READ:
MATTHEW 4:1-11
Satan is
extremely subtle. He is not stupid. Do not expect him to tempt you with
something completely out of your way. If the devil knows you are extremely
religious, he would appeal to your religious sentiments. For example, when
Satan tempted Jesus, according to our text, he quoted a distorted version of
Psalm 91:11-12. Verses 5-6 of our text says, “Then the devil took Him up into
the holy city, set Him 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 shall give His
angels charge concerning you and In their hands they shall bear you up, lest
you dash your foot against a stone.” As stated earlier on, Satan got
this Scripture from Psalm 91:11-12. Satan uses the Scripture to confuse people
at times. If you are versed in the word of God, you will know how to answer
Satan. Is it written that it is when you fall from the top of a hill that the
angels of God will guard you? No. The Psalm says that the angels will guard us
in all our ways, not when we deliberately take an unnecessary risk. Satan
deliberately deleted this part. Why did Satan ask Jesus Christ to jump down?
Why did Satan take Jesus Christ to the top of the temple? Let us read Malachi
3:1 “Behold,
I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom
you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant,
in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, Says the LORD of host.”
Satan knew that it had been written that when the Messiah comes, He would come
suddenly into the temple. Satan thus wanted Jesus Christ to throw Himself
suddenly into the temple and appear to the people. He knew that if Jesus Christ
jumped, He would die because it would mean that He was putting God to test. We
must be careful not to put God to test. Jesus Christ answered Satan in Matthew
4:7: “Jesus said to him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the LORD
your God.” The Bible says if those that believe touch any poisonous thing
it will not harm them. This does not mean that we should take in poisonous
things deliberately. If people try to poison your food, you have no fear once
you pray over the food in the name of Jesus Christ. However it is wrong to put
poison in your food and eat in order to show the world that you cannot be
harmed.
MEMEORIZE:
MATTHEW 4:7 –Jesus said to him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the
LORD your God.
