How does Matthew 4:6 illustrate the misuse of Scripture by Satan? The Temptation Setting • After forty days of fasting, Jesus stands physically weakened yet spiritually alert in the Judean wilderness (Matthew 4:1–2). • The second temptation transports Him to “the pinnacle of the temple,” a public, religious setting meant to heighten spectacle (Matthew 4:5). Matthew 4:6 – Satan’s Quotation “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You.’ And ‘They will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” What Satan Gets Right • He quotes the Bible—Psalm 91:11-12—word-for-word (mostly). • He recognizes Jesus as the promised Son and Messiah. • He affirms God’s ability to protect. But Here’s the Abuse • Selective omission: Psalm 91:11 actually reads, “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Leaving out “in all your ways” strips the promise from a life of faithful obedience and turns it into a blank check for reckless behavior. • Ripped from context: Psalm 91 promises protection to those who “dwell in the shelter of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1). It is about humble trust, not daring God to rescue a stunt performer. • Misapplication: Satan moves from promise to prescription—“Therefore jump.” He subtly shifts protective assurance into an incentive to test God. • Flattering half-truths: Yes, angels serve God’s people (Hebrews 1:14), but they are never sent to affirm pride or presumption. • Undermining obedience: The devil aims to bypass the cross, luring Jesus to prove His Sonship by spectacle rather than submission (cf. Philippians 2:8). Jesus’ Refusal and Corrective Jesus answers, “It is also written: ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’” (Matthew 4:7; quoting Deuteronomy 6:16) • He brings Scripture against Scripture, harmonizing, not pitting passages against each other. • Deuteronomy 6:16 recalls Israel’s failure at Massah, where the people demanded proof of God’s presence (Exodus 17:1-7). Jesus will not repeat that unbelief. • The protective promise of Psalm 91 remains true, but never at the expense of the command not to test God. Takeaways for Today • Know the whole counsel of God; partial verses can be deadly (Acts 20:27). • Context governs meaning—look at the surrounding verses, the book, the whole Bible. • Promises are tied to relationship and obedience, not to sensational self-promotion. • Scripture interprets Scripture; apparent conflicts resolve when passages are read together. • Testing God—demanding miraculous proof—reveals unbelief, not faith. Guardrails for Handling Scripture • “Rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). • “The sum of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). • “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16-17); each text fits within the unified message. • Beware teachers who twist words “to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). Matthew 4:6 reminds us that even the devil can quote the Bible—yet he does so to distort, distract, and destroy. Disciples guard against misuse by knowing, loving, and obeying the full truth of God’s inerrant Word. |
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