Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The Wilderness Conflict

In this post I thought it a good idea to write on the temptation of Yahshua. This I think, would give us a better perspective on the call He made to Simon Peter, Andrew, and the rest of the Talmidim (disciples) to follow Him; and His call to us today.

Have you ever considered what was at stake in this battle with Satan in the wilderness of temptation;and what would've happened if Yahshua did not gain the victory in the conflict? Have you ever considered the price our Messiah paid for us in the immense suffering He endured in the barren region of temptation? Have you ever considered what is the meaning of His victory in the wilderness of temptation for us today?

After His baptism we are told that Yahshua was ".... led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Matit'yah ha Levi 4:1. Here in the wilderness of temptation Yahshua was to wrestle with the powers of darkness.

The Cost And the Risk 

Was there a risk involved in Yahshua coming to this world to contest the supremacy of Satan? If so what risks were there?

In order to effectively answer this question let us turn to the testimony of the Scriptures. In B'resheet 3:15;22:18 &Devarim 18:15 we find "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;"  And in the Renewed Covenant (The New Testament) we find: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Rom. 8:3) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham. Mashiakim Yehudim 2: 14,16.

B'resheet (Gen.) tells us that the promised Seed would come through Eve who was just as human as you and I. B'resheet 22:18 tells us that the promised Seed (Yahshua) would come through the line of Abraham; who was just as human as you and I. Devarim 18:15 informs us that He (the Messiah) would come from the midst of the Hebrew people who are just as human as you and I. In the B'rit Hadashah (New Testament) we find that Yahshua came in the likeness (sameness) of sinful flesh [which agrees with the witness of the Torah] And if there was any lingering doubt on this subject the word of YHWH through Shaul (Paul) is that He partook of the same flesh and blood as any ohther son or daughter which enters into the world. And in verse 16 of Mashiakim Yehudim it plainly states that Mashiach took upon Him the seed of Abraham; which again agrees with the Word of Yahweh in the Torah.

The points made above are very important if we are to understand the risks involved in the Life of Yahshua.
For we know that the Scriptures plainly teach that Elohim cannot be tempted. But Yahshua; who knew no sin, no, not even in His thought life, (Mashiakim Yehudim 7: 26; Phil. 2:5) was, for the purposes of salvation; of the same humanity which you and I inherited at birth. And this must be so in order for Him to give to us His mind. In other words, the nature that Yahshua choose to inhabit was to be like our own so that the would be no incompatibility issues in transferring to us His communicable attributes of character. The order of being must be the same for a seamless transfer of divine knowledge,power, and love. And hence the word of YHWH in Mashiakim Yehudim 2: 16 For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham. 


With every temptation there was mapped out; by our precious Redeemer a concomitant countermeasure of sheer perfection. A response in thought and deed which imprinted on His human mind, which is transported, by Divine Power; through His precious blood, to the, submitted, repenting, believing child of Elohim.

By His pure and perfect submission to His Father in all things throughout His entire life, Yahshua mapped out for mankind the perfect mind which He willingly offers to all who would come unto Him. At the DNA level a supernatural work goes on, moment by moment and day by day as we remain submitted to Him."And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom.12:2

And thus it was that Yahshua was able to be tempted by Satan through His human nature. And because He came with the same nature that you and I have, He could have sinned if He choose to.

The Plan of salvation involved a risk of failure; not because Elohim cannot keep Yahshua in harmony with Himself but because the risk is inherent in the very nature we posses.For this was the very nature that Satan conquered in Eden; and where the fall began, the uplifting of humanity must begin.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: Mashiakim Yehudim 10: 5


He was beset by every temptation which man are tempted with; and if He was to become our example, He must endure, without fault or failure every temptation imaginable. If Satan could find in Him one fault, one murmur, one wrong action; the battle would be over, He would fail of being mans' perfect example and sacrifice, and Satan would win and reign as the prince of this world and man would be eternally lost.

All this and much more was involved in the issues at stake in the wilderness of temptation.

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Mashiakim Yehudim 2:18

He is  our Elder Brother. He came very close to us; He is our Kinsman;and  if we continually look to Him and trust in Him, He will lift us up in Heavenly Places.

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