The Temptations Of Christ!

.....Mathew 4: 1-11 says, "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 thou be 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 saith unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy 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 saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil left Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.

.....Today I would like to take a look at the temptations of Christ, and share some things concerning this. But before we do, let us take a look at the real meaning of the word tempt. In English, the word tempt has a uniformly and consistently bad meaning. It always means to entice a man to do wrong, to seek or seduce him into sin, and try to persuade him to take the wrong way. But the Greek word for tempt, "Peirazein," has a quite different element in its meaning. It means to test.

.....An Old Testament example of this would be the story of how narrowly Abraham escaped sacrificing his only son Isaac. Genesis 22: 1 says, " And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. Now clearly, the word tempt here did not mean to seek or seduce into evil. We all know that it is quite unthinkable that God would try to make any man sin or do wrong. What is quite clear here is the true meaning, "After these things God tested Abraham." A supreme test of loyalty. Just as metal has to be refined and tested far beyond any stress and strain that it will ever be called upon to bear before it can be put to any useful purpose, so a man has to be tested before God can use him for His purposes. What we call temptation is not meant to make us sin; it is meant to enable us to conquer sin.It is not meant to make us bad; it is meant to make us good. It is not meant to weaken us; it is meant to make us emerge stronger, and finer, and purer from the ordeal. Temptation is not the penalty of being a man, temptation is the glory of being a man. It is the test which comes to a man whom God wishes to use. So then, we must think of this whole incident concerning Jesus, not so much as a tempting, but a testing.

.....So why did the test that Jesus had to endure have to take place in the wilderness? Because Jesus had to be alone. His task had to come to Him, and God had spoken to Him. He had to think and ponder as to how He was to attempt the task which God had given Him to do. He had to get things straight in His mind before He started out on His mission, and He had to be alone to do this.

.....How many times do we often go wrong simply because we first never try to be alone with God, and to receive the instructions for what He has called us to do. There are certain things today which every man has to work out alone, with God. And, there are times when no one else's advice is any good to him. Such times is when a man has to stop acting, and start thinking. We all would and could make less mistakes in life today if we would just set aside the time, as Jesus did, to be alone with God. So please, take some time out of your day today, to be alone with Him.
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Gideon - Great Warrior! (Part 2)

Part 2

.....We left off in Part 1 where Gideon is appointed and empowered by God to free His people. Let us continue on in this study from Judges 6: 25-35.

1. Gideon's first task was to tear down Baal’s altar, which it seems was his father's, either for his own house or perhaps for the whole town. We can clearly see the power of God’s grace, to take the weakest of the weak, and raise up a deliverer, out of the family of one that was a ring-leader in Idolatry. God showed Gideon that it was not enough just to worship at that altar, which we hope he had not done, but he must tear it down; not consecrating the same altar to God , but utterly demolish it. God always commands us to tear down the monuments of superstition, and unbelief, to then empower us to His own service.

2. Gideon was then commanded to erect an altar to God, to Jehovah, his God, or Israel’s. It would have been an improper thing for him to build an altar, even to the God of Israel, especially for a burnt-offering and sacrifice, and it would have been construed as contempt, if God had not bidden him to do it. But now it was his duty and honor to be the one employed to do it. God directs him to the place where he should build it, on the top of the rock, a place to designate their overcoming, perhaps in the same place in which the angel had appeared to him.

The word here used for the rock, on which the altar was to be built signifies a fortress, or strong-hold, erected, to secure them from the Midianites; like a defeated King with the victorious king's foot on his throat, declaring victory before all. The wood, that was to be used for the offering, was to be from the image of Baal that was cut down, represented Humanity. God's victory over Humanity. The location represents for us today the place of victory, a point of no return, where God's enemies have been made a footstool for the Lord . Jesus spoke prophetically when He said, "Upon this Rock, (meaning Revelation,) I shall build this Kingdom, My Kingdom, (My Church.)"

.....On this altar, Gideon was to offer sacrifice. Two bullocks he must offer: his father’s young bullock, and the second bullock of seven years old. The former, we may suppose, he was to offer for himself, the latter for the sins of the people whom he was to deliver. It was requisite he should thus make peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the great sacrifice, The Finished Work of the Cross. These bullocks, it is supposed, were intended for sacrifices on the altar of Baal, but were now converted to a better use. Thus, when the strong man armed is overcome and dispossessed, the stronger than he divides the spoil, seizes that for himself which was prepared for Baal. Let him come whose right it is, and give it to him.

.....The image of Baal or whatever it was, that was the sanctity or beauty of the previous altar, must not only be burnt, but must be used as fuel for God’s altar, to signify not only that whatever sets up itself in opposition to God shall be destroyed, but also that the justice of God will be glorified in its destruction. God ordered Gideon to do this. Gideon had no zeal for religion, which made it was necessary for him to give proof of before he took the field, showing his valor there. It is by these same steps and degree that we embark upon our own callings today, towards the Church's Reformation, and Transformation, preparing the way for the Kingdom of God to be established here on this Earth.

.....Sin, which was the cause of all their troubles, must be taken away, else how should the trouble, and its effects, come to an end? This has already taken place for us today, but the people of God have forgotten and must be reminded of what has already taken place, renewing their minds to what is already true of them in Christ. And it might be hoped that by this example of Gideon’s, who was now shortly to appear so great a man, would be followed by the rest of the cities and tribes, and the destruction of this one altar of Baal would be the destruction of many.

.....Gideon was obedient to the heavenly vision, v. 27. He that was to command Israel, for God, and must be subject to God, without disputing, and, as a type of Christ, must first save his people from their sins, and then save them from their enemies.

Four things appear evident concerning the deployment of his mission.

1. He had servants of his own, whom he could confide in, who, we may suppose, like him, had kept their integrity, and had not bowed their knee to Baal, and therefore were allowed to assist him in destroying the altar of Baal.

2. He did not contemplate taking his father’s bullock and offering it to God without his father’s consent, because God, who expressly commanded him to do so, had a better title to it than his father had, and it was the greatest real kindness he could do to his father to atone for his sin.

3. He expected to incur the displeasure of his father’s household by it, and the ill-will of his neighbors, yet he did it. And, while he was sure of the favor of God, he feared the anger of men.

4. Though he feared not their resentment when it was done, to prevent their resistance in the doing of it, he prudently chose to do it by night, that he might not be disturbed in these sacred actions. And some think it was the same night in which God spoke to him to do it, and it is probable that he did it as soon as he had received the orders, immediately applying himself to the execution of them, and finished before morning.

Then, he was brought into peril of his life for doing it, v. 28–30, through the next series of events.

1. Gideon, when he had gone through with the mission, did not desire the concealment of it, nor could it be hid, for the men of the city rose early in the morning, as it should seem, to pay homage to Baal, which was the way many of them began their day with their god. It was and still is a shame to those who knew of the true God at one time, as their God, and yet, in the morning, directed no prayer to Him, nor looked up.

2. They all saw the destruction of Baal’s altar. It was soon discovered who had done it. Strict inquiry was made. Gideon was known to be disaffected to the worship of Baal, which brought him into suspicion, and positive proof immediately came against him: "Gideon, no doubt, has done this thing.’’

3. Gideon being found guilty of the fact, the Israelites arrived at the conclusion that he must die for what he did, and required his own father (who, by compromising to their idolatry, had given them too much cause to expect that he would comply with them,) to deliver him up. They requested his father to: Bring out thy son, that he may die. Be astonished, O heavens! How soon will idolaters become our persecutors!

.....He was rescued out of the hands of his persecutors by his own father, v. 31. There were those that stood against Gideon, that not only appeared at the first to make a demand, but insisted on it, and would have him put to death. Notwithstanding the heavy judgments they were facing themselves at this time for their own idolatry, they hated to be reformed, and walked contrary to God even when He was walking contrary to them. Yet, Joash stood up for Gideon and God; he was one of the chief men of the city. Those that have power today, may do a great deal for the protection of an honest man and an honest cause, and when they so use their power, they are ministers of God for good.

.....Joash had patronized Baal’s altar, yet now protects the one that had destroyed it. Why? Perhaps it was a particular esteem for him as a virtuous, valiant, and valuable man, who was never the worse for not joining with him in the worship of Baal. Today, there are many that have not the courage enough to keep their integrity themselves, yet still have a conscience left that makes them love and esteem those that do.

.....Maybe Joash, out of conviction, realized that Gideon had done well. His son, perhaps, had reasoned with him, or God, who has all hearts in his hands, had secretly and effectually influenced him to appear thus against the advocates for Baal, though he had complied with them formerly in the worship of Baal. Note, It is good to appear for God when we are called to it, though there be few or none to second us, because God can incline the hearts of those to stand by us from whom we little expect assistance.

There were two things Joash urges:

1. That it was absurd for them to plead for Baal. "Will you that are Israelites, the worshipers of the one and only living and true God, plead for Baal, a false god? Will you be so senseless? Those whose fathers’ god Baal was, and who never knew any other, are more excusable in pleading for him than you are. You are the ones that are supposed to be in covenant with Jehovah, and have been trained up in the knowledge of Him. You that have brought about all this mischief and calamity upon yourselves by your Idolatry, will you yet plead for Baal?’’ Note, It is bad to commit sin, but it is an even greater wickedness indeed to plead for it, especially to plead for Baal, that idol, whatever it is, which possesses the room in your heart which God should have.

2. That it was needless for them to plead for Baal. If he were not a god, as was pretended, they could have nothing to say for him; if he were, he was able to plead for himself, as the God of Israel had often done by fire from heaven, or some other judgment against those who put contempt upon Him. Here is a fair challenge to Baal to do either good or evil. The result of which would convince his worshipers of their folly in praying to one to help them that could not even avenge himself. After this, Gideon remarkably prospered, and thereby it appeared how unable Baal was to maintain his own cause.

.....But during this time, Gideon’s father gave him a new name, v. 32; he called him Jerubbaal: "Let Baal plead; let him plead against him if he can." They literally cursed him. And from that point, a challenge was issued to see if Baal had anything to say for himself against his destroyer, Gideon, who was empowered by Jehovah, the true and living God. They concluded by stating,"Now that Gideon is taking up arms against the Midianites that worship Baal, let him defend his worshipers if he can.’’

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Gideon,The Great Warrior, in Part 3.

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