XIX.
JESUS TEMPTED IN THE WILDERNESS.
aMATT. IV. 1-11; bMARK
I. 12, 13; cLUKE IV. 1-13.
c1 And Jesus, full of the
Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, b12 And straightway
the Spirit driveth him forth cand a1
Then [Just after his baptism, with the glow of the descended Spirit
still upon him, and the commending voice of the Father still ringing in
his ears, Jesus is rushed into the suffering of temptation. Thus abrupt
and violent are the changes of life. The spiritually exalted may expect
these sharp contrasts. After being in the third heaven, Paul had a messenger
of Satan to buffet him--II. Cor. xii. 7] was Jesus led up [The two
expressions "driveth" and "led up" show that Jesus was drawn to the wilderness
by an irresistible impulse, and did not go hither of his own volition (Ezek.
xl. 2). He was brought into temptation, but did not seek it. He was led
of God into temptation, but was not tempted of God. God [87] may
bring us into temptation (Matt. vi. 13; xxvi. 41; Job i. 12; ii. 6), and
may make temptation a blessing unto us, tempering it to our strength, and
making us stronger by the victory over it (I. Cor. x. 13; Jas. i. 2, 12),
but God himself never tempts us--Jas. i. 13] of the Spirit into the
wilderness [The wilderness sets in back of Jericho and extends thence
along the whole western shore of the Dead Sea. The northern end of this
region is in full view from the Jordan as one looks westward, and a more
desolate and forbidding landscape it would be hard to find. It is vain
to locate the temptation in any particular part of it. Jesus may have wandered
about over nearly all of it] to be tempted of the devil [As a second
David, Jesus went forth to meet that Goliath who had so long vaunted himself
against all who sought to serve God, and had as yet found none to vanquish
him. The account of the temptation must have been given to the disciples
by Jesus himself, and as it pleased him to give it to us as an actual history
of real facts, it behooves us to accept it without being presumptuously
inquisitive. Of course, it has supernatural features, but the supernatural
confronts us all through the life of Jesus, so there is nothing strange
about it here. Jesus had taken upon him our flesh, and hence he could be
tempted, with a possibility of falling. But his divinity insured his victory
over temptation. He became like us in ability to fall, that he might make
us like unto himself in power to resist. It behooved him to be tempted,
and thus sharing our nature with its weakness and temptation he might bring
us to share his nature with its strength and sinlessness (Heb. ii. 17,
18; iv. 15, 16). Sinlessness does not preclude temptation, else Adam could
not have been tempted, nor could Satan himself have fallen. Moreover, temptation
is in so sense sin. It is the yielding of the will to temptation which
constitutes sin. The spiritual history of humanity revolves around two
persons; namely, the first and the second Adam. The temptation of Christ
was as real as that of Adam. He had taken upon himself our temptable nature
(Phil. ii. 7, 8), and he was tempted not as a private soldier, but as the
second Adam, the Captain of [88] our salvation
(Heb. ii. 10-18). The failure of the first Adam brought sorrow, darkness
and death; the success of the second Adam brought joy, light and immortality.
One of the tenets of modern infidelity is the denial of the personality
of the devil. It is asserted that the idea of a devil was not known to
the early Hebrews, but was borrow from Persian dualism. The Persians held
that there were two contending deities--a good one and a bad one; and the
Hebrews, according to these critics, learned this doctrine from the Persians
during the days of their Babylonian captivity, and modified it so that
the god of evil became the devil. But such a theory is based upon the absurd
notion that all the books of the Old Testament were written after the return
of the Jews from Babylon. Their theory requires this notion, for the books
of Genesis and Job, which were written centuries before the captivity,
both show a knowledge of this being, and the first connects him and his
work with the very beginning of human history. Those who believe in the
inspiration of the Scriptures must also believe in the personality of the
devil, for they plainly teach it. The devil is a fallen angel (Jude 6;
II. Pet. ii. 4). This doctrine need startle no one, for as there are good
and bad spirits in the body, so there are good and bad spirits out of the
body. Since God permits sinful spirits in the body, why should he not also
permit them out of the body? If there can be a Herod, a Nero, a Judas,
among men, why may there not be a Satan among evil spirits? Being but an
angel, Satan is neither omnipresent, omniscient nor omnipotent. He is only
a tolerated rebel, as we are tolerated rebels. He was the first sinner
(I. John iii. 8), and was the originator of sin (John viii. 44). He is
the perpetual tempter of mankind (Rev. xx. 2, 8), but he shall be conquered
by the Redeemer (John xii. 31; Rev. xii. 9), and may be conquered by us
also through the grace of Christ (I. Pet. v. 8, 9; Jas. iv. 7); but is,
nevertheless, dangerous (Rev. ii. 10; iii. 9). Jesus, therefore, teaches
us to pray for deliverance from him (Matt. vi. 13, R.V.). Jesus will destroy
the works of Satan (I. John iii. 8), and Satan himself shall suffer eternal
punishment [89] (Rev. xx. 10). There is but one
devil in the spirit world. The word which our King James Version translates
"devils" should be translated "demons." The word "devil" means false accuser
or slanderer, and the word in the plural is twice applied, metaphorically,
to men and women (II. Tim. iii. 3; I. Tim. iii. 11). The devil is called
slanderer because he speaks against men (Rev. xii. 10-12) and against God
(Gen. iii. 1-5). The word "devil" is Greek. The word "Satan" is Hebrew,
and means adversary (Job ii. 1). Satan is referred to under many other
terms, such as Beelzebub (Matt. xii. 24); serpent (Rev. xii. 9); prince
of the powers of the air (Eph. ii. 2); Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek),
meaning destroyer (Rev. ix. 11); Belial, meaning good for nothing (II.
Cor. vi. 15); murderer and liar (John viii. 44); prince of this world (John
xii. 31); god of this world (II. Cor. iv. 4); and the dragon (Rev. xii.
7). These terms are always used in the Bible to designate an actual person;
they are never used merely to personify evil. The devil may have appeared
to Jesus in bodily form, or he may have come insensibly as he does to us.
Our Lord's temptation makes the personality of the tempter essential, else
Christ's own heart must have suggested evil to him, which is incompatible
with his perfect holiness.] b13
And he was cled in the Spirit [that is, under the power
of the Spirit] in the wilderness [Isolation from humanity is no
security from temptation. In fact, our present passage of Scripture shows
that it is highly favorable to temptation. The experience of all hermits
shows that loneliness is the mother of a multitude of evil desires]
2 during forty days [Matthew speaks of the temptation as coming "after"
forty days. Evidently Mark and Luke regard the long fast as part of the
process of temptation, seeing that without it the first temptation would
have been without force. There is no evidence of any other specific temptations
before the three], being tempted of bSatan; cthe
devil, band he was with the wild beasts [A graphic touch,
showing the dreariness and desolation of the wilderness, and indicating
its peril. Lions, [90] wolves, leopards and serpents
have been found in the Judæan wilderness]; cAnd
he did eat nothing [It used to be thought that a forty days' absolute
fast was a practical impossibility, and Luke's words were therefore modified
to mean that he ate very little. But as a forty days' fast has been safely
accomplished in modern times, and as it was Jesus who fasted, we see no
reason why we should not take Luke's statement literally, as indicating
an absolute fast] in those days: and when they were completed.
a2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights [A
forty days' fast was accomplished by Moses (Ex. xxxiv. 28; Deut. ix. 18),
and by Elijah (I. Kings xix. 8), and it is a significant fact in this connection
that these two men appeared with Christ at his transfiguration (Matt. xvii.
3). Those who share Christ's sufferings shall also share his glorification
(Rom. viii. 17; II. Tim. ii. 11, 12). The forty days' fast became a basis
for the temptation. We are told that temptation results from the excitement
of desire (Jas. i. 14), and, as a rule, the greater the desire the greater
the temptation. Viewed from this standpoint the temptation of the second
Adam greatly exceeded in strength that of the first, for Adam abstained
as to a particular fruit, but Christ fasted as to all things edible],
he afterward hungered. [Here, for the first time, our Lord is shown
as sharing our physical needs. We should note for our comfort that one
may lack bread and suffer want, and still be infinitely beloved in heaven.]
3 And the tempter came [Satan is pre-eminently the tempter, for other
tempters are his agents. He may possibly have appeared as an angel of light
(II. Cor. xi. 14), but the purpose of his coming is more important than
the manner of it. He came to produce sin in Jesus, for sin would render
him forever incapable of becoming our Saviour--a sacrifice for the sins
of others] c3 And the devil
said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it {acommand
that these stones} become bread. [The devil's "if" strikes at the faith
of Christ, and faith is the bond of union and accord between man and God.
The main sin of this temptation was therefore distrust, though [91] it
had other sinful phases. The Father's voice had just declared the Sonship
of Jesus, and Satan here boldly questions the truth of God's words, just
as he did in the beginning (Gen. iii. 3-5). The temptation smacks of curiosity,
and curiosity is the mother of many sins. Though Satan so glibly questioned
the divinity of Christ, his kingdom soon began to feel the power of that
divinity (Luke iv. 34-41), and shall continue to feel it until his kingdom
is destroyed (Heb. ii. 14; I. John iii. 8). This temptation appealed to
the present appetite, the impulse of the moment, as many of our temptations
do. It has been quaintly said of the tempter that "he had sped so successfully
to his own mind by a temptation about a matter of eating with the first
Adam, that he practiced the old manner of trading with the second." This
first temptation is still Satan's favorite with the poor. He suggests to
them that if they were really the beloved objects of God's care, their
condition would be otherwise. We should note that Jesus wrought no selfish
miracle. Such an act would have been contrary to all Scripture precedent.
Paul did not heal himself (I. Cor. xii. 7-9; Gal. iv. 13; Col. iv. 14),
nor Epaphroditus, (Phil. ii. 25-27), nor Trophimus (II. Tim. iv. 20). Denying
himself the right to make bread in the wilderness, Christ freely used his
miraculous power to feed others in the desert (Matt. xiv. 15-21), and merited
as just praise those words which were meant as a bitter taunt--Matt. xxvii.
42.] 4 But he {c4
And Jesus} aanswered and said, cunto him, It is written
[Jesus quotes Deut. viii. 3. It is a saying relative to the times when
Israel was sustained by manna in the wilderness. The case of Jesus was
now similar to that of Israel. He was in a foodless wilderness, but he
trusted that as God had provided for Israel in its helplessness, so would
he now provide for him. Israel sinned by doubt and murmuring, and proposing
to obtain bread in its own way--that is, by returning to Egypt (Ex. xvi.
1-9). Jesus avoided a like sin. We should note the use which our Lord made
of Scripture: in his hour of trial he did not look to visions and voices
and special revelation for guidance, but used the written Word as the lamp
[92] for his feet (Ps. cxix. 105); in the conflict
of temptation he did not defend himself by his own divine wisdom, but used
that wisdom which God had revealed to all Israel through his prophets.
Jesus fought as a man (Phil. ii. 6, 7), and used that weapon which, as
God, he had given to man (Eph. vi. 17). Jesus used the Scripture as of
final, argument-ending authority. Eve also started with "God hath said"
(Gen. iii. 3); but she was not constant in her adherence to God's word.
Jesus permitted Satan neither to question nor pervert the Scripture],
Man [In using the word "man" Jesus takes his stand with us as a
human being] shall not live by bread alone [Called out of Egypt
as God's Son (Matt. ii. 15), Jesus could well expect that he would be fed
with manna after his forty days' fast. He trusted that God could furnish
a table in the wilderness (Ps. lxxviii. 19). We, too, have abundant reason
for a like trust. God gave us our lives, and gave his Son to redeem them
from sin. He may let us suffer, but we can not perish is we trust him.
Let us live by his word rather than by bread. It is better to die for righteousness
than to live by sin. God fed Israel with supernatural bread, to show the
people that they lived thus, and not by what they were pleased to call
natural means. The stomach is a useful agent, but it is not the source
of life, nor even the life sustainer. Those who think that the securing
of bread is the first essential to the sustaining of life, will fail to
seek any diviner food, and so will eventually starve with hunger--soul
hunger.] abut by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God [To satisfy our sense of duty is often more pleasant than to
appease the pangs of hunger (John iv. 32-34; Job xxiii. 12; Jer. xv. 16).
The trust of Jesus that God would speak in his behalf and save him, was
like that of Job (Job xiii. 15). God can sustain our lives without food
if he chooses. We shall live if God wills it, bread or no bread; and we
shall likewise die at his word (Matt. vi. 25; John vi. 47-58; Acts xvii.
28). God can support our lives independent of our body--Matt. x. 28.]
5 Then the devil taketh him [Matthew emphasizes the [93] compulsory
companionship of Satan. Jesus was in the hands of Satan as was Job (Job
ii. 5, 6); but in Jesus' case Satan had the power of life and death, and
he eventually took Jesus to the cross and slew him there] into the holy
city [A common name for Jerusalem. The inscription on Jewish coins
was "Jerusalem the Holy." Arabs to-day call it "el Kuds," "the Holy." The
Holy City did not exclude the tempter nor temptations. The church may be
the scene of man's sorest trial to resist wrong. But in the Holy City which
is to come there will be no temptation]; c9
And he led him to Jerusalem, aand set him [The two verbs
"taketh" and "setting" imply that Satan exercised a control over the bodily
person of our Lord] on the pinnacle of the temple [It is not known
exactly what spot is indicated by the word "pinnacle." Hence three places
have been contended for the proper locality: 1. The apex of the temple
structure itself. 2. The top of Solomon's porch. 3. The top of Herod's
royal portico. As to the temple itself, Josephus tells us that its roof
was covered with spikes of gold, to prevent even birds from alighting upon
it, and, if so, men could not stand upon it. Solomon's porch, or the eastern
portico, faced the Mount of Olives, and has been fixed upon by tradition
as the place from which James, the Lord's brother, was hurled. The royal
portico of Herod was at the southeast corner of the temple enclosure, and
overlooked the valley of Kidron. Here was then, and is yet, the greatest
height about the temple, and it was, therefore, the most suitable place
for Satan's proposal], 6 and saith {csaid}
aunto him, If [Godly life rests on faith. The life the devil
would have us lead rests on ifs and uncertainties, on doubt and skepticism.
We should note that foolish men doubt the divinity of Jesus, but the temptations
of our Lord show how positively Satan was convinced of it. The opening
scenes of Christ's ministry are redolent with his divinity. The Baptist
asserted his purity and might, the Spirit visibly acknowledged his worthiness,
the Father audibly testified to his Sonship, and the devil twice assaulted
him as the divine champion] thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down
[94] [The first temptation was to under-confidence;
the second to over-trust and presumption--two very dangerous conditions
of the soul. Men begin by disparagingly doubting that Jesus can save them
from their sins, and end by recklessly presuming that he will save them
in their sins. Comparing this with Eve's temptation, we find that she was
vainly curious to see if she might be like God (Gen. iii. 5), but Christ
resisted such curiously. It is urged by some as to this temptation that
there is no hint of vainglory or display, because nothing is said about
casting himself down in the presence of the people, and that Jesus was
merely taken to the temple because the sacred locality would tend to heighten
his trust in the protecting promise which Satan quoted. But this ground
is not well taken, for 1. The temple presumes a crowd. 2. We have a right
to presume that this temptation would be like others to which Jesus was
subjected. He was frequently invited to work miracles to satisfy curiosity,
and he invariably refused to do so]: cfrom hence:
10 for it is written [This quotation is taken from Ps. xci. 11, 12,
and applies to man generally. Note 1. The devil's head is full of Scripture,
but to no profit, for his heart is empty of it. 2. By quoting it he shows
a sense of its power which modern rationalism would do well to consider.
3. Satan's abuse of Scripture did not discourage Christ's use of it],
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee [Regarding Satan's
words as a quotation, we are struck with the fact that his knowledge of
this particular passage was based upon his personal experience. He had
been confronted by the presence of the guardian angels and had fretted
at it (Job i. 10; II. Kings vi. 8, 17; Ps. xxxiv. 7; Jude 9). As a temptation,
Satan's words appeal to Jesus to be more religious; to put more trust and
reliance upon the promises of the Father; and he puts him in the place--the
temple--where he might argue that God could least afford to let his promise
fail], to guard thee: 11 and,
On their hands they shall bear thee up [All who love pomp, display
of artistic taste, gaieties of fashion, intoxication of fame, etc., fall
by this temptation. Those who truly rest on God's promises, stand on a
sure [95] foundation, but those who rise on bubbles
must come down when they burst], Lest haply thou dash thy foot
against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering,
said unto him, aagain it is written
{csaid,} ["Written," "said"; the writings of Scripture are
in general the sayings of God. But the Bible is not made up of isolated
texts. To get a right understanding we must compare Scripture with Scripture.
We could have no higher indorsement of the Old Testament than this use
of it by Christ. It was sufficient for him in his temptations, and with
the addition of the New Testament, it is sufficient for us in all things--II.
Tim. iii. 16, 17; Col. iii. 3-16], aThou shalt not
make trial [Make experiment upon God, set traps for him, put one's
self in dangerous situations, hoping thereby to draw forth some show of
loving deliverance. Had Jesus cast himself down, he would have demanded
of the Father a needless miracle to prove his Sonship, and would thereby
have put the love of God to an unnecessary trial. All who jeopardize themselves
without any command of God or call of duty, make trial of his love] of
the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh
him [whether naturally or supernaturally, "whether in the body or out
of the body" (II. Cor. xii. 2-4), we can not tell. But it was a real, practical
trial and temptation] unto an exceeding high mountain [it is immaterial
which mountain this was; for from no mountain could one see the whole earth
with the natural eye], c5 And he
led him up, aAnd showeth {cshowed} ahim
[It is not said by either evangelist that Jesus saw the kingdoms from the
mountain-top, but that Satan showed them to him. From any high Judæan
mountain it would be easy for him to locate Rome, Greece, Egypt, Persia
and Assyria, and as he pointed out their locality a few brief words of
description would picture them to the imagination of Jesus, and cause their
glories to move before his eyes. But it is very likely that to this description
some sort of supernatural vision was added. It tempted the eye of Jesus
as the luscious fruit did the eye of Eve--Gen. iii. 6] all the kingdoms
of the world [It tempted Jesus to realize the dreams [96] which
the Jewish nation entertained. It was an appeal to him to reveal himself
in the fullness of his power and authority as above generals, princes,
kings, and all beings of all ages. An appeal to obtain by physical rather
than by spiritual power; by the short-cut path of policy rather than by
the long road of suffering and martyrdom. Jesus came to obtain the kingdoms
of the world. He was born King of the Jews, and confessed himself to be
a King before Pilate. All authority is now given to him, and he must reign
until he puts all his enemies under his feet, and until all the kingdoms
of the world become his kingdom. Satan's way to obtain this kingdom differed
from God's way. He might obtain it by doing Satan's will and becoming his
worshiper, or by worshiping God and doing his will. Satan would give the
speedier possession, but God the more lasting. We also strive for a kingdom;
but let us obtain ours as Christ did his], and the glory of them
[That is, all their resources as well as their magnificence. Their cities,
lands and people, their armies, treasures and temples, etc. Many parents,
in encouraging their children to seek earthly glory and distinction, unconsciously
assist Satan in urging this temptation]; cin a moment
of time [These words strongly indicate that the prospect must have
been supernaturally presented. The suddenness of the vision added greatly
to the power of the temptation];
a9 and he cthe devil said unto him, To thee will
I give all this authority {aAll these things will I give thee,}
[From the standpoint of Christ's humanity, how overwhelming the temptation!
It was the world's honors to one who had for thirty years led the life
of a village carpenter; it was the world's riches to him who had not where
to lay his head. From the standpoint of Jesus' divinity the temptation
was repulsive. It was a large offer in the sight of Satan, but a small
one in the sight of him who made all the worlds. Such offers are large
to the children of the world, but small to those who are by faith joint-heirs
with Christ (Rom. viii. 17; Phil. iii. 7, 8). But the temptation was, nevertheless,
very specious and plausible. The power of Jesus linked with that of Satan,
and [97] operating through Jewish fanaticism
and pagan expectation would, in a few months, have brought the whole earth
into one temporal kingdom, with Jesus as its head. But the kingdom of Christ
rested upon a surer promise (Ps. ii. 8) than that here given by the "father
of lies." God had promised, and, despite the pretensions of Satan, God
had not yet retired from the government of the world. It was true that
Satan and his emissaries had, by usurpation, gained an apparent possession
of the world, but Jesus had right to it as the heir of God (Matt. xxi.
33-43). Being stronger than Satan, he had come to regain his kingdom, not
by treaty, but by conquest (Luke xi. 19-22). Moreover, he would obtain
it as a spiritual and not as a carnal kingdom. Servants of Christ should
remember this. Every attempt to establish Messiah's kingdom as an outward,
worldly dominion is an effort to convert the kingdom of heaven into the
kingdom of the devil. God's kingdom can not be secularized. It should be
noted also that Satan omits the words "if thou art the Son of God" in this
instance, for their presence would have marred the force of the temptation.
Note also that this was the only temptation wherein Satan evinced any show
of generosity. He is slow to give anything, and most of us sell out to
him for nothing--Isa. lii. 3], and the glory of them: for it
hath been delivered unto me [Satan does not claim an absolute but a
derivative right, and his claim is not wholly unfounded (John xii. 31;
xiv. 30; xvi. 11). But the kingdom has been delivered unto him by men rather
than by God (Eph. ii. 2). How much more quickly Jesus would have obtained
power, had he received it from men by consenting to co-operate with them
in their sinful practices as does Satan]; and to whomsoever I
will [Not so Jesus. His giving is according to the Father's will--Matt.
ix. 23] I give it [The Emperor Tiberius then held it in the fullest
sense ambition ever realized. Yet he was the most miserable and degraded
of men. Satan knows how to take full toll for all that he gives.]
7 If [In the temptations Satan uses three "ifs." The first "if" is
one of despairing doubt; the second, one of vainglorious speculation; the
third, one of moral and [98] spiritual compromise]
thou therefore wilt afall down and worship cbefore
me [Satan and God each seek the worship of man, but from very different
motives. God is holiness and goodness, and we are invited to worship him
that we may thereby be induced to grow like him. But Satan seeks worship
for vanity's sake. How vast the vanity which would give so great a reward
for one act of worship! Verily the devil is fond of it. He gives nothing
unless he obtains it, and all his generosity is selfishness. Worshiping
before Satan is the bending of the soul rather than of the body. He holds
before each of us some crown of success, and says: "Bend just a little;
slightly compromise your conscience. Accept the help of Pharisee and Sadducee,
and keep silent as to their sins. Mix a little diplomacy with your righteousness.
Stoop just a little. If you do, I will aid you and insure your success.
If you do not, I will defeat you and laugh at your failures." It is Satan's
sin to make such suggestions, but it is not our sin until we comply with
them. We may more quickly obtain by his wrong way, but more surely by God's
right way. Let no Christian be humiliated or discouraged by gross temptation,
since even the Son of God was tempted to worship the devil. What Jesus
would not do, the Beast has done, and has received the kingdoms for a season
(Rev. xiii. 1-9). Note, too, that it is all one whether we worship Satan,
or mammon, the gift which he offers--Matt. vi. 24], it shall
all be thine. 8 And
a10 Then cJesus answered and said {asaith}
cunto him, aGet thee hence [The passionate utterance
of an aroused soul. Indignation is as divine as patience (Eph. iv. 26).
Satan's sweetest temptation was most disgusting to Christ, for its sin
was so grossly apparent. It ran counter to the very first of the ten commandments.
Jesus would give it no room in his thoughts; he spurned it, as being as
heinous as the law describes it (Deut. v. 6-11). Temptation must be peremptorily
rejected. Jesus did not stop to weigh the worthiness of Satan; it was sufficient
that God only is to be worshiped. As God, Jesus was himself an object of
worship; but as man he worshiped the Father privately and publicly. Satan
[99] sought to command Jesus, but was commanded
of him. Step by step Satan has obeyed this command, and foot after foot,
earth's spiritual world has been yielded by his departing presence],
Satan [The first and second temptations were so subtle and covert,
and their sin so skillfully disguised, as to suggest that Satan himself
was disguised. If so, his pride and vanity, revealed in this last temptation,
betrayed him so that Jesus tore off his mask and called him by his right
name. When he tempted him in a somewhat similar matter, Jesus called Simon
Peter by this name (Matt. xvi. 23), but he laid a different command upon
each of them. To Satan he spoke as an enemy, saying, "Get thee hence."
He ordered Satan from his presence, for he had no proper place there. To
Peter he spoke as to a presumptuous disciple, saying, "Get thee behind
me." The disciple is a follower of his master, and his proper place is
in the rear]: for it is written [Jesus gives a free translation
of Deut. vi. 13. He substitutes the word "worship" for the word "fears."
Fear prohibits false and induces true worship, and loving worship is the
source of all acceptable service. The three Scripture quotations used by
Jesus are all from the book of Deuteronomy. He struck Satan with that very
part of the Spirit's sword which modern critical infidelity, in the name
of religion, and often aided by so-called religious organizations, seeks
to persuade us to cast away], Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and him only shalt thou serve. [By serving God, Jesus obtained
all the earthly authority which the devil offered him, and heavenly authority
in addition thereto (Matt. xxviii. 18). So much better are the rewards
of God than Satan's.] c13
And when the devil had completed every temptation.
a11 Then the devil leaveth {che departeth from} him
for a season. [See Jas. iv. 7. But Satan left to return many times.
Here was the first being endowed with human nature who had defeated Satan
under all circumstances for thirty years. This was Satan's first defeat
under Christ's ministry. His last is yet to come, and it shall come by
this same Christ. Temptations are battles. They leave the victor stronger
and the [100] vanquished weaker. Hence Satan
when resisted is represented as fleeing. But he only flees for a season.
He never despairs of the conflict so long as man is on the earth. Christ
was constantly tempted by the returning devil (Luke xxii. 28). As Jesus
hung upon the cross, all these three temptations with their accompanying
"ifs" were spread out before him--Matt. xxvii. 39-43] aand
behold, angels came [They had probably witnessed the contest. Compare
I. Cor. iv. 9; I. Tim. iii. 16. Angels do not appear again visibly ministering
unto Jesus until we find him in Gethsemane (Luke xxii. 43). When Satan
finally departs from us, we, too, shall find ourselves in the presence
of angels--Luke xvi. 22] and ministered unto him. [Jesus was probably
fed by the angels, as was Elijah by one of them (I. Kings xix. 4-7). Satan
and suffering first, then angels, refreshment and rest. God had indeed
given his angels charge, and they came to him who refused to put the father
to the test. But they did not succor Jesus during his temptation, for that
was to be resisted by himself alone--Isa. lxiii. 3.]
[FFG 87-101]
