The subject worked out for this month is-
The Temptations of Scripture, distinguishing those that were yielded to, and those that were resisted.
In arranging the papers sent in, we are at the outset met by a difficulty which was perhaps scarcely sufficiently weighed when the subject was suggested-what character of temptations we should include in the result.
From James 1:14, -15,14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (James 1:14) we see that every sin is the result of a temptation yielded to, hence the first part of the subject fully worked out would be a catalog of all the sins recorded in the Bible, and this, however profitable for our study individually, would perhaps scarcely be the result intended to be brought out by the researches of the class.
We have therefore made a selection, including all cases where there would seem to have been a direct temptation towards a certain line of conduct, but excluding those in which a sin is only recorded in general terms 1St-Temptation yielded to.
Gen. 3:1-61Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Genesis 3:1‑6). Eve was tempted by Satan to give up dependence upon God.
4. Cain, by jealousy to kill Abel.
27. Rebekah and Jacob, by a desire that the latter should obtain a blessing, to deceive Isaac.
37:8, Joseph's brethren, by jealousy, to get rid of him, and 37: 29-34, to deceive their father.
32. Aaron, by a desire to please the Israelites, to make an idol.
Num. 11 The Israelites, by the remembrance of the good things of Egypt to murmur against God.
13. The ten spies, by fear, to bring an evil report of God's chosen inheritance.
20:1-12. Moses and Aaron, by impatience to disobey, instead of sanctifying God in the eyes of the people.
22. Balaam, by covetousness, to listen to Balak's request that he would curse those whom God had blessed.
Josh. 7 Achan, by covetousness to keep for himself part of the treasure found in Jericho.
Judg. 16:15-2015And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. 16And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; 17That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. 18And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. (Judges 16:15‑20). Samson yielded to the importunity of Delilah, and betrayed the secret of his strength.
1 Sam. 15 Saul, by covetousness, to spare the best of the spoil of the Amalekites.
2 Sam. 11 David, by lust, to procure the death of Uriah, whose wife he coveted.
15. Absalom, by pride, to rebel against David.
1 Kings 1. Adonijah, by pride, to be made king during David's life.
3. Solomon, by his wives, to worship idols.
26-33. Jeroboam by fear lest the Israelites should return to the house of David, to raise altars and idols in Dan and Bethel.
1 Kings 15:17-2317And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 19There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 20So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. 22Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah. 23The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. (1 Kings 15:17‑23). Asa, by fear, to bribe Benhadad with the treasures of the temple.
1 Kings 21 Ahab, by covetousness, to procure Naboth's death.
2 Kings 5:20-2720But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. 21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? 22And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. 23And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 24And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. 25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. 26And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? 27The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. (2 Kings 5:20‑27). Gehazi, by covetousness, to take from Naaman what Elisha had refused.
20:12-19. Hezekiah, by pride, to show all his treasures to the king of Babylon.
Matt. 28:11-1511Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 14And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. 15So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Matthew 28:11‑15). The soldiers who watched the sepulcher were tempted by a bribe to bear false witness.
22: 64-62. Peter, by fear, to deny the Lord.
Acts 5.3. Ananias and Sapphira, by Satan, to lie to God.
Gal. 2:11-1411But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (Galatians 2:11‑14). Peter, through fear of the brethren, who came from James, to withdraw from association with the Gentile believers.
Let no man say when lie is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man; but every man is tempted, when lie is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Temptations resisted.
39:7-19. Joseph resisted the allurements of Potiphar's wife.
Ezra 4:1-41Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 3But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. 4Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, (Ezra 4:1‑4). Zerubbabel refused to allow the adversaries of Judah to help in building the temple.
Job. Job, when tempted by Satan and by his wife, sinned not at first in murmuring against God, yet afterward he yielded through his friends.
Jer. 35 The Rechabites refused to drink the wine that Jeremiah set before them.
Dan. 1:8-168But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 11Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. 16Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. (Daniel 1:8‑16). Daniel and his companions resisted the temptation to conform to the customs of the Babylonians.
3: 18. Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego, refused to worship the golden image, though the penalty of their refusal was to be cast into the fiery furnace.
5:17. Daniel refused the gifts offered by Belshazzar.
6:10. Daniel refused to abstain from prayer, though the penalty of his refusal was to be cast into the lion's den.
Amos 7:10-1710Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. 11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. 12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13But prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. 14Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: 15And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. 16Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. 17Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land. (Amos 7:10‑17). Amos resisted the temptation to listen to Amaziah, and continued prophesying as God had sent him.
Matt. 4:1-101Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matthew 4:1‑10). The Lord Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, whom he resisted and overcame by the word of God.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to mart; 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 Cor. 10:13.