“…and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
4:6 “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
This was a temptation to put God to a spectacular test. However, it is wrong to ask God to prove Himself. Testing God does not equate to trusting God.
Had Jesus jumped into the Kidron Valley so that angels would swoop down and catch Him would have been presumption against God’s will for Him as the Messiah. It was God’s will for Him to fulfill God’s functions for the Messiah on earth and then to suffer, die, rise from the dead, and ascend to the Father.
Satan referred to the Psalms to show that God would protect Him if He did this spectacular event. He quoted Psalm 91:11-12 but left out the important phrase “in all Your ways.” This phrase refers to God’s protection when we follow His will. Using His deity to function in His humanity was out of God’s will.
PRINCIPLE:
God does not protect those who go independent of His Word.
APPLICATION:
God does not protect those who go independent of His will. This is true even if someone uses the Bible toward his ends. Angels would not catch Jesus if He acted independent of God’s plan for Him.
