Well many may be quick to suggest that God didn't tempt Abraham but rather He tested him. That is to say many will agree that test (or trials) do come from God but not temptation.
The truth is that God is the one that will send a devil or devils after you. Or better still He is the one who will send Satan after you like He did to Job. In fact God is the creator of evil spirits not Satan! (Read my article entitled “The Origin of Satan”).
Moreover, the word ‘test’ or ‘tempt’ are really synonymous in the English language. Many will not agree to this but...
For instance, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary define “test” as follows: to put to proof. However “to tempt” is to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain. But in the same dictionary “to tempt” also means to make trial of: to test.
Many however argue that to test is not the same as to tempt . For them to test is to put to test, as for it quality; whereas to tempt is to provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion.
But that is not what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, tempt and test are really synonymous. And we will look at that later on.
And if you believe test come from the Lord then you must also believe that temptation also come from God even though sometimes indirectly, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things...” – Romans 11:36, the Amplified Bible. This makes the popular understanding of James 1:13 problematic or not the full truth!
DID GOD TEMPT ABRAHAM?
Many hold the assertion that the word translated “tempt” in Genesis 22:1 should have been “test”. They believe God was not enticing Abraham to sin so it is not a temptation.
But that is erroneous. If God wasn't tempting Abraham then was He inspiring him? If Abraham had failed will God have counted it as sin?
Consider what New Living Translation of Romans 9:18-20 says. It says, “So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”
Remember, human sacrifices was wrong but Abraham went ahead to slay the lad because he believed God can raise the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Someway somehow God was enticing Abraham to do the wrong thing. That is why God had to intervene.
The Hebrew word translated ‘tempt’ in Genesis 22:1 is “nâsâh”. It means to test, try, prove, tempt or assay. It is used in Exodus 17:7, where the Scriptures say “And he 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?”
This even raises questions about whether God can be tempted with evil or not. Or is this not a temptation but rather a test?
WHY DOES GOD REWARD THOSE WHO ENDURE TEMPTATION?
It is interesting that many citing James 1:13 tell us that temptation doesn't come from God yet the same James tell us that He gives those who endure temptation a crown of life (see James 1:12).
Further James encourages us to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations (James 1:2).
If God has nothing to do with temptations why would He want to reward us when we endure or overcome them? Clearly, this indicate that God is supreme or sovereign over the temptations that come to us. He is someway somehow involve.
God determines which demon come to you or not. The same God has given us power over the serpents and scorpions (Luke 10:19) He created to torment and influence us to do evil.
It is from demons that the longing to do what is forbidden comes from. Man was not created with lust in him. It comes from demons that find themselves within us!
If God has nothing to do with temptations, the Apostle Paul wouldn't have said, “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, KJV.
LET ESTABLISH WHETHER GOD TEST OR TEMPT US
It is very clear in the Scriptures that God does test us and by implication tempt us. Temptations make proof of our faith as 1 Peter 1:6-7 says. In the King James Version of the Bible it says, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
It refers to manifold temptations we find ourselves in as the trial of our faith. That can only come from the Holy Father and not Satan. This is even clear in James 1:2-4.
But many would like to engage in semantics. Was that what James was employing in James 1:13?
Many suggest that God test us to prove our faithfulness and Satan tempt us with the intention for our failure. But the question is, “does everyone pass the test of God?” And just because God didn't mean for us to fail, it does not make Him absolve us from the consequence of a failed test.
Further more, such assertion makes God look too good than He really is. And that is the problem of Christianity. We like to concoct explanations or stories to project God as someone who is incapable of hurting a fly. But we should let the Scriptures speak for itself.
When God placed the tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden and instructed Adam not to eat of the tree was He tempting Adam or was He testing Adam? Was God enticing Adam to sin or not, because the Devil was not involve?
If God was not enticing or entrapping the first Adam to sin why did He lay it to his charge as sin, with the death reigning upon all by that one sin (Romans 5:17). Romans 5:18 further states, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;...”
If God was not enticing Adam to sin why did failure of the test ended up in sinning.
In Adam’s case, God initially warned Adam of eating the fruit but then a devil comes into play leading to sin.
So you see God played His part and a devil played his part; leading to sin. No wonder Christ Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this manner: “And lead us not into temptation,...” – Matthew 6:13, KJV.
God tempts by giving hard commands, Genesis 22:1; by afflicting, as in Job’s case; by letting loose Satan or other wicked instruments to tempt, 1 Kings 22:22; and by withholding his grace and deserting men, 1 Samuel 28:15.
Hebrews 4:15 of the King James Version of the Bible says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
This shows that the temptation was the cause of suffering to Him, and a drawing away to sin but He did not sin. Furthermore, Matthew 4:1 of the King James Version of the Bible says, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” This clearly shows the direct involvement of the Spirit of God in achieving the temptation process even though the Spirit of God didn't conduct the temptation Himself.
Furthermore can I ask whether God wanted to see Jesus suffer or not? In other words, does suffering come from God or Satan? The Scriptures clearly indicate that Jesus suffered. I asked this question because of those who like to absolve the Father of anything ‘bad’.
In the same vein when God tempts us He is putting us in the way of suffering and sin. The omniscient God knew Adam will sin before he even did it.
The Scriptures for instance says concerning them that perish that “...God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” – 2 Thessalonians 2:11,KJV. In this scenario, is God testing or tempting them? Is He enticing them to sin or not? Remember, the Scriptures said it was God who sent the delusion and not Satan even though the people first rejected the love of the truth.
God chose to make matters worse for them by giving them up to a strong delusion orchestrated by Him. Was He not further enticing them to sin?
THE GREEK
James 1:2-3,12-15 of the King James Version of the Bible says, “[2]My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3]Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience...[12]Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. [13]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: [14]But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15]Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
On one hand it seems that temptations are sent to us from God and we are to consider it a privilege to pass through them, but on the other hand we are told that God does not tempt any man. On one hand it seems temptation is a good thing and a source of blessing, but on the other hand we are told temptation is evil and leads to sin.
In order to understand these verses, it is necessary to know the meaning of the words that are translated “temptation” and “tempted”. The same Greek word is used in all three of the verses quoted from James (vv. 2,12-13). It seems different shades of meaning are intended by the author. The word is used in its noun form in verses 2 and 12 and its verb form in verse 13. The noun is peirasmos and the verb is peirazo. The root word of these forms has such meanings as “test”, “assay”, “tempt”, “try,” and “prove”.
It also mean to try or test one's faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin. No wonder the Bible in Basic English (version of the Holy Bible) translates James 1:13 as follows: “Let no man say when he is tested, I am tested by God; for it is not possible for God to be tested by evil, and he himself puts no man to such a test:”
James 1:13-15 seems to contradict other statements of Scripture.
God tempted, or tried, Abraham, Hebrews 11:17, and the Israelites tempted, or tried, God, 1 Corinthians 10:9 . James 1:14, however, makes it plain that, whereas in these cases the temptation or trial, came from without, James refers to temptation, or trial, arising within, from uncontrolled appetites and from evil passions, Mark 7:20-23. But though such temptation does not proceed from God, yet does God regard His people while they endure it, and by it tests and approves them.
Mark 7:20-23 of the King James Version of the Bible reads, “[20]And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. [21]For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, [22]Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: [23]All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
It is noteworthy to know that James 1:13 doesn't deny the indirect agency of the Holy Father in temptations. It says, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of (from) God:...” – emphasis mine and in brackets or parentheses. It didn't say “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God:...”
In conclusion, never lose sight of the fact that really every test is a sort of temptation and every temptation really is a sort of test.
Copyright ©2023, JACOB DAPAAH.
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