G5
We are not to test God's promises and warnings.
Category: God & Yeshua
Type: Negative
Form: Explicit
Source dataset: Old Testament
Uniqueness: Not unique
Classical commandment: Yes
New Covenant Literal Application
Applies to Person Categories: Not specified
Literal Application: Not specified
More explanation about New Covenant Literal Application
The New Covenant Literal Application Code (NCLA) is an interpretive guide used by the authors to indicate which person categories a mitzvah applies to, and at what level of literal compliance.
It combines person categories such as Jewish, K'rov Yisrael, and Gentile, together with male/female distinctions and an application level such as mandated, recommended, optional, or prohibited.
This code reflects the authors' interpretive opinion and is provided for prayerful consideration. On this page, the technical code is summarized into plain language to help new readers understand it more easily.
Bible references
Key NT Scriptures
- Matthew 4:5-7
Key OT Scriptures
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Deuteronomy 6:16
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Exodus 17:3-7
Supportive OT Scriptures
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Judges 6:36-40
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Malachi 3:10
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Commentary
Rabbi Michael Rudolph
We are commanded by Deuteronomy 6:16 not to put God to the test. What this means is that we must believe God in that whatever He says He will do, and not intentionally act in such a way as to force His hand and provoke Him to prove it. The bottom line is that we must trust and not doubt God's warnings and promises. In Matthew 4:5-7 , we read how Yeshua Himself demonstrated the principle by refusing to jump from the Temple in order to prove His identity by forcing His Father to save Him supernaturally. There are two instances in Scripture where God seems to be saying the opposite. One of them is in Judges 6:36-40 , where Gid'on asks God for supernatural signs of His Word. But Gid'on was not testing God; he believed God. On the contrary, he was doubting the accuracy with which he was hearing God, and was testing himself. The other instance is in Malachi 3:10 , in which God says, in part: " Bring the whole tenth into the storehouse, so that there will be food in my house, and put me to the test ... " This is not a contradiction of the Deuteronomy 6:16 commandment either, because here God is not asking doubters or unbelievers to put Him to test Him in order to prove His truthfulness. He is lovingly beseeching Israelite believers to follow His instructions so that they can have and enjoy His promised blessings.
Classical commentators
Maimonides does not command against testing the promises and warnings contained in Scripture, but rather against those voiced by God's prophets. HaChinuch interprets Deuteronomy 6:16 somewhat differently by saying that we should not test true prophets excessively. Meir does not have a mitzvah on this subject at all.
Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2
Classical sources
Maimonides
Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 12th century) organized all 613 Torah commandments into a structured list. These linked items show where this Law of Messiah commandment overlaps with that classical framework.
Source and License
Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.
License: CC BY-ND 4.0 (Attribution required, NoDerivatives). CC BY-ND 4.0
Disclaimer: the original content is authored by Rabbi Michael Rudolph and Rabbi Daniel Juster; additional notes or implementation details on this website are not part of their original work and do not represent their views.
Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2
Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2