Luke 4:9-12 “Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. (10) For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You,’ (11) and, 'In their hands they shall bear You up, lest You dash Your foot against a stone.' “(12) And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'”
The same word of caution however needs to be stated in this section as was stated in the previous sections, i.e. if we do not meet our obligations as tenants, then we cannot expect God to fulfil the obligations that He has committed to as Landlord. In the above quoted passage of scripture the Lord Jesus teaches us our responsibility in this area, i.e. we are not to temp the Lord our God. In other words we are not to abuse God’s promise in this area. The context of the above quoted passage of scripture is that the devil was trying to tempt the Lord Jesus to do exactly that, by quoting to Him what God’s word said about the angels of God protecting Him even if He threw Himself off of a high building. Jesus understood however that God’s promise covered Him for living a responsible lifestyle, and not for taking foolish risks in the hope that God’s angels would protect Him no matter what He did. And so we can see a principle revealed, which is that if we want to enjoy God’s divine protection then we must behave in a responsible manner and not tempt the Lord in any way.
Hebrews 10:32-34 “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: (33) partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; (34) for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.”
This section needs to be qualified in one more area however, for there are certain incidents of plundering and oppression that the Lord does allow His saints to undergo, i.e. persecution for being a Christian. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul mentions the persecution that some of the saints in Jerusalem incurred, which included the plundering of their goods. There are many accounts in scripture that record the various beatings and imprisonments, etc that the saints incurred because of their witness for the Lord Jesus. And so, scripture is very clear on the issue that because of their testimony for the Lord Jesus, some saints will incur both physical violence and plundering in this life. Not all saints are chosen for this degree of persecution however, because it is only reserved for the saints that are destined for great blessing in the kingdom of God. And so for the majority of the Lord’s saints, He has committed to keeping them from all forms of physical evil in this life.
Michael E.B. Maher
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