Congregations of the Churches of Christ Gospel Meetings Sermons The Harvester Publication The Harvest Fields: Mission Work Past Events Additional Resources Contact The Harvester

Tempting God

What does it mean to tempt God? We're familiar with the term and concept of "tempting fate" but Jesus' response to the devil's temptation of "...Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Mat. 4:7) tells us something deeper than "tempting fate." First, let's examine this confrontation between Jesus and the devil, and then why it is still relevant to us today.

In Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Mat. 4), the devil takes Jesus to a high point of the temple in Jerusalem (v. 5) and dares Jesus to provide proof that He is the Son of God:

And 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. (Mat. 4:6)

The temptation is multifaceted. One aspect of this temptation is for Jesus to show a sign for the purpose of popular acclaim by people who will have seen someone survive a fall hundreds of feet in distance. Although Jesus will go on to perform many miracles, the devil's call for such a sign is a temptation to perform this feat in place of Jesus' ultimate sign of death and resurrection - as Jesus later points out to Pharisees who ask for a sign after he's just healed a blind man (Mat. 12:38-42). So, the devil offers what sounds like a shortcut to instill belief in Jesus by the masses.

The other aspect of this temptation is found in the devil's misquoting of David's Psalm 91:11-12. The full, correct passage is "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone."

(Read more)

Ben McManus


Updates

  • New sermons from the February Mount Carmel Road meeting have been posted on the Sermons page. (3/4/25)
  • Note: Our Contact form has not been working due to technical difficulties. Please email us directly at theharvesteronline@gmail.com to contact us.

Upcoming Meetings

Jun
15 - 20
Ephesus Congregation
Ephesus, GA, USA
Jun
27 - 29
Antioch Congregation
3850 Highway 5 Douglasville, GA, United States
Jul
9 - 11
Oak Grove Congregation
1195 HWY 865 Eubank, KY 42567
Jul
20 - 25
Oct
10 - 12
Oak Grove Congregation
1195 Highway 865 Eubank, KY 42567
more meetings