…an opening thought on the question…
In this series of articles regarding the temptation of Jesus we will ask and answer many questions that surround the topic, doing so through analysis of the Scriptures and application of them within the Biblical context of their record and presentation. We will define temptation and learn how to identify it as Jesus did when we encounter it and examine what Jesus endured, comparing it to what we may experience today. Some people think it was impossible for Jesus, being God in the flesh, to have been tempted at all, so we’ll explore that question. If it was in fact possible for Him to be tempted then why was Jesus tempted, by whom or what, when, and where. We will take circumstances into account and the venue of those occurrences that have been recorded for our understanding. Is it a sin to be tempted? We will ask if there was a benefit to Jesus’ temptation (and ours) and, if so, explore what that benefit could possibly be. We’ll look at Jesus’ responses to temptation and consider how we might best respond when we are tempted. We’ll examine the after-effects when we successfully resist temptation as well as when we yield to it.
Three brief passages of Scripture come immediately to mind whenever someone mentions the temptation of Jesus – Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; and Luke 4:1-13. Sometimes people read these accounts and believe that’s all there was to the matter, but this writer is convinced there was much, much more involved. Certainly we will look at those three passages in a measure of detail but there are others that will lend a more clear discernment of the subject that we’ll also scrutinize as we go along. We’ll delve into background passages and ponder several from more than one viewpoint and concentrate on the different thoughts we may develop as we expand our understanding. As our study progresses we will encounter the answers to the questions posed above and perhaps to others also. We may be surprised by what we find.
There are many very good translations of the Bible available these days and this writer frequently studies from several as well as the Hebrew and Greek texts. For the sake of uniformity in presentation and unless otherwise noted, all quoted Scripture will be taken from the King James Version of the Bible, but I admonish you to identify the version you find to be most readable and to keep it open and at hand always.
What Are We Talking About When We Mention Temptation?
Before we can adequately or accurately move forward we might do well to understand what we mean by the term ‘temptation.’ Within the context of our study temptation (Greek peirasmon and its various forms) is an attempt by the devil or one of his demonic agents to persuade a person, whether Jesus or us, to do evil in one of two ways: either through sins of commission, or to forego the performance of righteous acts through sins of omission. Satan and the unclean spirits in his service are well-practiced and very adept at strongly pulling us towards either of these courses of action using every tool at their disposal to entice us and, sadly, often employing them with great success in our lives.
To be tempted, then, is to be put to the test, as we’ll examine momentarily. When tested (tempted in some way) we have the opportunity to submit to evil influences either by the commission of sin or through a failure to stand against it. When tested we may elect to perform the righteous acts God gives us the opportunity to accomplish by showing His grace, mercy and love to others through word or deed and thus to defeat the particular temptation we are facing; lamentably, we may elect to do otherwise. Man, the centerpiece of all creation, is a free agent to make his own choices, so let us understand that being presented with an opportunity to rebel against God’s stated law is not a sin; taking advantage of that opportunity is always a sin. Being presented with the choice to do what is known to be wrong is surely not a sin; failing to do what is known to be right is definitely a sin. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world,” 1 John 2:16 tells us. As our study progresses we’ll examine those three basic categories of temptation in order to identify those occasions when we are tempted and respond to them appropriately by reflecting on our circumstances or opportunities in the mirror of what God’s Word has to say. As we move along we’ll look at several applicable cases.
So again we ask, was Jesus tempted, yes or no? Let’s seek the answer first from the three passages of Scripture most people think of when someone mentions the temptation of Jesus – Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; and Luke 4:1-13. Each is quite specific and clear, and as we progress through our consideration of the temptation of Christ we’ll look at them somewhat closely.
What Took Place?
Verse 1 of Matthew’s account says, “Then (after His baptism in Jordan) was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” Matthew employed the Greek word pierasthEnai or to be tried in verse 1, while Mark and Luke use the word pierazomenos (being tried) in their records. Mark put it this way in chapter 1 verse 13 – “And he (Jesus) was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted (pierazomenos, or being tried) of Satan…” and Luke 4:2 says – “Being forty days tempted (again pierazomenos, or being tried) of the devil…” The idea is actually that of undergoing a trial, of enduring very close scrutiny or examination for the purpose of proof. Based on these three Scriptures and others we’ll probe later this writer is led to conclude that Jesus was indeed tempted, or in other words offered very real opportunities to abandon God’s plan for His earthly life and to transgress the will and law of His Father God.
Some believers assert that because Jesus is the Son of God and thereby possessor of the divine nature He was above, beyond, or incapable of truly experiencing temptation. Citing James 1:13 which says: “Let no man say when he is tempted (pierazomenos or undergoing trial), I am tempted (pierazomai or being tried) of God; for God cannot be tempted (apierastos or tried) with evil, neither tempteth (pierazei or is He trying) he any man.” Those who hold that position are technically correct, but only up to a point. Let us consider verses 14 and 15 which follow to put the entire picture into better focus: “But every man is tempted (pierazetai or undergoing trial), when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth for sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” We will break this passage down further a little later on.
James identifies our weakness then as that of being susceptible, of being lured toward an attempt to fulfill our own desires or “lust” rather than the will of God who created us. We can be “drawn away” and “enticed (lured)” whenever our desires take control of our priorities. We can set those priorities upon anything – a larger house, a new boat, more money, a nicer car, fancier clothes or any other possession – the list of tangible material things for which we might “lust” is as endless as the human mind can conceive. The list might also include intangible obsessions such as ‘good’ looks or a ‘better’ body through physical exercise or surgical proceedures. Society might recognize in us desires that we may not be willing to fully admit even to ourselves such as gaining more influence, fame or the praise of men – again an it’s an open-ended list. Our “lust” might include a list of conventionally-recognized albeit often not-so-acknowledged in this modern day obsessions as well, such as the seeking of sexual pleasures in illicit relationships or the mind-numbing effects of alcohol or some other drug that satisfies us for a brief period of time only to ultimately leave us empty and physically, psychologically or emotionally longing for more of the same. Possibly what entices us is the achievement of some intellectual or scholastic goal, or perhaps the ‘convenience’ of an abortion, after which we regret the entire situation and the destruction of human life in its most innocent of forms. If the mind of man can in some way find something desirable or of convenience Satan and his demons can turn it toward temptation within one of the three basic classifications John mentioned and which we’ll soon examine more closely.
Who Is Jesus?
Jesus the Son of God was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit of God His Father within the womb of a young virgin, Mary. Like all men since Cain, Jesus inherited His nature from His Father. For you and me that means we have a nature to transgress God’s law because our fathers did, as did their fathers before them along our lineage all the way back to Adam but Jesus, whose Father is not of flesh and bone but of Spirit, inherited His Father’s divine nature; Jesus was and is therefore completely God as surely as you or I are our father’s offspring. Jesus was, however, born of a human woman to occupy a body that was thereby fully and in all ways also human, with all the inherent physical weaknesses of flesh and bone form. In his human body Jesus grew weary, knew thirst and hunger, felt pain and had the same physical limitations as any other man. Physiologically speaking Jesus was then no different than us. In his human body and mind Jesus was also familiar with emotions such as grief, apprehension over His immediate future, sympathy and compassion. When referring to Jesus the writer of the book of Hebrews in chapter 2 verses 16-18 addressed the issue directly in this way: “For verily he (Jesus) took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (help and comfort) them that are tempted.”
In other words, Jesus did not assume the divine nature – he was born with it by virtue of inheriting it from His divine Father. Through the lineage of his mother, traceable to Abraham in fulfillment of God’s promises, Jesus took on the human form and nature of “his brethren” of the human race for the purpose of fully knowing and understanding everything they and we go through. It was His birth in human form with all its inherent frailty that makes Jesus uniquely qualified as our priest – our representative or advocate – before God the Father. It is precisely because He is fully human and thus in every way made like us that Jesus could accomplish three critical things. First, He could overcome the devil’s power and free those held in slavery by their fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). Second, He could become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God on our behalf and in atonement for our sins (Hebrews 2:17). Third, Jesus would be the One who is able to sympathize with us in all our human weaknesses and infirmities. In Hebrews 4:15-16 we find “For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with (understanding of and sympathetic to) the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted (put to the test) like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” In this case the word translated tempted is the Greek pepeirasmenon (or having been tried). In his first letter to the Corinthian church, chapter 10 verse 13, the Apostle Paul sheds light on the reason Jesus endured the temptations He did. Paul was addressing everyday people, folks like you and me, when he wrote: “For there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (pierasthEnai or to be tried) above that ye are able, but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (successfully undergo) it.” This is a verse we will examine in more detail later in our study but for now let’s understand that one of the reasons Jesus endured what He did was for the positive and demonstrable understanding of our human limitations. It is Our Lord’s human side that enables Him to fully sympathize with our weaknesses because He too has experienced those same weaknesses. It is in fact his very humanity that qualifies him to serve as our High Priest, a worthy advocate able to intercede on our behalf offering mercy and providing gracious forgiveness.
As our study continues we will revisit each of these scriptures from time to time for more analysis as well as examine a few others in order to get a clearer understanding not only of what Jesus endured but of the things we may face in our day-to-day lives.
So, Who Tempted Jesus?
The verses we’ve looked at so far in Matthew and Luke say it was “the devil” while Mark is more specific and uses the proper name “Satan.” Who, then, is this character playing such a prominent role in the story and how did he audition for the part?
Variously called by the names ABADDON (Hebrew destroyer), APOLLYON (Greek destroyer), BEELZEBUB (Greek chief of the demons), BELIAL (Hebrew worthless) and SATAN (Greek slanderer or accuser) throughout the Old and New Testaments the devil is, in short, the adversary of God and men. In 1 Peter 5:8 the Greek word diabolos (a form of diabolou used by Matthew and Luke) is used to describe him as an adversary. In the spirit world there are many devils, agents of an evil commander, once-heavenly spiritual beings who followed the archangel Lucifer in rebellion against God, and numerous Biblical references could be cited. Use of the Greek word tou (the) is important here, though, as it singles this character out as the devil, the supreme spirit of evil. Thus Mark’s identification of this spirit as “Satan” in his account of Jesus’ temptation is accurate. There are other references that describe Satan:
- The Pharisees called him Beelzebub, “the prince of the devils,” in Matthew 12:24.
- In Ephesians 2:2 Paul called him “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
- Jesus referred to him as the “prince of this world” in John 14:30 and;
- John wrote that he is the one who “sinneth from the beginning” in 1 John 3:8.
In eternity God created three supreme angels to serve Him in three specific realms of Creation – Michael in the spiritual realm, Gabriel in the intellectual and Lucifer in the material, or physical. Isaiah 14:12-15 tells us what happened: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Surely then Lucifer and Satan are one and the same, as Revelation 12:7 describes this episode in eternal history as “…war in heaven…” and it was this event that resulted in the beginning of sin. Jesus declared in Luke 10:18 that following the “war” of Lucifer’s rebellion against God, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” It is then through fallen Lucifer (Satan) that sin entered the material world with which we are most familiar, and thus through Adam’s choice in Eden into the realm of mankind. That nature to transgress God’s law has been passed on through our fathers to me and to you.
Described as “son of the morning” by Isaiah, Lucifer was surely a beautiful creature to look upon outwardly but his heart somehow became blackened by pride, ambition and greed. He sought a position that was not his to assume, which led to his initial downfall as he was cast to the earth, it seeming likely to this writer during the creative interim between Genesis verses 1 and 2 (but that’s a topic for an altogether different study). Although Satan’s eventual doom was sealed in that instant his rebellious presence polluted the material creation with his transgression and it was the subtlety of his lies that led to the fall of mankind when he beguiled Eve and Adam willingly chose to transgress God’s command no to eat the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). It was, as we may note from the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Satan who offered bribery to Christ in yet another failed attempt to thwart the redemptive plan of God and rule the kingdom that rightfully belongs to Jesus. Upon Christ’s return in glory as written for our benefit in Revelation, Satan’s defeat will, in accordance with God’s calendar, be complete.
Are We Tempted, And If So By Whom?
Surely we can by now conclude that if Lucifer was so proud, so arrogant and so bold as to plot against the God of Heaven he would have no reservations whatsoever in tempting us to follow him astray. Paul, in chapter 11 verse 14 of his second letter to the Corinthian church, warns that we shouldn’t marvel “for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” for the purpose of deceiving us through errant teaching. It is not a task he undertakes alone, however, for at least some angels allied themselves with Satan during his rebellion. Scripture does not specify the number of angels who took part in either the rebellion or in quashing it but we glean from Revelation 12:7-9 “…there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (Lucifer or Satan); and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.” Some of the lesser angels followed Lucifer in his failed insurrection, while Michael and a host of other angels remained loyal to the true God of Heaven. The fact that the angels “fought” is indicative that it must have been a spiritual struggle beyond the capacity of human understanding, and by the time the dust-up was settled Lucifer and those angels loyal to him had been cast out of Heaven.
2 Peter 2:4 says “…God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment,” while in verse 6 of his writing Jude describes them as “…the angels who kept not their first estate (home place), but left their own habitation… reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
At a first glance one might be led to conclude from these two citations that Satan is now going about his evil business alone and unaided, but another class of fallen angels – demons – is constantly at Satan’s behest and assists him in his dirty work. As Mark 5:9 and Luke 8:30 recount the story of the demon-possessed man in Gadera we can readily see that “many” demons had occupied and afflicted the man from whom Jesus exorcised them. That group of demons remains unbound and is still running loose and rampant today! If we are not personally tempted by Satan himself then surely it is at least one of his “many” servant demons who entices and thereby torments us.
In the garden of Eden it was Satan who personally assumed a false identity to introduce sin into the human aspect of the physical creation when he presented himself to Eve in the personage of a serpent. There are a few interesting points to note about that encounter that we may contrast to the temptation of Jesus and apply to our own encounters with temptation as well.
Genesis 3:1 states that “the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” The Hebrew text suggests the serpent became crafty or “subtle.” Since God did not institute evil it seems likely that the serpent was as ordinary as any other creature until Satan entered and possessed its body for his dark purpose. As we’ll discover going deeper into our study on the matter we aren’t told what form Satan assumed when encountering Christ in the wilderness but there are other times in Christ’s life when we might recognize the forms Satan took, and we’ll look at some of those as we go along because some of them can probably be observed in our daily lives as well.
We aren’t told about the serpent’s physical form prior to the curse of Genesis 3:14 but it seems likely that in the physical sense he was a beautiful creature – probably the most beautiful of all. Since he has been described as “son of the morning” and as transforming himself into “an angel of light” Satan probably chose to indwell the most beautiful “beast of the field” available. He surely would have wanted to look his best for his meeting with Eve and to appear to her in no way repulsive. Satan or his demons will likewise always want to appear appealing to us.
Another thing to note in Genesis 3:1-5 is that Eve seems to have found it in no way unusual that the serpent would initiate a conversation or that she be spoken to by the serpent. To say that any or all the beasts of creation possessed the power of speech at that time would be speculative at best but it appears that Eve was at ease while holding up her end of the conversation. Although mankind is the only being created in the image and likeness of God – body, intellect and spirit – there is no evidence to suggest that prior to the curse of Genesis 3:14 the serpent couldn’t have had both the intellect and physical ability to have spoken to Eve and the Bible is very clear that at least in this instance he did.
How Does Adam’s Sin Relate To Jesus’ Temptation?
Before answering that question we may want to take a closer look at how Satan, in the physical form of the serpent, beguiled Eve and tempted Adam. After all, that’s how Satan got this whole sequence of events started, and through the years his tactics and strategies have not changed so let’s be blunt here – Satan lied, as we’ll see.
To fully understand the lies of Satan let’s first look at the truth spoken by God the Creator. Genesis 2:15 tells us that Adam had a job to do in the garden of Eden “…to dress (Hebrew i-obd-e or cultivate or till or serve) it and to keep it.” Verses 16 and 17 then place a single limitation on that responsibility as well as a sure result for failure to comply: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it (the limitation); for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (the result).” It is important to point out that Eve had not at this time been created as Adam’s helper and mate in this responsibility – we find that account later in verses 18-25. The key point here is that God clearly spelled out Adam’s responsibility and the limits thereupon while making a clear pronouncement regarding any deviation from compliance. There was no ambiguity, no need for Adam to question God, no need for clarification or any doubt in the verity of what God said. In short, God had spoken truth and Adam knew it and understood it. Insofar as we are able to understand from the record, Adam was at that time compliant in every way.
God then looked upon Adam and from him created Eve – woman taken from man described as “the mother of all living” in Genesis 3:20 – and instituted lifelong marriage, mutual support, nurturing and everything good in a spousal partnership. We don’t know how long their relationship lasted in total unity and harmony, only that it did and that there was no shame between them or before God. At some point, however, Adam surely failed. Recall that God’s commandment regarding the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was given specifically to Adam prior to the creation of his wife; responsibility to communicate that commandment accurately to Eve would then have fallen squarely upon Adam. It was Adam’s shameful failure in that point that gave Satan a boost in his treachery and helped to facilitate his subsequent lies.
Was Adam present at the time of the conversation between Satan and Eve? The texts are not definitive on the matter but we might draw a conclusion in a moment. It may be that while Eve was dressing the garden in one place Adam had gone some distance away to perform his tasks elsewhere so that he was not privy to the conversation. Perhaps he was present during the entire episode, and if he was then greater is his shame not only for having failed to communicate God’s command to his wife but for his silence during her exchange with the serpent. One thing is beyond doubt – Adam was surely in the presence of the woman in the latter part of verse 6 when she “gave (of the fruit) also unto her husband with her; and he did (choose to) eat.”
What Was Satan’s Lie To Eve?
The command given by God to Adam was true, sure and unambiguous. Satan’s circumvention of that truth was through the introduction of a doubt into Eve’s mind in the form of a question. “…Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Although Satan’s words are quoted in Scripture I’ll point out carefully that this is not at all precisely what God had said. You may recall that God had in fact told Adam he could eat freely of every tree of the garden (Genesis 2:17) “but” the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Satan’s challenge by omission of that seemingly-simple exception was the one crack into which he began driving his wedge between God and mankind to open the door upon the first of three basic categories of temptation – the lust of fleshly gratification.
I do not wish to imply here that Eve was in any way of a lesser intellect than Adam; Eve’s response to Satan’s opening question reflects either Adam’s failure to accurately communicate to her the command of God or Adam’s failure to ensure that it was explained to her in a way Eve fully understood. She replied to Satan, “…We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” It is at this juncture the crack broadens as the wedge is driven deeper into it. Satan surely misquoted God but just as surely so did Eve, for God had said nothing at all to Adam about touching the tree or its fruit but only about eating from the tree. This is one of the ways Satan works in the world today. We’ve all heard people ‘quote’ 1 Timothy 6:10 as saying ‘money is the root of all evil.’ Nothing could be further from the truth! What Paul really wrote is, “For the love [my emphasis] of money is the root of all evil, which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” There isn’t anything wrong with having money or in fact being quite wealthy so long as it doesn’t interfere with our relationship to God because we love it more than we love Him and make acquisition or retention of it a priority above our relationship with God. God knows we require some form of currency or wealth in order to function from day-to-day in the world and is faithful to ensure even when times seem difficult that we have enough of it to live. That is why it is vitally important for each of us not only to know precisely what God’s word says but also to convey it fully and accurately to others.
In confronting Jesus, Satan attempted to employ the same tactic in Luke 4:2-3: “…he (Jesus) did eat nothing: and when they (the forty days) were ended, he (Jesus) afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God (the attempted introduction of a challenging question or doubt), command this stone that it be made bread (a challenge to respond as though you are).” Matthew’s account in chapter 4 verse 3 says, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” The approach Satan took with Jesus was not so very different from the approach he took with Eve or, perhaps, the approach he takes with us as he first seeks to introduce doubt into the mind of the one he assaults. Satan also issued a challenge to Jesus: “if thou (truly) be” then “command.”
Today Satan or his demons likewise issue challenges to us that are aimed at gratification of our lust of the flesh. ‘If you’re truly a child of God,’ Satan might say to us, ‘then you needn’t turn your eyes and thoughts toward pure things; enjoy looking upon the alluring and scantily-clad woman in the television advertisement as she engages in sexually-suggestive activities and dialogue while enticing you to buy beer. If you’re truly a child of God such a thing would never tempt you to desire; she’s only playing a role as part of a commercial enterprise. And that program the brewer is sponsoring? It’s only entertainment.’ When our neighbor purchases a new automobile Satan might tempt us to obsess over it or to be jealous of it, to covet a car like it or one even fancier and to make less-than-prudent monetary commitments to obtain one even though it isn’t the most practical for our needs or within our budgetary capabilities by saying ‘You’ve worked hard so you deserve it, indulge yourself and show the world what you’re made of! You would look good sitting in a ride like that so let them envy you for a change!’ When it comes to the matter of tithes to the Lord’s work or the use of gifts in His service Satan might say something like ‘You worked hard for that money and it therefore belongs to you. Don’t give it to your church for missionary service. Hold onto that money so you can take your wife on an Alaskan cruise,’ or ‘You practiced every day for years to develop your talent. Why not use your gift as a musician to play in a bar band instead of as accompanist for the church choir?’ Satan challenges us and perhaps often it is with the notion that ‘It’s only _ (you can fill in the blank for yourself). You are the one person on the planet who is strong enough to indulge yourself and still handle it.’ The thrust of these lies by Satan is always that we focus our attention away from God and upon gratifying ourselves in some way. A plethora of addictions or resultant self-destructive actions follow, unfortunately often dragging friends, co-workers or loved ones – maybe even people we don’t know but who may be observing the way we live – down with us.
How does Satan accomplish this? He’s very persuasive in what he does, that’s how, and he’s had a lot of practice. 1 Kings 22:21-22, regarding Ahab against Ramoth-gilead, points out but one example: “…there came forth a (Satanic) spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith (how)? And he (the Satanic spirit) said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his (Ahab’s) prophets. And he (the Lord) said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also; go forth, and do so.” In addressing a group of Pharisees Jesus said in John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts (desires) of your father ye will (actively) do. He was a murderer (destroyer or man-killer) from the beginning, and abode (does not stand) not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father (patier or patriarch or source) of it (the lie).”
Another Lie
Once perverted by Satan, God’s command to Adam was open to a false interpretation in verses 4 and 5. “And the serpent said (to Eve), Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof (the tree’s fruit), then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” It is important to recall here that in Genesis 2:17 God was quite specific when he told Adam, “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” What did God mean when he said Adam would “die” and what did Satan mean when he presumed to deliberately misinterpret God?
The Hebrew texts are clear that God was speaking not merely of physical death but also a spiritual one, an alienation of Adam’s spirit from communion with God’s; Satan perverted God’s word in speaking of only a physical death – the departure of one’s spirit from the physical body. The ploy worked, first casting a doubt into Eve’s mind, then shaping God’s words into something they weren’t, and finally in verse 6 as Eve “…saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat…” after which she offered the fruit to Adam and he also partook of it. Eve, as we are prone to do, experienced the second type of temptation, the lust of the eyes. When she assessed that the fruit would be tasty and that it looked appealing she desired it to gratify herself.
Let’s once more consider James 1:14-15. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Perhaps we can now see the pattern emerge more clearly. First Eve’s understanding of God’s commandment seems to have of itself been incomplete or erroneous because Adam had failed. It is for that reason imperative that we fully and correctly understand everything we can of God’s Word so as not to be drawn away from the truth as Eve was by Satan’s lie. Distracted from her task and paying attention to Satan’s words, Eve allowed a seed of desire to be planted in her mind and heart. As that desire became more ardent Eve became enticed to fulfill it.
It is here that I’ll insert my conclusion that Adam was perhaps present for the entire exchange between Eve and the devil. Why do I think this? Because the Apostle Paul is very clear in describing what happened next when in Romans 5:12 he writes, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned.” To this point Eve had been inadequately educated by Adam and deceived by Satan, but Adam knew first-hand exactly what God had said and what God expected of him. Like Eve, Adam was surely “drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” but he allowed the process of his growing “lust” to progress to the next step so that it “conceived” in his mind and heart as ambition. Adam could envision a plan for self-gratification – take the fruit from Eve’s hand and partake of it so that his “eyes” would be “opened” and he could be as a god, “knowing good and evil.” Adam fell prey to the pride of life, the third form of temptation mentioned by James. This conception of sin, when consummated, had a tragic result that befell not only Adam and Eve but all mankind thereafter: spiritual separation from communion with God. ‘Death’ is a hard word to swallow but it is the word accurately translated from both the Hebrew and Greek in the prior citations. It is what all men experience in the flesh on account of their transgression of God’s law and is the spiritual sentence passed upon all sinners who fail to accept the sacrifice offered in the blood of Jesus.
As we will explore in the next and future articles it was that eternal death that Satan sought to pass on to not only Adam and thus to us but also to Christ through temptation and yielding to it. We will, however, find through our continued study that death was precisely what Jesus conquered through His resurrection so that as John 10:10 says, through Him we can “have life, and have it more abundantly.”
Until next time, my friends, be prayerful, be studious of God’s word and be blessed…
Tom