Tempting God

“Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents… Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. ”

Man's temptations consist primarily of thoughts and suggestions to do evil, to stray from the paths of righteousness, to disobey God's clear commands. Our first parents sinned when they ate forbidden fruit. A serpent in the garden beguiled Eve, offering her a chance to be as god, knowing good and evil by experience. Her experience and that of her husband cost us all the chance of knowing anything else but good and evil, an often-difficult choice between things.

What surprises me is that after this heartbreaking account of the first sin so early in Scripture, in man's first days, that serpent is scarcely mentioned again for thousands of years. The next time his tempting words are clearly described, he is taunting the Son of God on the final day of His 40-day fast. After attempting to beguile Jesus with food, “the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 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. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Matthew 4:5-7

We know that we can be tempted, and are tempted every day. What I find more surprising is that, in the Bible, nearly all of the instances of that word to tempt refer to people not themselves being tempted, but rather tempting God. It is a surprise that we can tempt God, but that is what the Word says.

The word tempt does not always mean suggesting someone do wicked things. In its plainest meaning, tempting means testing . The Lord's prayer asks that God not lead us into temptation. This also surprises us. Does God tempt us to do evil? Never. But He does allow the suggestions to pass under our noses, lets us remain in situations where sin can be attractive. He tests our obedience, our love of Him by planting a tree in our neighborhood that we are not to eat. He tests us by leaving the devil in our world. He tests us by giving evil people, nations, institutions and fallen angels room to operate in His creation. He doesn't make them evil, nor does He take responsibility for their rampant wicked behavior, but He permits them a scope of activity where they may present the rest of us with a choice: God's way or some other way.

But how can we tempt God ? It sounds absurd. God will never sin, by definition God's way is always righteous, it's how we define what righteousness is. We can't push God off His feet, defeat His will to do good or put Him in jeopardy of sinning. True. But we can test God and challenge Him in other ways. The Bible is full of examples.

They were slaves for generations, and their God seemed to have forgotten them. But He had not, and He sent them His representative, a man of conviction who faced the king and demanded that he let his slaves go out on the desert to worship their God. God then sent ten terrible judgments on that nation, finally forcing Pharaoh's hand to release the children of Israel. Even then he pursued them and was swallowed by the Red Sea waters. The people were freed by forces unleashed by God of blood, wasting insects, frogs, darkness, tempest, and death. Now on another shore, they began to—complain. “The people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people… murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place… Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” Exodus 17:2-7

Is the Lord among us or not? Is God really who He's cracked up to be? The Psalmist would later sum up how the Hebrews tempted God. They “being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt… He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through... In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire… He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness… Yea, they spake against God… Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? … the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat… Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full… So they did eat, and were well filled… But while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.” Psalm 78:9-32

Wicked men also tempted Jesus, God the Son, failing to believe His wondrous works and words, seeking to undermine Him and show Him to be false. Their questions were always an attempt to defame Him. “…some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.” Luke 11:15-16

Prove yourself to us. Make us believe you. Do a miracle. Make me happy. Give me more—this is not enough. What have you done for me lately? Why is there so much suffering and evil in your world? You're not a very powerful god are you? You won't punish me . You can't judge me, but I can judge you. Watch me—I'm going to disobey you again, and you won't do a thing to me…

The voice of spoiled, violent and indolent children; the voice of mankind. Our actions speak these words to Almighty God, knowing that, for a time at least, His hand to punish and judge us is likely to be restrained. God doesn't judge every misdeed at the very moment of stealing, killing, betraying, indulging, and wasting His gifts. He holds back His hand of judgment, waiting and giving us a chance to turn away from evil and back to Him. If He were to judge every sin just as it was committed, there would be no one left on earth alive.

Knowing this, we sinners betray Him, taunt Him, pull His beard, laugh at His commandments, spit in His Face, use His name as a curse, defile His Church, defraud one another, and act like He is just a paper tiger, a toothless lion, a dancing bear at a circus, power that has been overpowered by us—our own King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world, held for public view by bands of steel. Until one day he breaks his bonds…

Tempting God is far more frequently mentioned in Scripture than anyone—the devil or God—tempting man. I think we give Satan more credit than his due for our own waywardness. We seem to be able to tempt ourselves to sin without his help much of the time. Only twice in the Bible does he appear distinctly tempting humans, and both times he is tempting perfect people . The rest of us need little encouragement to defy God. Adam only needed Eve's offer. I'm not saying Satan doesn't tempt us, but we are responsible for so much we can hardly say, “The devil made me do it.”

The quiet heavens, the peaceful sky, balmy days and such languid ease with which we take things not ours, eat things unwise, watch things forbidden, and talk dirty: lull us into thinking there will be no Dreadful Day of the Lord. But that's the test. Will God really act? Will He come at last, and destroy the wicked with the breath of His mouth? St. James, Jesus' brother wrote: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” James 1:12-14 God is not the cause of our sins—don't blame Him.

The writer to the Hebrews wrote encouraging words regarding Christ: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin… For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Hebrews 4:15, 2:18 Thank God we have a Savior who understands our predicament!

And St. Paul says, “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 above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor. 10:13 There is no excuse, but there is a way out. We have to take it, sooner or later, for soon or late God will judge our hearts.

Our incessant complaint is that God isn't fair. So said the prodigal son. And God really isn't fair, or else we would all be rightly burnt to a crisp already. He wouldn't have sent His Son to die in our place. He wouldn't leave us so much room to eventually choose Him. God is more than fair; He is patient, loving, merciful, compassionate, generous, and forgiving. What He is not is a dotard who cannot or will not punish invincible, unrelenting and unrepentant disobedience. Oh yes, He will . And when we live long enough, we see the end of those people who will not turn back to Him. For “…the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

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