"The Holy Spirit" by Lawrence OP is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
We talked about the difference between tempt and test a few days ago. Jesus knew this. While still in the wilderness dealing with Satan’s temptations, He said this.
10for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’
11and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ”
12And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
Luke 4:10–12 (NASB95)
Those of you in my Sunday school class know what’s coming. Those all-caps words are Old Testament quotes from Jesus. Satan quotes Psalm 91 while Jesus quotes responds with Deuteronomy. Here are those passages in order of appearance.
11For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.
12They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
Psalm 91:11–12 (NASB95)
That’s Satan. Here is Jesus.
16“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.
Deuteronomy 6:16 (NASB95)
I want to comment on two things in reverse order. First, Massah is where the Israelites, during their wanderings, provoked God by grumbling as they wandered in the desert for forty years. They didn’t like the arrangement of always getting only what they needed in food and water.
3But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
4So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.”
5Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”
Exodus 17:3–7 (NASB95)
The second point relates to Satan quoting scripture. It is an excellent example of why I usually post larger passages. Folks looking to make an earthly, sinful point love to quote scripture out of context. They get that from Satan. Let’s look at Satan’s scripture in context and see what changes. Keep in mind the Devil is trying to convince Jesus to be disobedient to God’s word by justifying the actions he wants Jesus to take with God’s word.
8You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.
9For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.
11For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.
12They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
14“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
16“With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.”
Psalm 91:8–16 (NASB95)
David’s Psalm rejoices in God’s protection because he has made God, His Word, and His Ways the things most important in David’s life. God looks out for David because David honors God. All Satan wants us to look at is the statement that God said He would protect us. Further, look at the passage the Devil conveniently avoids, verse 13. This is a direct reference to the first Messianic prophecy in Genesis. Satan is walking a very fine line with his quotations.
14The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life;
15And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Genesis 3:14–15 (NASB95)
Satan knows Jesus is the One foretold so long ago. He is aware of this very prophesy, and he believes it. We should too.
Jesus’ scripture tells us not to put God to the test. We should trust Him. God doesn’t change. God’s Word doesn’t change, though Man tries to change it all the time. This is no more clearly evident in what Jesus did to announce the beginning of His public ministry.
13When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.
15And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.
16And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.
17And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,
19To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
20And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:13–21 (NASB95)
The Old Testament Jesus quoted is Isaiah.
1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
2To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
Isaiah 61:1–2 (NASB95)
It is another Messianic prophecy. It is Jesus announcing He is God made flesh, the coming of the Messiah. He is the one they have waited for. Thus begins His public ministry, and He makes known to all people His presence.