the desire of ages-第24章

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een　broken。

When　Satan　and　the　Son　of　God　first　met　in　conflict；　Christ　was　the　commander　of　the　heavenly　hosts；　and　Satan；　the　leader　of　revolt　in　heaven；　was　cast　out。　Now　their　condition　is　apparently　reversed；　and　Satan　makes　the　most　of　his　supposed　advantage。　One　of　the　most　powerful　of　the　angels；　he　says；　has　been　banished　from　heaven。　The　appearance　of　Jesus　indicates　that　He　is　that　fallen　angel；　forsaken　by　God；　and　deserted　by　man。　A　divine　being　would　be　able　to　sustain　his　claim　by　working　a　miracle；　〃if　Thou　be　the　Son　of　God；　command　this　stone　that　it　be　made　bread。〃　Such　an　act　of　creative　power；　urges　the　tempter；　would　be　conclusive　evidence　of　divinity。　It　would　bring　the　controversy　to　an　end。

Not　without　a　struggle　could　Jesus　listen　in　silence　to　the　arch…deceiver。　But　the　Son　of　God　was　not　to　prove　His　divinity　to　Satan；　or　to　explain　the　reason　of　His　humiliation。　By　conceding　to　the　demands　of　the　rebel；　nothing　for　the　good　of　man　or　the　glory　of　God　would　be　gained。　Had　Christ　complied　with　the　suggestion　of　the　enemy；　Satan　would　still　have　said；　Show　me　a　sign　that　I　may　believe　you　to　be　the　Son　of　God。　Evidence　would　have　been　worthless　to　break　the　power　of　rebellion　in　his　heart。　And　Christ　was　not　to　exercise　divine　power　for　His　own　benefit。　He　had　come　to　bear　trial　as　we　must　do；　leaving　us　an　example　of　faith　and　submission。　Neither　here　nor　at　any　subsequent　time　in　His　earthly　life　did　He　work　a　miracle　in　His　own　behalf。　His　wonderful　works　were　all　for　the　good　of　others。　Though　Jesus　recognized　Satan　from　the　beginning；　He　was　not　provoked　to　enter　into　controversy　with　him。　Strengthened　with　the　memory　of　the　voice

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from　heaven；　He　rested　in　His　Father's　love。　He　would　not　parley　with　temptation。

Jesus　met　Satan　with　the　words　of　Scripture。　〃It　is　written；〃　He　said。　In　every　temptation　the　weapon　of　His　warfare　was　the　word　of　God。　Satan　demanded　of　Christ　a　miracle　as　a　sign　of　His　divinity。　But　that　which　is　greater　than　all　miracles；　a　firm　reliance　upon　a　〃Thus　saith　the　Lord；〃　was　a　sign　that　could　not　be　controverted。　So　long　as　Christ　held　to　this　position；　the　tempter　could　gain　no　advantage。

It　was　in　the　time　of　greatest　weakness　that　Christ　was　assailed　by　the　fiercest　temptations。　Thus　Satan　thought　to　prevail。　By　this　policy　he　had　gained　the　victory　over　men。　When　strength　failed；　and　the　will　power　weakened；　and　faith　ceased　to　repose　in　God；　then　those　who　had　stood　long　and　valiantly　for　the　right　were　overcome。　Moses　was　wearied　with　the　forty　years'　wandering　of　Israel；　when　for　the　moment　his　faith　let　go　its　hold　upon　infinite　power。　He　failed　just　upon　the　borders　of　the　Promised　Land。　So　with　Elijah；　who　had　stood　undaunted　before　King　Ahab；　who　had　faced　the　whole　nation　of　Israel；　with　the　four　hundred　and　fifty　prophets　of　Baal　at　their　head。　After　that　terrible　day　upon　Carmel；　when　the　false　prophets　had　been　slain；　and　the　people　had　declared　their　allegiance　to　God；　Elijah　fled　for　his　life　before　the　threats　of　the　idolatrous　Jezebel。　Thus　Satan　has　taken　advantage　of　the　weakness　of　humanity。　And　he　will　still　work　in　the　same　way。　Whenever　one　is　encompassed　with　clouds；　perplexed　by　circumstances；　or　afflicted　by　poverty　or　distress；　Satan　is　at　hand　to　tempt　and　annoy。　He　attacks　our　weak　points　of　character。　He　seeks　to　shake　our　confidence　in　God；　who　suffers　such　a　condition　of　things　to　exist。　We　are　tempted　to　distrust　God；　to　question　His　love。　Often　the　tempter　comes　to　us　as　he　came　to　Christ；　arraying　before　us　our

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weakness　and　infirmities。　He　hopes　to　discourage　the　soul；　and　to　break　our　hold　on　God。　Then　he　is　sure　of　his　prey。　If　we　would　meet　him　as　Jesus　did；　we　should　escape　many　a　defeat。　By　parleying　with　the　enemy；　we　give　him　an　advantage。

When　Christ　said　to　the　tempter；　〃Man　shall　not　live　by　bread　alone；　but　by　every　word　that　proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of　God；〃　He　repeated　the　words　that；　more　than　fourteen　hundred　years　before；　He　had　spoken　to　Israel：　〃The　Lord　thy　God　led　thee　these　forty　years　in　the　wilderness。　。　。　。　And　He　humbled　thee；　and　suffered　thee　to　hunger；　and　fed　thee　with　manna；　which　thou　knewest　not；　neither　did　thy　fathers　know；　that　He　might　make　thee　know　that　man　doth　not　live　by　bread　only；　but　by　every　word　that　proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of　the　Lord　doth　man　live。〃　Deut。　8：2；　3。　In　the　wilderness；　when　all　means　of　sustenance　failed；　God　sent　His　people　manna　from　heaven；　and　a　sufficient　and　constant　supply　was　given。　This　provision　was　to　teach　them　that　while　they　trusted　in　God　and　walked　in　His　ways　He　would　not　forsake　them。　The　Saviour　now　practiced　the　lesson　He　had　taught　to　Israel。　By　the　word　of　God　succor　had　been　given　to　the　Hebrew　host；　and　by　the　same　word　it　would　be　given　to　Jesus。　He　awaited　God's　time　to　bring　relief。　He　was　in　the　wilderness　in　obedience　to　God；　and　He　would　not　obtain　food　by　following　the　suggestions　of　Satan。　In　the　presence　of　the　witnessing　universe；　He　testified　that　it　is　a　less　calamity　to　suffer　whatever　may　befall　than　to　depart　in　any　manner　from　the　will　of　God。

〃Man　shall　not　live　by　bread　alone；　but　by　every　word　of　God。〃　Often　the　follower　of　Christ　is　brought　where　he　cannot　serve　God　and　carry　forward　his　worldly　enterprises。　Perhaps　it　appears　that　obedience　to　some　plain　requirement　of　God　will　cut　off　his　means　of　support。　Satan　would　make　him　believe　that　he　must　sacrifice　his　conscientious　convictions。　But　the　only　thing　in　our　world　upon　which　we　can　rely　is　the　word　of　God。　〃Seek　ye　first　the　kingdom　of　God；　and　His　righteousness；　and　all　these　things　shall　be　added　unto　you。〃　Matt。　6：33。　Even　in　this　life　it　is　not　for　our　good　to　depart　from　the　will　of　our　Father　in　heaven。　When　we　learn　the　power　of　His　word；　we　shall　not　follow　the　suggestions　of　Satan　in　order　to　obtain　food　or　to　save　our　lives。　Our　only　questions　will　be；　What　is　God's　command？　and　what　His　promise？　Knowing　these；　we　shall　obey　the　one；　and　trust　the　other。

In　the　last　great　conflict　of　the　controversy　with　Satan　those　who　are　loyal　to　God　will　see　every　earthly　support　cut　off。　Because　they　refuse

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to　break　His　law　in　obedience　to　earthly　powers；　they　will　be　forbidden　to　buy　or　sell。　It　will　finally　be　decreed　that　they　shall　be　put　to　death。　See　Rev。　13：11…17。　But　to　the　obedient　is　given　the　promise；　〃He　shall　dwell　on　high：　his　place　of　defense　shall　be　the　munitions　of　rocks：　bread　shall　be　given　him；　his　waters　shall　be　sure。〃　Isa。　33：16。　By　this　promise　the　children　of　God　will　live。　When　the　earth　shall　be　wasted　with　famine；　they　shall　be　fed。　〃They　shall　not　be　ashamed　in　the　evil　time：　and　in　the　days　of　famine　they　shall　be　satisfied。〃　Ps。　37：19。　To　that　time　of　distress　the　prophet　Habakkuk　looked　forward；　and　his　words　express　the　faith　of　the　church：　〃Although　the　fig　tree　shall　not　blossom；　neither　shall　fruit　be　in　the　vines；　the　labor　of　the　olive　shall　fail；　and　the　fields　shall　yield　no　meat；　the　flock　shall　be　cut　off　from　the　fold；　and　there　shall　be　no　herd　in　the　stalls：　yet　I　will　rejoice　in　the　Lord；　I　will　joy　in　the　God　of　my　salvation。〃　Hab。　3：17；18。

Of　all　the　lessons　to　be　learned　from　our　Lord's　first　great　temptation　none　is　more　important　than　that　bearing　upon　the　control　of　the　appetites　and　passions。　In　all　ages；　temptations　appealing　to　the　physical　nature　have　been　most　effectual　in　corrupting　and　degrading　mankind。　Through　intemperance；　Satan　works　to　destroy　the　mental　and　moral　powers　that　God　gave　to　man　as　a　priceless　endowment。　Thus　it　becomes　impossible　for　men　to　appreciate　things　of　eternal　worth。　Through　sensual　indulgence；　Satan　seeks　to　blot　from　the　soul　every　trace　of　likeness　to　God。

The　uncontrolled　indulgence　and　consequent　disease　and　degradation　that　existed　at　Christ's　first　advent　will　again　exist；　with　intensity　of　evil；　before　His　second　coming。　Christ　declares　that　the　condition　of　the　world　will　be　as　in　the　days　before　the　Flood；　and　as　in　Sodom　and　Gomorrah。　Every　imagination　of　the　thoughts　of　the　heart　will　be　evil　continually。　Upon　the　very　verge　of　that　fearful　time　we　are　no