 Cor 10:3. *Phil 4:19. 1 Tim 6:8. neither did. +*Dt 5:3. make thee know. Ro 8:28. doth not live. Dt 6:24. Ps 37:3. 104:27-29. >Mt 4:4. Mk 6:42. >Lk 4:4. 12:29, 30. He 13:5, 6. bread. FS171, +Ge 3:19. Dt 29:6. Ps 104:15. Da 1:12. proceedeth. **Je 15:16. Jn 1:1, 14, 45. 6:52-55. +**2 Tim 3:16. mouth. FS22A10, +Nu 12:8. doth man live. Is 38:16.
dt 8.3 and he humbled thee, and suffered to hunger, and fed thee
with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know;
that he might make thee know that man doth live by bread only, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man
live.
encouraging cross refs(the best commentary on the bible is the bible)
1. jer 15.16 Thy words were found, and i did eat them; and thy word
was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by
thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
2. 1 pe 2.2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby: v3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious. v4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed
of men, but chosen of God, and precious,v5 Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.