Matthew shared how Jesus was “baptized” and he wrote, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, And said unto him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. Again, the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;”, and in chapter four and verse nine of his book, Matthew shares how the devil told Jesus, “all these things, will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me” where we read:
And
said unto him, All these things will I give you, if you will fall
down and worship me.
The verse reads, “And said unto him, All these things will I give you, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and said” which means “and the devil uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto him” or “to Jesus”, “all these things” which means “each, every, the whole and everything that you see” “will I give you” which means “the devil would grant, bestow, furnish and supply to Jesus”. The “devil” declared he would “grant and bestow” upon Jesus every kingdom and their glory within His sight.
The verse continues, “... if you will fall down and worship me.” Matthew added the words, “if you will fall down” which means “in the case that Jesus would be prostrated and cast down” “and worship me” or “reverence, kneel to do homage or make obeisance to the devil”. Matthew shared how the “devil” declared he would give Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world” if He would only bow down and make obeisance to him.
When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “lust of the eyes” would be granted to Jesus by the “devil” if Jesus would only “bow” and “worship” him. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit in the garden of Eden (See Genesis 3), they forfeited the earth and it's deed to “Satan”. He became the ruler within it (See John 12:31), and Jesus came to “redeem” or “buy back” the earth to it's rightful owner – God. (See Romans 8:19-23 and Colossians 1:19-20). The “devil” attempts to have people “worship” him by granting them the desires of their “eyes”, and because God knew people would fail at resisting him, He sent His Son to demonstrate and prove this temptation could be overcome. Those who put their “faith and trust” in the only One who was able to live a sinless life shall have “everlasting life” through Him, and the power to resist “the lust of the eyes” shall be granted to them as well.
Next time Matthew shares how the devil told Jesus, “you shall worship the Lord Your God, and Him only shall you serve” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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