Submitted by: Brother P. Wells
Related scriptures: Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25, Psalms 97 & Isaiah 49:14-51:3
As believers we are constantly put to the test, this test is often referred to as being tempted. Yeshua shows in these scriptures the way of enduring testing and temptation of the adversary. In any test we must have the right supplies to go through a test and to know what the test will include for it to be possible to pass. The L-rd provided Yeshua with the necessary supplies for His test through the wilderness. The L-rd provided Yeshua with the Ruach HaKodesh to guide Him through the wilderness and He had the love of the Father that He was well pleased with Him and that Yeshua would have full faith, trust and know to do the will of G-d. Yeshua didn’t use human wisdom and understanding to go through this test what He did use is G-dly wisdom, knowledge and understanding which are only found in the Word of G-d. This test is spiritual and not intellectual. This test prepared Yeshua for a life of constant testing by the P’rushim, Torah Teachers, the Israelite people, His family, and His Talmidim. What His testing shows us as we go through our lives, is who do we put our trust in and will we have faith to endure to do G-d’s will and not the adversary’s will?
When Yeshua was tested in the wilderness, the adversary brings out three of his weapons of temptation,(which is found in 1 John 2.16 in KJV) the first is the lust of the flesh. The adversary knew Yeshua was hungry fasting in the wilderness, the adversary asked Yeshua, “If you are the Son of G-d, order these stones to become bread”. The adversary will always try to make one doubt or question G-d’s love for us, our relationship with G-d and try to use our weakness to not rely on G-d. As he did with Adam and Eve by asking the question of doubt of G-d’s authority and also with the children of Israel asking constantly for food to sustain them and not realizing the L-rd was their provision for life and to be obedient to Him. Yet, Yeshua answers the adversary with scripture and with what will sustain us, the Word of G-d and the living the Word which is Yeshua, In John chapter 1, it says the Word is G-d, In Him is life. Yeshua said it in John 6. 36 “I am the bread which is life! Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever trusts in me will never be thirsty. What Yeshua is showing us is to trust in Him for life , so we may never go spiritually hungry and that we may not seek alternatives in life.
The second testing is the lust of the eyes, the adversary will always use the desire for power, glory or simply what one wants in their heart to ensnare his victims. He makes the statement regarding the kingdoms of the world It has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I choose. 7 So if you will worship me, it will all be yours.” Such false claims by the deceiver have always seduced man and once this happens man start to honor the things of the adversary such as greed, idolatry and self absorbance. Also the adversary wants to be worship, this is what got him kicked out of heaven. Once again Yeshua uses the scriptures to rebuke the adversary by quoting the first commandment and Duet. 6. 13-14 to worship G-d alone and only G-d is worthy of our worship and loyalty because the L-rd demands it of us. We as believers need to be very careful of falling into this subtle and dangerous trap. This is why it is important to allow the Ruach HaKodesh to lead us just as Yeshua to know what is good and righteous for us and not allow our desires to lead us to sh’ol.
The third testing is the pride of life, the adversary tried to use the words of the scripture to tempt Yeshua into testing G-d’s will for Him. As believers we need to understand our life is not greater then G-d’s will. G-d’s plans for our life is prefect and we can’t allow our desires and our wants to test G-d, for example the Israelites in the wilderness tested G-d by demanding food and being disobedient to Moshe, the L-rd kept them fed, their sandals didn’t fall apart and He protected them from their enemies nations that were bigger then they, yet they tested G-d’s will for them and they fell into judgment for their sins and disobedience. Another example Yeshua and Peter, when Peter said Yeshua was the Messiah and then when Yeshua told Peter what will happen to Him, then Peter began to rebuke Him. Yeshua told Peter “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God’s perspective!” what the adversary was trying to do was to separate Yeshua’s life from the will of G-d. He was telling Yeshua your life is more important than G-d’s will. Yeshua pride for His life was to do the will of G-d. G-d’s will for Yeshua was for Him to conquer the stake, to conquer death, to save us from our sin, to conquer the adversary and for us to do the will of G-d who sent Yeshua.
Paul says in 1 Cor 10. 13 No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.