WHY IS IT SO EASY TO GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION?
TEMPTATION IS PART OF A CRAFTY PLAN THAT APPEALS TO OUR NATURAL DESIRES IN ATTEMPT TO SEPARATE US FROM YHVH.
“Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures Adonai YHVH had made. ‘Really?’ he asked the woman. ‘Did YHVH really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1) Disguised as a crafty serpent, Satan came to tempt Eve. Satan at one time was an angel who rebelled against YHVH and was thrown out of heaven. As a created being, Satan has definite limitations. Although he is trying to tempt everyone away from YHVH, he will not be the final victor. In 3:14-15, YHVH promises that Satan will be crushed by one of the woman’s offspring, the Messiah.
TEMPTATION IS AN INVITATION TO LIVE A SELF-SERVING LIFE THAT LEADS TO REBELLION AGAINST YHVH.
Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on YHVH’s kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then, he’s been busy getting people to sin. He even tempted Yeshua (Matthew 4:1). But Yeshua did not sin!
TEMPTATION FEEDS OFF OUR OWN TENDENCY TOWARD SELF-RELIANCE.
The serpent Satan, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt YHVH’s goodness. He implied that YHVH was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share his knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that YHVH had given her and instead focus on the one thing she couldn’t have. We fall into trouble too, when we dwell on the few things we don’t have rather than on the countless things YHVH has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself and thinking about what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank YHVH. Then your doubts won’t lead you into sin.
TEMPTATION IS SUBTLE; WHAT IT OFFERS MAY SEEM HARMLESS AT FIRST GLANCE.
“Do not be trapped into following their example in worshiping their gods. Do not say, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’” (Deuteronomy 12:30) YHVH did not want the Israelites even to ask about the pagan religions surrounding them. Idolatry completely permeated the land of Canaan. It was too easy to get drawn into the subtle temptations of seemingly harmless practices. Sometimes curiosity can cause us to stumble. Knowledge of evil is harmful if the evil becomes too tempting to resist. To resist curiosity about harmful practices shows discretion and obedience.
TEMPTATION OFTEN HITS HARDEST IN OUR AREAS OF WEAKNESS.
“Now king Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. Adonai had clearly instructed his people not to intermarry with those nations, because the women they married would lead them to worship their gods. Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.” (1 Kings 11:1-2) For all his wisdom, Solomon had some weak spots. He could not say no to compromise or to lustful desires. Whether he married to strengthen political alliances or to gain personal pleasure, these foreign wives led him into idolatry. You may have strong faith, but you also have weak spots-and that is where temptation usually strikes. Strengthen and protect your weaker areas, because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If Solomon, the wisest man, could fall, so can you.
TEMPTATION CAN STRIKE ANY AREA OF LIFE.
“Yeshua was led out into the wilderness by Ruach HaKodesh to be tempted there by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1) The devil focused on three crucial areas when he tempted Yeshua:
(1) physical needs and desires,
(2) possessions and power, and
(3) pride (see 1 John 2:15-16 for a similar list).
But Yeshua did not give in. Hebrews 4:15 says that Yeshua “faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin.” He knows first-hand what we are experiencing, and he is willing and able to help us in our struggles. When you are tempted, turn to him for strength.
HOW CAN WE RESIST TEMPTATION?
RESISTANCE BEGINS WITH BEING AWARE OF TEMPTATION WHEN IT STRIKES.
“The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So, she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.” (Genesis 3:6) How could Eve have resisted temptation? By following the same guidelines, we can follow. First, we must realize that temptation in itself is not a sin. We do not sin until we give in to the temptation. To resist temptation, we must
(1) pray for strength to resist,
(2) run, sometimes literally, and
(3) say no when confronted with what we know is wrong.
James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don’t give in when tempted.
RESIST IMMEDIATELY; ANY DELAY MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT.
“Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.” (2 Samuel 11:2) As David looked from the roof of the palace, he saw a beautiful woman bathing, and he was filled with lust. David should have left the roof and fled the temptation. Instead, he entertained the temptation by inquiring about Bathsheba. The results were devastating.
HAVE A PLAN FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION.
To flee temptation,
(1) ask YHVH in earnest prayer to help you stay away from people, places, and situations that may tempt you.
(2) Memorize and meditate on portions of Scripture that combat your specific weaknesses. At the root of most temptation is a real need or desire that YHVH can fill, but we must trust in his timing.
(3) Find another believer with whom you can openly share your struggles, and call this person for help when temptation strikes.
REMEMBER THAT TEMPTATION TO SEEMINGLY HARMLESS SINS CAN LEAD TO HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES.
“For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the devil came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of YHVH, change these stones into loaves of bread.’” (Matthew 4:2-3) The devil, also called the tempter, tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, and here he tempted Yeshua in the desert. Satan is a fallen angel. He is real, not symbolic, and is constantly fighting against those who follow and obey YHVH. Satan’s temptations are real, and he is always trying to get us to live his way or our way rather than YHVH’s way. Yeshua will one day reign over all creation, but Satan tried to force his hand and get him to declare his kingship prematurely. If Yeshua had given in, his mission on earth -- to die for our sins so that we might have eternal life-would have failed. When temptations seem especially strong, or when you think, you can rationalize giving in, consider whether Satan may be trying to block YHVH’s purposes for your life or for someone else’s life.
REALIZE THAT TEMPTATION, IN ITSELF, IS NOT A SIN.
Yeshua was tempted by the devil, but he never sinned! Although we may feel dirty after being tempted, we should remember that temptation itself is not sin. We sin when we give in and disobey YHVH. Remembering this will help us turn away from the temptation.
DO NOT BE SURPRISED BY TEMPTATION AT UNLIKELY TIMES AND IN UNLIKELY PLACES.
Yeshua wasn’t tempted inside the temple, or at His baptism, but in the desert where He was tired, alone, and hungry, and thus most vulnerable. The devil often tempts us when we are most vulnerable-when we are under physical or emotional stress (for example, when we are lonely, tired, weighing big decisions, or faced with uncertainty). But he also likes to tempt us through our strengths, where we are most susceptible to pride. We must guard at all times against his attacks.
Tribulation is an experience of suffering, distress, affliction, trouble, or persecution. The Greek word appears in the New Testament much more than the Old Testament. In the New Testament there are a few references where the word “tribulation” (or variations of it) is used to denote the hardships that occur in the lives of common people. The labour pains of a woman in childbirth (John 16:21), the worldly concerns that arise in marriage (1 Corinthians 7:28), and the affliction of widows (James 1:27) are all described with words that mean “tribulation.” A scourge like the famine that afflicted Egypt and Canaan during the patriarchal age is characterized as “great misery,” a word also linked with tribulation (Acts 7:11). In a narrower sense, the word “tribulation” refers to a specific believer experience. The teachings of Moshiach provide basic definitions for this meaning of “tribulation.” He said that whenever the gospel is present in the world, tribulation becomes unavoidable. As the word of the gospel is sown, tribulation and persecution appear spontaneously (Matthew 13:21). This concept of tribulation during the church age is carefully developed in Yeshua’ teaching on future events (Matthew 24-25). Yeshua’ teaching provides the only explicit description of, and clear chronological reference available in the Bible to, the tribulation of his followers. In it, Yeshua predicted the time of the beginning, the extent, and the end of tribulation. This teaching on the tribulation was handed down to the twelve disciples privately, as a matter directly relevant to their lives (24:3). Yeshua told the Twelve that they would be delivered up to tribulation and that this tribulation would take the form of persecution to the death for his name’s sake (24:9). The context of this teaching indicates that the tribulation taught by Yeshua would affect believers in many places throughout history. But the fact that Yeshua predicted to the twelve disciples that they would fall victim to the tribulation, at the very beginning of the sufferings (24:8), provides a clear reference to the starting point of the tribulation during the disciples’ lifetimes. Likewise, the same group of disciples was to be witnesses of the “great tribulation” that would befall Jerusalem as predicted by the prophet Daniel (Matthew 25:15-21). It is clear that Yeshua was referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Roman legions was to be viewed as an archetypal representation of the greater tribulation. This is attested to by Matthew’s parenthetical editorial comment in Matthew 24:15 (“reader, pay attention!”), intended to alert his original readers to the fulfilment of Yeshua’ prediction within their lifetimes. Moreover, the parallel section in Luke 21:20-24 makes it clear that the desolation of Jewish Jerusalem would be followed by a long period of Gentile domination, which is precisely what happened after AD 70. The New Testament forewarns believers of the inevitability of tribulation; it also prescribes the appropriate response of believers. They should rejoice because tribulation produces perseverance and strength of character (Romans 5:3-4). They should bear it patiently (Romans 12:12), knowing that YHVH comforts the faithful in all tribulations (2 Corinthians 1:4) and that the present tribulation prepares believers for incomparable glory in eternity (4:17). Except for rare and exceptional circumstances that enable believers to enjoy affluence and freedom, most believers throughout history have suffered tribulation. The normal vocation of the church has been to endure as a beleaguered and persecuted minority in a hostile world. For believers providentially protected from tribulation, it is easy to relegate tribulation to a future period in history. For believers suffering in the throes of opposition, however, the tribulation is an ever-present reality. The virulence and the severity of the tribulation may vary from time to time and from place to place, yet Moshiach’s promise remains true, “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Thought for Today: Friday August 15
So often when satan mounts an attack against us, we behave as if we were prisoners of war, or worse, conscientious objectors…! YHVH wants us to live victorious lives --- lives that are constantly conquering sin. There is only one way to have victory over sin. That is to walk closely with the Moshiach that sin no longer dominates your life. It becomes the exception rather than the rule… The Bible says: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to YHVH Elohiym and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8)
We have an action-packed bulletin for you to check out for First Fruits Ministries Shabbat service this weekend. Please give it a read: https://firstfruits.cc/blog/20....25/08/14/sabbath-bul
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
John 6:41 ESV
Yeshua wasn't saying that he was literally the manna in the desert, but he was saying that he had come down from heaven. A statement of Yeshua's pre-existence and role in God's plan of redemption.
081425 / 20th day of the 5th month 5786
WORD FOR TODAY “are you going or not?”: Mat 22:3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
WISDOM FOR TODAY: Pro 25:18 Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
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"If ye keep my commandments"
Jn 15
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