As man, YAHSHUA allowed Himself to experience the limitation of a human being to certain point, including that of being tempted. He was tempted, but He was without sin and above the circumstances Satan brought Him to perform his tricks on Him. He was tempted in order that he could to be our High Priest Who would understand the limitations and weaknesses of men. His earthly experiences were beneficial to us all to know that He suffered all that we suffer and yet without sin, and understands the meaning of temptation on a human level. That helps us to take our trials to Him, knowing that He understands perfectly where we are. He experienced hunger at the end of His fast, as we do. There was nothing in the desert available for Him to eat, that’s when the devil came in the scene to tempt Him. “If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf of bread” (Luke 4:3). Since it was the end of His fasting, YAHSHUA could turn a stone into bread, if He so desired to satisfy His need for food. But that would not be consistent with what He decided to do, not under the suggestion of Satan’s temptation. Spiritually fit, YAHSHUA’S physical hunger did not super abounded His spiritual strength.
Satan introduced his first temptation by enticing YAHSHUA to transform a stone into a loaf of bread, “If You are the Son of God.” Whom did Satan wanted YAHSHUA to prove the veracity of His sonship to? YAHSHUA knew whom He was, and Satan did to. But Satan had a plan: he wanted YAHSHUA to submit to his temptation so he could force himself in YAHSHUA’S place as God. He chose a time when YAHSHUA was hungry after forty days fasting in the heat of the desert and His body subjected to hunger. Ironic enough, there stood before Satan the Bread of Life, never needing a wheat or barley loaf of bread to keep Him going. In spite of the human physical limitation as hunger, YAHSHUA’S life depended not in a tangible loaf of bread for His existence, as He well responded to Satan’s temptation by saying, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4).
In another circumstance, Esau, Jacob’s brother, was tempted to give up his inheritance because of hunger. Jacob, in his deceiving ways, took the opportunity to tempt his brother into give up something so important as his right as the first born. Sadly, he let him have it for a bowl of lentil soup. He regretted his mistake, but too late to be remediated. He lived outside of his right of first born for the rest of his life. Contrary to Joseph, who preferred to be put in jail then to fall into the temptation of immorality and compromise his love for God. Job was tempted by his wife to renounce God, when adversities came to his life. She challenged his faith in God in the midst of his sufferings and suggested him to renounce God and die. Job had a good answer to give her: You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept good at the hand of God and shall we not accept misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In al this, Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:9-10).
The devil is ever waiting for open doors to tempt us in times of our need. Peter warned us to be balanced, vigilant and cautious at all times; for the devil, roams around like a lion roaring, seeking someone to seize upon and devour; he said, withstand him; be firm in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood throughout the world (I Peter 5:8-9). Through one way or other, we must go through sufferings. God’s purpose is not to afflict or grieve us, but His purpose is to mold us and make us more like His Son. With our suffering, He is moved with compassion according to the multitude of His loving-kindness and tender mercy (Lam. 3:32-33). His intent is never to leave us prostrated to adversities. But there will always be a way out of them in His time, if we do not fall into temptation. For times like these, the Word of God encourages us to be firm: For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away what is promised… the just shall live by faith; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight of pleasure in him (Heb. 10:35-36,38). Sufferings are means of temptations. When going through them, we either complain, or submit to the will of God. It all depends where we are in our relationship with God. Keep your door closed to the devil in your days of adversities and the devil will leave you alone. Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
There are many ways Satan tempts us in our point of need. In our physical weaknesses he is ever so near to destroy the basic thing that sustains our spiritual life-faith. When we lose that, then we lost our battle and subjected ourselves to his ideas. When he tempted the Lord YAHSHUA in the desert, that was not the end of it, he waited for another opportune time. This happened in the Garden of Gethsemane when YAHSHUA in His anguish prayed for God to pass from Him that cup He was about to drink to save mankind. But thank God, He went through in submission to God’s plan and prayed, nevertheless, Your will be done.
I am so glad He did; aren’t you?
Light from the Word 