Saturday, February 17, 2007
Temptation 3
The third temptation of Jesus is where it really gets creepy. This is where the devil starts quoting God! “Well, y’ know, it IS written…” and Satan himself tells Jesus to jump off of the Temple roof! Distortion of the Word; sounds familiar. Yep, Lucifer quotes Psalm 91, promising the protection of angels. The problem is that we are not to intentionally go around doing stupid things. We do enough stupidity minus the premeditation!
In context, the Psalm exhorts us to stay close to God and trust or rest in Him, which is the idea previously mentioned as the source of Jesus’ strength under duress. “…His truth shall be thy sword and buckler.”
Why wasn’t Jesus fooled this time? He knew the Word! This Psalm made it to Iraq, the part that no doubt Jesus CLUNG to as well, “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee…Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation…”
And then Jesus shot His own weapon of Divine power! “Ye shall not tempt the Lord you God as ye tempted Him in Massah.” ~Deuteronomy 6:16~ The quote holds so much more than the average reader could ever grasp. I love with a passion, the depth of teaching found in CIJ. The time: Israel under Moses. The place: The wilderness. The atmosphere: Tense. Jesus is pointing back at the sign from thence pointed to His coming. Moses was to strike the rock ONCE according to God’s specific instruction. Living water, the spiritual life found in Christ, was symbolized in the water that flowed from the rock for the Israelites. Jesus is saying, “I’m gonna die ONCE and it is not time yet.” Jesus, the Rock, was the source of the Water by which our thirst is permanently quenched.
“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them into living fountains of waters…and God shall wipe all tears from their eyes.” ~Revelation 7:17
In context, the Psalm exhorts us to stay close to God and trust or rest in Him, which is the idea previously mentioned as the source of Jesus’ strength under duress. “…His truth shall be thy sword and buckler.”
Why wasn’t Jesus fooled this time? He knew the Word! This Psalm made it to Iraq, the part that no doubt Jesus CLUNG to as well, “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee…Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation…”
And then Jesus shot His own weapon of Divine power! “Ye shall not tempt the Lord you God as ye tempted Him in Massah.” ~Deuteronomy 6:16~ The quote holds so much more than the average reader could ever grasp. I love with a passion, the depth of teaching found in CIJ. The time: Israel under Moses. The place: The wilderness. The atmosphere: Tense. Jesus is pointing back at the sign from thence pointed to His coming. Moses was to strike the rock ONCE according to God’s specific instruction. Living water, the spiritual life found in Christ, was symbolized in the water that flowed from the rock for the Israelites. Jesus is saying, “I’m gonna die ONCE and it is not time yet.” Jesus, the Rock, was the source of the Water by which our thirst is permanently quenched.
“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them into living fountains of waters…and God shall wipe all tears from their eyes.” ~Revelation 7:17
