Luke the physician shared how Jesus, “ full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If you therefore will worship me, all shall be yours. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you”, and in chapter four and verse eleven of his book Luke shared how the devil continued to refer to scripture as he tells Jesus, “in their hands they shall bear you up” where we read:
And in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.
The verse reads, “And in their hands they shall bear you up, ...” Luke began with the words, “and in their hands” or “and in the angel's hands” “they shall bear you up” which means “the messengers and envoys of God will elevate and raise Jesus upward”. Luke shared how the devil continued the verse in Psalm ninety one and verse twelve by telling Jesus the “angels” of God would “raise” Him “upward” if He threw Himself off the “pinnacle of the temple”.
The verse goes on to say, “... lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.” Luke continued with the words, “lest at any time” which means “if perhaps, peradventure or haply at some moment of time” “you dash your foot” or “Jesus stumbled or struck His physical foot” “against a stone” which means “near, towards or in regard to a rock or stumbling stone”. Luke shared how the devil went on to quote the remainder of the verse in Psalm 91 by saying God would “save” Him even if He were to “stumble” on a rock or “stone”.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how “Satan” attempted to convince Jesus through scripture that God would send His “messengers and envoys” to save Him if He jumped from the temple pinnacle, and the devil was right. God would have saved Him, but “Satan” wanted Jesus to make a “show” or “demonstration” for the people below that He was indeed the “Messiah” and “Savior” who came from God. This may have seemed like a good idea because people would have marveled at Jesus, but Jesus would submit to “Satan”. “Satan's” mission is not only to destroy people, but also to “discredit and defy” God, and when he tempts people with “the pride of life”, rather than giving God credit for God for all things, people want to receive glory and honor for themselves. God knew people needed to be “saved” from their sin of “pride”, and Jesus demonstrated the way to defeat the devil in his temptations toward mankind.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus told the devil, “It is said, you shall not tempt the Lord your God”, 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.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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