WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An
international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday February 2, 2020
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SINGLE-MINDED
OBEDIENCE
(Knowing
GOD’s Word helps us to resist temptation)
(Matthew
4:1-11)
One of the great truths in life is, that, after every great
moment of achievement, there comes a moment of human reaction to that
achievement that makes us more vulnerable to the wiles of satan, than we ever
were before. In Matthew chapter 4, verses 1-11, the Apostle Mathew gives us his
account of the immediacy of which the temptations of satan, followed the
baptism of JESUS CHRIST, one of the greatest moments in human history.
In this passage satan tries in vain to
tempt, even JESUS, and move HIM away from “the plan of GOD”, at the beginning
of HIS ministry. Here he tries to stumble JESUS with Scriptures and magnificent,
grandiose offers. However, JESUS, being the human personification of the Word
of GOD, was able to hold fast to that Word and plan of HIS FATHER in Heaven,
even while in a physically weakened state of hunger.
In Deuteronomy chapter 6, GOD calls on all
the people of Israel to wholeheartedly commit themselves to HIS Word and
commands, and to also pass down HIS instructions to coming generations. Here
the LORD presents the obedience to HIS laws and commands as the only defense we
and our children have against the satanic attacks of temptations, that are sure
to come, as we strive to advance HIS plan of spreading the Gospel of CHRIST to
the world.
In that passage, Moses is concerned about
the Israelites being tempted in their new land as they were at Massah (Exodus
17:1-7), where they complained against the LORD in their time of testing,
instead of holding fast to their belief in the only wise GOD. Moses hoped that,
in the future, they would remember their embarrassing sinful behavior at
Massah, and the next time, choose to do that which is good and right in the
sight of the LORD.
Moses instructed the Israelites, that, no
matter what hardship GOD allowed satan to tempt them with, they would be able
to overcome that temptation if they remembered HIS laws, commands, and
regulations. And through their obedience to GOD, just like with JESUS here in
this passage, all things would go well for them as they moved forward.
More than a few times in Biblical history,
we see a great moment of achievement by men of GOD being quickly followed by a
great temptation from satan. In fact, the Scriptures are indeed rift with such
incidents as these. We see it in Genesis 13, for example, when a very wealthy
Lot is able to separate himself from Abram, and, for the first time in his
life, is on his own in the world, free to make his own decisions. Surely that
must have been a great moment in this young man’s life.
However, we see in Genesis 14, that, no
sooner than he had made his life’s first big decision, which was to move into
the area of Sodom and Gomorrah, (he was “tempted by satan with what he saw in
the world”), that, he is drawn into a conflict with ten warring rival kings,
and is captured by one of those factions, and loses everything that he owns in
the process.
In 2 Samuel 11, we see it again with King
David, fresh off his big victory over the Ammonites, and deciding to skip the
next battle and stay at home and bask in his own glory for a while. Here we see
this glorious, victorious, legendary king waking up from his nap, and deciding
to take a stroll on the rooftop of his palace.
Then, all of sudden satan shows him this
woman of unusual beauty, named Bathsheba, taking a bath, in the home of her
husband Uriah, who was a member of David’s army. Giving way to “the
temptations of the flesh”, David has her brought to him in his palace, where he
has sex with her, and she, as a result, becomes pregnant with his child. David
then tries to cover up his sin of adultery by murdering her husband, Uriah, by
ordering him to be put on the front line in the heat of battle.
Then in Matthew 16:13-19, Matthew writes of
JESUS and HIS Disciple’s visit to the area of Caesarea Philippi where HE poses
the question to them, “Who do you say that I am?” When Simon Peter
answers, “YOU are the MESSIAH, the SON of the LIVING GOD”, JESUS
replies, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my FATHER in Heaven
has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human. Now I say to
you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the
gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys to the
Kingdom of Heaven”.
Now surely this must have been a great
moment in Peter’s life. But in verses 22-23, we see satan immediately “tempting
Peter spiritually”, by using him to try and convince JESUS against GOD’s plan for
HIS crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, by telling HIM, “Heaven forbid,
LORD, this will never happen to YOU! JESUS turns to Peter and speaks to the
spirit of satan who had entered into him, and says, “Get away from me satan”.
And so, yet another great moment is foiled
by the ensuing temptation of satan. Man must forever be on guard against the
temptations of evil, especially in areas where we are most sure of ourselves,
and especially following moments of great achievements and gains in our personal
life and in our works for the LORD. With all “great achievements”, comes an
equally great measure of “human pride”, and satan will often use that
reactionary moment of pride, to enter into, and try to destroy our lives.
GOD has given everyone a gift of some sort,
and everyone has to decide whether they’re going to be good stewards with those
gifts, by using them to advance GOD’s work here on earth, particularly, by
building on to the kingdom of GOD through our positive reaction to the needs of
our fellowman. And we will be tempted all along the way, by satan, to try to
get us to use our gifts and talents in selfish ways, apart from GOD.
And, even though we may not be able to
escape such temptations 100% of the time, the more we abide in CHRIST JESUS, by
keeping our focus, the more we will be able to summon up the strength given to
us, through HIM, by GOD. In other words, we can battle temptations more
successfully when we “understand and act upon the Word of GOD”. And we can be
encouraged by the fact that JESUS met and overcame temptation, not as a GOD (1 John
4:2-3), but rather, as a 100% human being, while living here on earth.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
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