Victory over Temptation

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Deuteronomy 6:13-16; Matthew 4:4-11
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  Although He was the Son of God, Jesus Christ didn’t lead a sheltered life.  As the God-Man, He fully and perfectly faced temptation without yielding to it.  Christians are often tempted to turn to popular but false teachings instead of to God and the Bible for spiritual support.  In this week’s lesson we will see how Jesus Himself, the Author of Scripture relied on the Bible when faced with His own time of temptation.  This lesson should inspire us to study and learn all of Scripture so that we will be ready when faced with temptation.  If even Jesus saw the need to use Scripture to overcome Satan’s tricks, surely we need its help even more.
II. THE LAW’S EDITS (DEUTERONOMY 6:13-16.  Forty years after leaving Egypt (see Deuteronomy 2:7), the nation of Israel was on the verge of entering the Promised Land of Canaan.  There, on the plains of Moab (see Deuteronomy 1:5), Moses spoke the words that form the book of Deuteronomy.  “Deuteronomy” is the title taken from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Bible and means Second Law.  It refers to the fact that this book contains a second giving of the law.  The Hebrew title for Deuteronomy is Debarim which literally means Words.  The repetition or giving of the law a second time was necessary because a new generation of people would enter the Promised Land.  The generation that received the law at Mt. Sinai, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb and those under twenty years old, perished in the wilderness for their unbelief and rebellion against God (see Numbers 14:27-30).  In chapter 6 from which this portion of our lesson comes, as Moses reviewed the law to this new generation, he told them that their obedience to God’s law would ensure that they would continue to inhabit and prosper in the new land (see Deuteronomy 6:1-3).  Moses then encouraged them to love the Lord completely, taking His commandments to heart and teaching them to their children (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  He also warned them that great temptation also lied ahead.  They would prosper with cities, houses, walls, vineyards, and olive groves that they didn’t work to produce (see Deuteronomy 6:10-11).  But in their prosperity they would be tempted to forget the Lord and take the credit themselves (see Deuteronomy 6:12).  This is where this portion of our lesson begins.
A. Fear the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:13).   This verse says “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”  Moses declared that the one thing that would prevent Israel from forgetting the Lord would be to “fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”  The word “fear” means proper reverence and respect for God that every believer ought to have.  The proper respect for the Lord will affect a person’s behavior in a positive way. Proverbs 16:6 says “By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.”  The more we fear or reverence God, the less likely we are to yield to temptation and sin (see Proverbs 3:7; 8:13).  Along with fearing the Lord, the Israelites were to “serve him.”  Anyone who does not fear and honor God will not “serve Him.”  The word “serve” has the idea of being a servant to someone.  In Bible times a servant was the property of a master, and service to his master was the servant’s full-time duty.  To serve the Lord means that we pursue His interests constantly because His interests become our interests.  Everything we do in life revolves around our commitment to serve Him.  The one who reverences the Lord will also “swear by his name.”  For Israel this included oaths in court as well as private oaths or promises.  When an Israelite made such promises it would reveal to whom they were loyal.  However, Jesus later taught that swearing was improper for His followers (see Matthew 5:33-37).  But we must also remember that as followers of Christ, when we make promises we must keep them to honor the God we fear and serve.
B. Do not follow false gods (Deuteronomy 6:14-15).
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse Moses said to the people “Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.”  The fact was that if Israel forgot the Lord, they would surely look for other gods to worship.  In Canaan every ethnic nation had its own false gods.  Therefore, Moses repeated the first of the Ten Commandments which warned the people not to “go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.”  God commanded His people to destroy all the nations that were in Canaan (see Deuteronomy 7:1-4, 16), but unfortunately they disobeyed and didn’t.  God was well aware that being surrounded by idol worshippers would lead His people to be tempted to follow the idolatrous practices associated with the occupants of Canaan.
2. (vs. 15).  Here Moses continued to say “(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.”  One reason that Israel was expected to forsake other gods was “For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you.”  This is a parenthetical statement that Moses repeated from part of the second of the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:5-6).  God being Jealous indicates His eagerness for the glory that He deserves (see Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:23-24).  Since He is a jealous God, He demands exclusive worship and service and will not share it with false gods (see Isaiah 42:8).  Another reason why Israel was to forsake other gods was “lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.”  If Israel didn’t want God’s anger “kindled” or hot towards them, it would be to their benefit not to follow other gods and make Him jealous.  If they did go after other gods, the penalty would be harsh and the judgment severe for Moses said that God would “destroy thee from off the face of the earth.”  Note:  For Israel, idolatry was considered the worst of all sins.  The prohibition against it was the very first commandment (see Exodus 20:3-5).  Death was the penalty for any individual who followed other gods or even enticed others to do it (see Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 13:6-10).  As for the nation as a whole, following other gods would lead to removal from their land (see Deuteronomy 4:25-27; 29:24-28).
C. Do not put the Lord to the test (see Deuteronomy 6:16).  In the last verse of this portion of our lesson, Moses further commanded the people that “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”  The word rendered “tempt” here generally means to prove, test, or to put to the test instead of “entice to do wrong” which is the idea behind the word in English.  To “tempt the Lord your God” does not mean to get God to do evil, because He can’t be touched by that kind of temptation (see James 1:13).  It means to put God to a test to see whether He is faithful, or can be counted on.  When we do this it shows a lack of faith in His promises and power.  Moses went on to remind them of what happened to their forefathers when they “tempted (or tested) him (God) in Massah.”   The name “Massah” comes from a Hebrew word translated “tempt.”  It means proving, or test, and was the name given to the place where the children of Israel murmured against Moses because they had no water (see Exodus 17:1-6).  The specific reason for the name of this place was “because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not (see Exodus 17:7)?”  Because there was no water, the people complained and questioned Whether God was with them.  The Lord did supply water, but the name “Massah” or “test” was a reminder of their unbelief.  Instead of having faith and taking God at His word, Israel questioned God’s faithfulness and demanded proof of His care and concern.  Note:  Do we sometimes find ourselves guilty of this same sin?  If things don’t go exactly according to our schedule, do we question God’s care and love?  To do that is to “tempt the Lord.”
III. THE LAW’S APPLICATIONS (Matthew 4:4-11).  This second portion of our lesson takes place just after Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Spirit came upon Him and His Father acknowledged that Jesus is “my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (see Matthew 3:16-17).  In Mark’s account we are told that “immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness” (see Mark 1:12) where He fasted for forty days and forty nights (see Matthew 4:1-2).   As a result, He was hungry.  This confirmed His humanity, and made Him vulnerable for the devil’s first temptation which was to turn stones into bread (see Matthew 4:3).  Satan doesn’t usually tempt any of us in our areas of strength; instead he repeatedly tempts us where he knows we are weak and vulnerable.  Our lesson begins here with Jesus’ response to this first temptation.
A. Live by the Lord’s Word (Matthew 4:4).  Our first verse gives Jesus’ response to Satan’s temptation to turn stones into bread.  This verse says “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”  Jesus didn’t just fulfill Old Testament Scripture; He used it repeatedly just as He did here.  This first temptation centered around the “lust (or desire) of the flesh” (see I John 2:16).  The devil wanted Jesus to turn a stone into bread (see Luke 4:3).  The words “It is written” calls attention to God’s Word or the Holy Scriptures which revealed God’s will.  It was God’s will for man to live according to His Word.  Jesus knew that acting outside of God’s will, even for the real purpose of feeding Himself would be sin.  He was in this condition of hunger at the leading of God’s Spirit for a divine purpose.  To Jesus, obeying God’s Word was more important than having bread to eat.  He fought off Satan’s first temptation (and subsequently all three temptations) by using the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (see Ephesians 6:17).  The scriptural passage that Jesus chose to combat Satan was Deuteronomy 8:3.  In that passage God said that He had led Israel into the wilderness in order to determine whether they would keep His commandments (see Deuteronomy 8:2).  God wanted Israel to know that obedience to His word is the most important value in life, even more important than satisfying physical hunger.  Like Jesus, we too can be deprived, yet content when we’re certain we are living in His will.  But in order to live in God’s will we must know His will which only comes from studying His Word (see Psalms 119:33-35; II Timothy 3:15-17).   By leaning on God’s Word, Jesus countered Satan’s first attack and won round one.  The score is Jesus 1, Satan 0!
B. Trust in the Lord wholly (Matthew 4:5-7).  
1. (vs. 5).  This verse says “Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple.”  Satan next took Jesus to the highest “pinnacle” or highest point of the temple.  This is believed to have been the southeast corner of the temple complex about 450 feet high overlooking the Kidron Valley.  We are not told if this happened physically or in a vision.  But since the scriptures don’t say, it’s best to see it happening just as the Bible says.
2. (vs. 6).  This verse is a continuation of the previous verse and presents the second temptation.  After Satan took Jesus to the highest point of the temple, he “saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”  Once on top of the temple, Satan issued a second challenge.  He said, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down.”  The word “If” here should be understood as “since.”  Satan had no doubt that Jesus was the Son of God.  What he wanted in this temptation was for Jesus to jump from the temple to test God’s faithfulness in protecting Him.  Satan even used Scripture to make His point.  He said “for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”  This second temptation was related to the “pride of life” (see I John 2:16).  Satan was suggesting that if Jesus jumped, the angels would keep Him from any harm including death.  Satan quoted from Psalms 91:11-12.  No doubt Satan thought that if Jesus wanted to play the quote the Scripture game, he could do that too!  However there were two things wrong with Satan’s use of this Scripture passage.  First, he left out the phrase “to keep thee in all thy ways” which is a reference to walking in God’s will.  Second, Satan misapplied the passage.  The context of this entire Psalm describes God’s protection of those who trust and obey Him.  It promises that God would deliver His people who fell into difficulties as they followed His will.  There is no indication that God’s protection is extended to those who decide to operate apart from Him and on their own.  Therefore, this passage as Satan used it didn’t apply to this situation at all.  Note:  It should be a warning to us that Satan knows Scripture and how to use it for his own benefit.  There are times when well-meaning people might lead us astray by giving bad advice based on some Bible verse taken out of context.  All Scripture should be used in the context of the passage it comes from and with other similar passages.  False doctrines are built upon selective truths found in the Bible.  We must stay aware and follow Christ’s teachings carefully.
3. (vs. 7).  In this verse “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”  Jesus countered Satan’s misuse of Scripture by quoting from another Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:16 in a way that agreed with the original context.  That Scripture text specifically says “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”  It’s part of the first section of our lesson. For the second time Jesus leaned on God’s Word to counter Satan’s second attack, thus winning round 2.  The score is now Jesus 2, Satan 0.       
C. Worship the Lord only (Matthew 4:8-10).
1. (vs. 8).  This verse says “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.”  In Satan’s third and final temptation on this occasion, he took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.  How this happened is not explained but since no such mountain view exists and Luke 4:5 says it happened in “a moment of time,” many believe that it was through a vision.  But at any rate it was done supernaturally.
2. (vs. 9).  Satan, showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world continued to say in this verse “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”  We may not know exactly how Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, but we do know that his offer was legitimate, for he is “the prince of the power of the air” (see Ephesians 2:2) and “the god of this world” (see II Corinthians 4:4).  We currently live in a world that is largely Satan’s.  But his control is limited to only what God allows (see Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7).  Note:  Jesus knew that the earth rightfully belonged to Him and that He would eventually reign as King over it all (see Revelation 11:15).  Nevertheless, before He could rule over the earth, Jesus had to redeem the earth from sin.  He had to come to earth as a man so that He could be God’s Substitute for sinful human beings on the cross.  Before Jesus could wear the crown He had to endure the cross.  This third temptation was related to the “lust of the eyes” (see I John 2:16).  The devil offered Christ all the world’s kingdoms in exchange for worship.  For sure, the offer Satan made was tempting.  He would give the whole earth to Jesus if He would only fall down and worship him.  In other words, Satan was saying that Jesus could be King without having to go to the cross.  What a tragedy it would have been if Jesus had accepted this proposal!  By grabbing the crown Satan’s way, Jesus would have forfeited salvation for humans.  Besides, Satan was a usurper.  Only God could give authority over the earth, and He will one day give it to Jesus (see Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation chapter 5).  Note:  This gives us an insight into how the devil will often tempt us.  He said in essence that he could give Jesus something in a better way than God could.  If Jesus would take a different direction, He could more easily have what He desired.  How often have we veered away from God’s Word and will in hopes of achieving something in an easier way.  We then found out the hard way that it’s always best to do things God’s way, no matter the cost. 
3. (vs. 10).  This verse says “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”  Jesus rejected this last temptation outright.  He ordered “Satan” to “Get thee hence” or to leave Him.  “Satan” means “adversary” and is a correct title for him since he opposes God’s plan for Jesus and mankind.  But once again Jesus quoted the Bible saying “for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”  This was a quote from both Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20 where God demanded complete worship and allegiance from Israel as they were about to enter Canaan.  Jesus knew that His Father would expect no less from His Son.  Note:  Instead of thinking that the end would justify the means, as we are frequently tempted to suppose, Jesus fixed His focus on worshipping the Lord and obeying His Word.  No one else is to share the worship that belongs exclusively to God.  There is no expected benefit that can ever justify disobeying what God has said.  Jesus resolutely loved God and lived by His Word.  Do you?   For the final time on this occasion, Jesus again leaned on God’s Word to counter Satan’s third attack, thus winning round 3.  The final score is Jesus 3, Satan 0.  Likewise, If we turn to God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit to fight Satan’s temptations, we too can be victorious everytime and Satan will continue to suffer defeat.
D.  Experience the Lord’s victory (Matthew 4:11).  Our final verse says “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”  Satan couldn’t stay around when Jesus ordered him to leave.  This reminds us of the words of James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  It’s ironic that Satan had just offered to be a giving master to Jesus, but Jesus’ authoritative response and Satan’s cowering obedience demonstrated who the real Master was.  Jesus had passed the tests successfully.  Rather than yield to temptation, Jesus was obedient to the Word and will of God.  As a result, the devil left him.  However, Satan left for only “a season” according to Luke 4:13.  Temptation would return later in other ways, but Jesus had established a behavior of obedience and trust that would characterize His ministry.  The last part of this verse says “and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”  Immediately after the devil left, angels came and ministered to Jesus in His weakened, famished condition.  Most likely they provided food to nourish Him physically and fellowship to encourage Him emotionally.  Whatever Jesus needed, these angels provided.   Later near the end of His ministry, in His time of greatest need angels would again assist Him (see Luke 22:43).
                                  
IV. Conclusion.  Jesus was tested fully, but was victorious over every temptation that was presented to Him.  Satan tempted Jesus in the same ways that he tempted Eve in Eden (see Genesis 3:1-6), through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (see I John 2:16).  He will tempt us in the very same ways.  However, Satan couldn’t find anything about Jesus that could cause Him to yield to temptation.  With each temptation, Jesus countered with scriptural principles that kept Him focused on God’s will. If the Son of God was victorious over temptations by using God’s Word, won’t we be as well?