Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of - TopicsExpress



          

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Hebrews 3:8-9 On the Exodus Israel camped at Kadesh Barnea while Moses sent twelve men to spy out the Promised Land. They returned with a majority and minority report: Ten said the land was indeed promising, but giants lived there – too mighty and powerful to dislodge. Two agreed that there were giants, but urged the people to trust the promises of God. The nation voted with the majority resulting in Israel wandering in the wilderness for the next forty years. Hebrews tells us that God placed the giants in the land to test/temp Israel and Israel in return tested/tempted God. God tested Israel because God had Israels best interest at heart and Israel tested God because Israel had Israels best interest at heart. Both parties sought Israels best. They disagreed on what that best looked like. You sin, because like Israel, you disagree with God regarding your best interest. It took Israel forty years to take an eleven-day journey because they failed Gods test. James teaches, 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. [James 1:13] Matthew uses the same word when he says, Jesus was driven of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. [Matthew 4:1] Also when Paul says, God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, [I Corinthians 10:13] and Hebrews comment that Abraham was tempted by God to offer Isaac. [Hebrews 11:17] The difference between a temptation and a testing (even though the same word is used) is motive: God tests to strengthen you and you tempt God to resist Him. God will do to you what you dare not do to Him. He will test you. Whether you submit to the testing or resist Him depends on whether you believe He has your best interest at heart. - Walter A Henrichsen
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:01:20 +0000

Trending Topics



Recently Viewed Topics




© 2015