Desert Temptations - Part 3

(See parts 1 and 2 also.)

During the second temptation, the tempter takes Jesus to the highest spot of the temple and says something like, "So, you're the Son God. Throw yourself down since it is written,

'For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

We read through Psalm 91, the psalm the tempter is quoting. Why did the tempter pick this verse? Did Jesus key in on "trust" in verse 2 and gain confidence knowing that if trusted, and not tested, God would be his "fortress"? Did he gain strength from verse 13 where if he trusted, "young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot." The serpent image took us back to the garden, the temptations there, and the promise that the snake would have his head crushed. Did he picture Adam and Eve and know this time he could prevail with the help of God? (The lion image bothered us abit since we thought of the lion of Judah but by the end of the night we found other verses that made this work quite beautifully. We'll describe later.)

Maybe fear stole into Jesus' heart when he thought of verse 16, "I will satisfy him with long life and show him salvation." Standing at the "highest point", he might have been on the corner of the temple where the shofar is blown to announce the offerings. In his humanity, did Jesus know that years from now, at 3pm, the shofar would sound and he would breath his last on the cross? (I have more on thoughts on this here.)

Maybe the "long life" verse brought him to another scripture, "...so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel". Shema! Hear! Hear, O Israel. Yes, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And maybe his mind raced through that section of Deuteronomy to verse 16, "Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah."

What happened at Massah? Israel was on their way to Sinai from Egypt, being led again by the Spirit, and they quarreled. "Give us water", they cried out! "Is the Lord among us or not?" In the heat (day), in the cold (night), in the desert they doubted and they quarreled. God of course provided, but the people did not trust. Would Jesus succeed and place his trust in God?

(Disclaimer, take this paragraph with a grain of salt since I'm not a linguist and don't read Hebrew yet).
Moses named the place Massah after this event. Originally, it was called Rephidim, which is the masculine form of rphiydah, which means "balusters" according to Strong's Dictionary. The Israelites are in a place called the "balusters", or the place of railings. Did Jesus grab this "railing" when he looked over the edge of the highest point? Did this "railing" of God's Word save him?

Ginger pointed out the story following Massah. Maybe Jesus remembered what happened next, the battle with the Amalekites. Joshua fought against them and was victorious as Aaron and Hur "lifted up" Moses hands. God would lift up Jesus, but in His time. Did Jesus picture the crucifixion again, but this time sense victory? Did he glimpse that he too would be lifted up as Moses lifted up the snake so that God's love could be shown for the whole world?

And Jesus responds, "Do not test the Lord your God."

More to follow.