Food is a necessity for sustaining life. Interestingly, the Bible records several instances where a man’s need for food became a source of great temptation. For instance, Esau was willing to sell his birthright because he considered one meal more valuable than his future inheritance. The Bible also records several instances where the children of Israel allowed their desire for food to incite rebellion against the Lord (Numbers 11:4-6). Another very important example of appetite involves the earliest narratives recorded in Genesis involving an overwhelming appetite. In the garden, Eve partook of the forbidden fruit when she “saw that the tree was good for food” (Genesis 3:6). Due to the many examples of inordinate appetite leading to sin, it comes as no surprise that the Devil first sought to tempt the Lord by commanding stones to be made bread (Luke 4:3) after He had fasted for forty days.
Our flesh makes us naturally prone to rebellion and uncleanness. Yet, fewer and fewer people seem willing to accept this Bible truth. Most men would rather continue in uncleanness while pretending to live pure before the Lord. According to our passage, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” It is impossible to be simultaneously pure and filthy. We may understand this from a practical standpoint but refuse to accept it spiritually. True purity is never based on man’s opinion but upon God’s unwavering point of view. The word of God remains the only mechanism for determining truth and error. Instead of repenting and striving to align with God’s viewpoint, the worldly Christian will claim purity while walking in his filthiness. Unfortunately, Christians are moving away from the truth rather than toward it.
God is pure in every way. It logically follows that a pure God speaks only pure words. The Bible insures that we know the truth about these matters. According to scripture, “the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:8). The writer later adds, “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140). Both verses speak of the word of God in its entirety. In other words, the word of God (all 66 books) is without any foreign substance that would defile it in any way. The scripture also declares that the “words of the LORD are pure words” (Psalm 12:6). Again, which words? The Lord insures that there is no excuse for not understanding that “Every word of God is pure” (Proverbs 30:5). The Devil hates God and the things of God. He wants the world to believe that the Bible has been defiled. God claims otherwise. Who will you believe; God or the Devil?
