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                             Tempting the Lord

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By David Wilkerson
April 19, 1999
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          "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be
          ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the
          cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all
          baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and
          did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink
          the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that
          spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was
          Christ."

          "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for
          they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these
          things were our examples, to the intent we should not
          lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be
          ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written,
          The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to
          play."

          "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them
          committed, and fell in one day three and twenty
          thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them
          also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither
          murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were
          destroyed of the destroyer."

          "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" (1
          Corinthians 10:1-12).

          Who were the people Paul is describing in this passage
          -- the thousands who "fell in one day," the masses who
          were killed by snakes, and the others who were
          "destroyed of the destroyer"? These weren't Moabites,
          Canaanites, Philistines or any of the other heathen
          surrounding Israel. No, Paul is speaking here of
          believers -- people of God's own choosing!

          These people had witnessed incredible miracles. They'd
          been fed spiritual food by supernatural means. They'd
          drunk spiritual water from a rock Paul says was Christ
          himself. They were well taught and well taken care of.
          Yet, Paul says, many of these same people were consumed
          by God's fiery wrath and destroyed by serpents.

          The apostle tells us in verse 5 that these Israelites
          so displeased God, he "overthrew" them in the
          wilderness. The Hebrew word used here means, "He cast
          them out of his hand, scattering them to the ground
          like so much dust."

          What does this mean? It was the Lord telling Israel, "I
          will not accept this from you! If you were innocent --
          if you weren't well trained, or hadn't received
          spiritual food from my hand, or hadn't seen evidence of
          my glory -- then I would deal with you. But in spite of
          my many blessings to you, you've chosen lusts and
          idols. So, now I'm going to scatter you. I'm casting
          you out of my hands completely!"

          How could this be? Why would the Lord deal so severely
          with his own people after they'd benefited so fully
          from him?

          According to Paul, 23,000 of them died as a result of
          their fornication and idolatry. And others were
          destroyed because of their murmuring and complaining.
          Finally, still others were killed by venomous snake
          bites. What did this last group do to warrant their
          deaths? Paul tells us very clearly in verse 9: They
          tempted Christ! "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some
          of them also tempted..." (verse 9).

          We can understand why God would deal severely with
          fornicators, idolaters and murmurers. But I want to
          focus on this particular sin of tempting Christ. What
          does Paul mean when he says we "tempt the Lord"?

          The apostle is referring here to an episode in Exodus
          17. The Israelites had just experienced the miracle of
          manna -- a white wafer containing all the nutrition
          they needed to sustain them. This "small, round thing"
          appeared on the ground in their midst every day. The
          people didn't earn or merit this supernatural food; the
          Lord fed it to them by his grace alone. All they had to
          do was gather it up.

          But now they had no water. They had come to a place
          called Marah, where the water was too biter to drink.
          Once again they were in a crisis, facing yet another
          test. God had met their hunger, but not their thirst!

          Immediately, the people began chiding their leader,
          Moses. They accused him of being a heartless liar who
          had led them into the wilderness to destroy them. They
          even spoke of stoning him.

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                       The Israelites Didn't Know It
                       - But They Were Being Tested!

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          You may wonder -- why is God always testing his people
          this way? Why do we often face one test after another
          in life? And why do our tests only seem to increase in
          intensity and force?

          The tests that God brought upon Israel certainly
          intensified. Whenever the people didn't learn a
          particular lesson the first time, the Lord brought an
          even stronger test. And when they didn't learn it that
          time, he brought yet another test and intensified it as
          well. Now they failed to trust God at the waters of
          Marah -- which meant an even stronger test of faith
          awaited them!

          As we read Paul's passage today, most of us assume,
          "God was trying to chisel away Israel's character
          defects. He wanted to cut away the things that were
          unlike him -- to expose their weaknesses, so they could
          be more Christ-like."

          That's true. Yet, this was only a part of what God was
          doing in Israel. We don't realize our Lord is after so
          much more when he brings us into crisis situations.
          Often he does this because he wants us to learn
          something important about himself!

          Think about it: The Bible says we're God's chosen
          people, kings and priests unto him. Just as his people
          did under the Old Covenant, we feast on his manna,
          which is his word. We drink of the same Rock, which is
          Christ. And we enjoy better promises and a better
          covenant. We've been delivered out of bondage, having
          crossed our own Red Sea. And we've watched as God has
          destroyed the satanic powers that once held us.

          Yet, like Israel, we also doubt God, murmuring and
          complaining against him, in spite of all his blessings
          to us. We turn to idols and lusts. And we tempt him,
          just as the Israelites did. In short, we have not
          learned our lessons.

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                Like Israel, Many Believers Today End Up At
                    A Place Of Great Trial And Testing.

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          Today, the Lord often brings us to a place like Marah,
          where the waters of life are bitter. And, once there,
          we too face unfulfilled thirst, nagging questions and
          grave doubts.

          You may protest, "No -- you can't compare me to those
          idolatrous, fornicating Israelites! Moses himself said
          they were hardhearted -- a stiff-necked people bent on
          backsliding. I'm not like that at all. I want the Lord.
          You can't say I'm like them!

          But the poor Israelites didn't recognize these things
          about themselves. They didn't realize what was in their
          hearts, until their time of testing came. And I believe
          the same is true of God's people today. The prophet
          Jeremiah writes, "The heart is deceitful above all
          things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
          (Jeremiah 17:9).

          You have to remember -- these are the same people who
          would later tremble before the Lord at Mount Sinai
          after hearing his commandments. They would quickly
          answer, "Everything God has said, we will do. We'll
          obey every command!"

          And the Israelites sincerely meant every word they
          said. They were full of the fear of God, and were
          convinced they wouldn't fail to honor his word. But
          they had no idea what was in their hearts. In truth,
          they were spiritually bankrupt!

          You see, Israel was living off the experience of their
          pastor and teacher, Moses. They had no faith of their
          own. And when God removed Moses from their midst, they
          backslid within forty days!

          The same thing happens with many Christians today. When
          they hear God's word preached, they eagerly pledge to
          obey it with all their hearts. But in reality, they're
          living off someone else's experience. They feed on
          teaching tapes, seminars, the revelations of their
          pastors -- and they have no deep experience of their
          own with Christ.

          Beloved, you cannot get God's true revelation from
          someone else. A preacher can stir and inspire you, and
          you may learn to spout off biblical precepts. But until
          you have your own experience with Jesus and develop a
          history with him, you can't know him. His word has to
          work its way into your heart, until it becomes a living
          experience!

          The disciples, too, had no idea what was in their
          hearts -- but Jesus did. And he brought them to a place
          of testing that exposed it all. He told the twelve to
          get in a boat and cross the sea, knowing full well a
          storm would soon envelope them.

          Now, these men thought they were trusting followers of
          the master. After all, they'd seen thousands of people
          fed with just a handful of fish and a few loaves of
          bread. So, as they stepped into the boat, they probably
          thought they'd never doubt Jesus again.

          Yet, it's one thing to see miracle-working power in
          your pastor's life, and quite another to experience it
          for yourself. Now, as the winds began blowing and the
          waves rose higher, the disciples' test came. Soon the
          boat filled with water, and the men started bailing as
          fast as they could. In just minutes, however, they knew
          their ship was going to sink.

          Listen to what emerged from these men's hearts in their
          time of testing: "Lord, don't you care that we're all
          about to die? We're going down! Help us, Jesus. Are you
          God or not? Don't you care about us?"

          Jesus' very own disciples were tempting him! Indeed,
          they spoke almost the very same words to Jesus that the
          Israelites had spoken to Moses: " ...they tempted the
          Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?" (Exodus
          17:7)

          Yet Jesus knew all along what he was doing. He could
          have commanded the winds and waves to cease long before
          they did. Such power was always present in him. But
          instead, he allowed his disciples to be tested -- in a
          literal life-or-death situation!

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                             What Does It mean
                            To Tempt the Lord?

                      -------------------------------

          Tempting the Lord begins when God allows a crisis in
          our lives to intensify. Why does he do this? What is he
          after? Our Lord allows this to happen so he can get at
          the last roots of our unbelief! His Spirit goes into
          every chamber of our hearts, searching out the most
          damnable things -- pride, self-sufficiency and all else
          that hinders his fullness in us.

          The psalmist writes of Israel's sin, "They tempted God
          in their heart..." (Psalm 78:18). The Hebrew meaning of
          this phrase indicates the Israelites were "tested
          beyond endurance." This means they had no human means
          left to provide for themselves. And when they came to
          such a place, they believed God had abandoned them,
          remaining silent and out of sight.

          In short, this is what it means to tempt God. It
          happens when his chosen, blessed ones are placed in the
          fires of testing -- and their crisis keeps growing more
          intense until fear grips their hearts, and suddenly
          they cry, "Lord, where are you? Where is my
          deliverance? Why aren't you on the scene? Are you with
          me or not?"

          It's impossible for an unsaved person to tempt the
          Lord. Such a person doesn't acknowledge God in any area
          of his life. To him, everything that happens is either
          good luck or bad luck. Only those who are closest to
          the Lord can tempt him -- those who have seen his
          power, tasted his mercy and grace and been called to
          walk by faith.

          Even the righteous John the Baptist faced the kind of
          trial that can lead to tempting God. As he sat in
          prison, he must have wondered where God was in his
          situation. Word had come back to him of all the
          wonderful things Jesus was doing -- healing people,
          performing miracles, drawing crowds who'd once flocked
          to John. And now here he sat alone, awaiting execution.

          John had known he had to decrease so Christ could
          increase. But now the thought crossed his mind,
          "Decrease, yes -- but death? Why do I have to die if
          Jesus is truly God? If he's performing all these
          wonders for others, why can't he deliver me? Lord, this
          is all too much to endure!" (Remember, Christ had not
          yet removed the sting of death.)

          The last words Jesus sent to John were incredibly
          significant: "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be
          offended in me" (Matthew 11:6). Christ was telling this
          godly servant, "Don't be offended at me, John. You know
          I only do what I see and hear from the father. He has a
          plan in all this, and he is worthy to be trusted. If he
          wanted me to come and release you, you know I would be
          there in a moment. You can rest assured that whatever
          comes of this, it will be to his glory. And it will
          mean eternal glory for you!

          "You're enduring your final test, John. Don't let doubt
          rob you of your faith! Instead, rest in the father's
          love and faithfulness to you. You're not being judged.
          On the contrary, you are greatly honored in his eyes.
          Just hold steady!"

          I believe John did endure. When he was finally beheaded
          by Herod, he went home to glory full of faith and
          honor!

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                   Moses Knew What Tempting The Lord Was
                     All About In Israel's Situation.

                      -------------------------------

          They had failed to trust God at the waters of Marah, so
          God intensified their trail at Rephidim, where
          "...there was no water for the people to drink" (Exodus
          17:1).

          You have to understand, this was no small crisis Israel
          was facing now. A human being can go for weeks without
          eating, but only a few days without water. And now,
          when Israel came to Rephidim, there was no water in
          sight. Before long, children were crying and families
          grew faint from thirst. It was a critical situation.

          Yet Moses understood the ways of the Lord -- and he
          knew just what was happening with Israel. He realized
          God was letting his people be stretched beyond measure.
          Why? He wanted them to cast themselves completely into
          his care. He longed to see them rise up in faith and
          say, "God is able!"

          Scripture then tells us, "(Moses) called the name of
          the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding
          of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the
          Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?" (verse 7).

          The words "Massah" and "Meribah" both mean the same
          thing: "a place of trial and testing." Moses ran
          through the camp crying, "This is Massah -- a test, a
          trial! It isn't the end. God hasn't forsaken us. So,
          don't give in. Keep holding on! The Lord is looking for
          faith, wanting to know what's in our hearts. He knows
          how to meet our need. He only wants us to trust him for
          another miracle!"

          You know the rest of the story. Tragically, Israel
          didn't trust the Lord. So God instructed Moses to pick
          up his rod, go to Horeb and strike a certain rock
          there. When Moses hit the rock, water came gushing out
          to meet Israel's thirst. The Lord proved once again he
          was with his people -- in spite of their unbelief!

          I ask you -- how did Israel tempt the Lord in this
          episode? Was it in their anger toward Moses -- their
          desire to kill God's prophet? Was it in their awful
          murmuring? Or, was it in their idolatrous fornication?

          None of these things was the real issue. Here is how
          Israel tempted God: "...they tempted the Lord, saying,
          Is the Lord among us, or not?" (verse 7).

          God had that water in storage all along. He could have
          supplied it to Israel at the first pangs of their
          thirst. But instead, he waited. His heart yearned for
          his special, chosen people to recognize his love for
          them and cast themselves into his faithful arms. But
          once again, they failed!

          So, God tried them yet again -- this time by allowing
          them to hunger. Moses later said, "...the Lord thy
          God...humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger...to
          prove thee..." (Deuteronomy 8:2,3).

          Here was another test of faith. Would Israel hold their
          empty stomachs and wait for God to send them bread?
          Would they encourage one another toward faith, saying,
          "God opened the Red Sea for us. And he sweetened the
          bitter waters of Marah. We know he's faithful to his
          word. So, Lord -- we trust you to feed us. Live or die,
          we are yours!"

          That's all God was waiting to hear!

                      -------------------------------

                           We Really Do Not Know
                          What Is In Our Hearts.

                      -------------------------------

          It doesn't matter how many years we've walked with the
          Lord, how many hours we've prayed, or how much Bible
          knowledge we've acquired. If God sees something in us
          that isn't of faith -- an area where we haven't trusted
          him to empower us to overcome -- he will take us to
          "Massah." He'll put us in a situation that's humanly
          impossible -- and we'll be severely tested!

          For example, you may honestly believe you have a loving
          heart toward all your brothers and sisters in Christ.
          "The Lord has given me love for everyone," you testify.
          But Jesus knows you have a problem in one area: you go
          ballistic whenever someone abuses your love or
          kindness. When this happens, you carry a continual hurt
          inside, yet you continue saying you love that person.

          How does God get at that kind of hypocrisy in you? He
          brings you to a place of testing. He allows a mean,
          in-your-face Christian to have at you! Suddenly, you
          find yourself praying, "Lord, why did you bring that
          person into my life? He's a thorn in my flesh! I've
          tried to serve you faithfully -- but all I get in
          return is this abuse!"

          The Lord has you at Massah! He's trying to get at
          something in you. He wants you to be able to rise up in
          your situation and shout, "I know my God is with me. My
          steps are ordered by him. He'll see me through all my
          hurt and anguish!"

          Here's another example: You are a chosen vessel of the
          Lord -- drinking his living water, feasting on his
          word, witnessing mighty deliverances in your life. Yet
          there remains in you one area where sin reigns. You
          still have one, last besetting sin -- an evil habit,
          passion or lust.

          You hate this sin. You've made promise after promise to
          God to do better, but you've never conquered it. You've
          wept over your habit, begging the Lord to deliver you.
          You've pored over books and tapes trying to find a key
          to freedom. Yet you've never found an answer. And for
          years now you've lived in fear of exposure.

          Beloved, you're going to end up at Massah -- in the
          test of your life! Talk about intensity; all hell will
          break loose in your situation. The Lord will allow you
          to be tempted by the devil, and suddenly you'll be
          overwhelmed by your lust. Satan will try to sift you as
          wheat!

          You'll think you have the blackest heart in the world.
          You'll believe you've been given over to your sin. And
          you'll end up on your face, dumfounded, crying out,
          "Lord, what's going on? Where has all this lust come
          from? I'm being tempted more now than when I first
          started seeking your deliverance. I'm losing ground!"

          Doubts will flood your mind. You'll wonder, "How could
          God possibly allow this thing in my life? It has gone
          on for years. How could he make all those promises to
          me, and yet not be faithful to his word? Is he with me
          or not?"

                      -------------------------------

                            God Has Brought You
                         To The Place Of Proving!.

                      -------------------------------

          "...I proved thee at the waters of Meribah" (Psalm
          81:7).

          Beloved, God wants you to know he could have delivered
          you at the sound of your first cry. The fact is, the
          whole time you've been weeping, striving and trying to
          fight your way out, he has had the power to cast any
          evil thing out of you.

          "Then why hasn't he done it?" you ask. "Is he
          penalizing me? Why has he made me endure such a
          struggle?"

          As you consider Israel's crisis, you might be tempted
          to say, "God, aren't you expecting too much from these
          people? They're scared, and rightly so. After all, no
          one can live without water. How could they be tempting
          you, when they're just crying out of their need?"

          Yet you have to remember -- these people had been well
          fed and well taught, immersed in signs, wonders and
          miracles. They weren't spiritual novices. And they
          weren't without a caring shepherd. Every day they had a
          visible, sheltering cloud as evidence that God was
          present with them. And every night they had the
          comforting glow of a fire in the sky. Each morning they
          found manna on the ground, faithfully sent from heaven.
          God had provided Israel with everything they needed to
          build their faith!

          Our Lord isn't making small talk when he warns,
          "Without faith you cannot please me. You must truly
          believe that I AM -- and that I will always reward
          faith. Therefore, I expect my well-fed, well-trained
          children to trust in me!"

          What about the test you've been facing? What does God
          want from you in your difficult time?

          He wants you to believe his word -- his promises! He
          wants you to fully trust that he's with you in your
          struggle. It doesn't matter if all hell is coming at
          you. His presence will never be taken from you, even in
          the midst of your fears and tears. No dart of the devil
          -- no powerful attack against you -- will destroy you.
          Your father already has a plan of deliverance in place
          for you!

          He's waiting for you simply to cling to him in blind
          trust. He wants you to be able to face all your
          ferocious temptations, and say, "I may not understand
          this -- but I know my Lord will not forsake me. Live or
          die, sink or swim, I'm trusting him to see me through!"

          Your battle will end only when you come to full trust
          in the Lord, believing he's with you in power and in
          love. So, put aside every thought that God has ignored
          you or shut his eyes to your circumstances. That is
          tempting him -- putting him to a test to prove his
          faithfulness. Yet he has already proven it many times
          over!

          Dear saint, you need not fear the serpent. Paul ends
          the passage with a promise: "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 Corinthians 10:13).

          God is saying to you, "You're not going down. I'm with
          you through all of this! If you'll just seek my face
          and trust me, I will bring you through. I'll enable you
          to stand still and bear anything that comes -- because
          I am with you always!"

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

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