I answered nine written questions this week from last week's talk. I got back to a few of you on Monday - but rest were a bit late. Sorry. Here is one of the questions with my first thoughts.
Why did the devil bother tempting Jesus even though he knew God would protect and guide him?
My first thoughts:
1. The devil is a liar and sometimes believes his own lies.
2. The devil is not an idiot and yet he doesn't know everything in God's plans.
3. The exact plans for the sending of God the Son into the word were actually kept secret from the angels. Angels longed to look into these things (1 Peter 1:10-12)
4. The devil had a 100% success rate with every other human being - particularly one called 'the son of God' - Adam, Israel, David
5. The devil knew that God would protect and guide the one who trusted in God (Psalm 91). Therefore the devil's only weapon was to get Jesus at this point - his trust in God. Therefore .... food, testing, worship.
2 comments:
thanks for starting this blog, AB. I kept checking unobscurantus and being disappointed to find no new entries. Now we have this! Already bookmarked.
Hi Gordon. I have many, many, many more obscurantist articles that I never published. However that blog fizzled very quickly.
I think there was a motivation factor. I wasn't.
I think this blog is much more sustainable as it's pegged to my preaching program. I need to leave some things out of my talks. This blog lets me put a few of those ideas 'out there' as I am going.
I'm been writing my ideas, but will occasionally call on help as well.
I don't think this is going to be a high traffic blog. I've got one of those in the family already. ;)
Please visit again.
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