Jacob 1 - That We Might Persuade Them to Come Unto Christ I'm taking an online economics class right now, which prompted me to think of the definition of economics in the context of the scriptures. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. In the case of Nephi and his successor Jacob, the plates upon which they engraved their record was a scarce resource. They were costly to make and difficult to engrave, and instilling a tradition of passing them through generations was surely cumbersome. Recognizing the great importance of spiritual things and the challenge of maintaining records, Nephi instructed Jacob to prioritize religious instruction saying, " if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people" (Jacob 1:4). This priority was not only reflecte
The devil must have known that he was facing his most powerful adversary when he came to tempt the Savior. In fact, the sting of his defeat in the war in heaven might still have been fresh in his mind. While Satan's temptations were surely intense and relentless, the passage in Matthew 4 seems to be a defining moment in Christ's triumph over evil. I like to imagine that the devil pulled out all the stops, and unleashed his most corrosive and poisonous venom in tempting the Savior. Maybe the temptations Jesus faced are not the most fatal weapons in the devil's arsenal, but they are diabolical. By learning to recognize and thwart similar devises, we can avoid the destruction he has prepared for us.
Jesus Was Led up of the Spirit, into the Wilderness, to Be with God
The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of Matthew 4 makes and important clarification regarding Christ's purpose for going to the wilderness. Verse 1 reads, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (Matthew 4:1) while the JST clarifies that "Jesus was led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness, to be with God" (JST Matthew 4:1). I wonder how early translators of this verse misinterpreted the purpose of Jesus' retreat to the wilderness. On the surface is seems like an obvious and egregious mistake, but regardless of their intent, or how the message morphed, I am struck by the parallel between being with God and being tempted of the devil. Nephi taught that "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so ... righteousness could not be brought to pass ... Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one" (2 Nephi 2:11). Perhaps being with God and being tempted of the devil are a compound in one. Maybe they are not as different as I imagined them to be. Our attempts to draw closer to God will certainly be accompanied by more intense efforts from Satan to derail us, and successfully overcoming temptation is the price of admission to draw near unto God.
If Thou Be the Son of God
Satan's temptations are more insidious than they seem on the surface. First Satan tempted the Lord to turn stones into bread, presumably to answer the needs of the physical body at the expense of the spiritual. What is interesting to me is that this temptation came after 40 days. Jesus had already completed His fast. Satisfying his hunger should not have been problem. Jesus even alluded that bread or nourishment is important to physical life. He replied, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). My interpretation is that Christ is affirming the importance of spiritual life in addition to physical life, and deflecting Satan's implicit temptation to ignore spiritual things in favor of temporal things.
Even more damning than succumbing to passions of the flesh, or prioritizing temporal over spiritual pursuits, Satan tempted Jesus to question his own divinity. "If thou be the Son of God" he taunted. Satan was trying to stoke insecurity and inviting Jesus to prove Himself. In this instance and the two subsequent temptations, Jesus did not take the bait. Moses had a similar experience after beholding a vision of the creations of God. "Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me. And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?" (Moses 1:12-13). Satan's greatest victory is to cause us to question or own divinity and potential and abandon efforts to repent and improve.
Thou Shalt Not Tempt the Lord Thy God
Another significant clarification found in the JST is who placed Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple. Matthew 4:5 reads, "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple" (Matthew 4:5), while the JST reads, "Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple" (JST Matthew 4:5). What this means to me is that Satan's temptation was a distraction, not the main event. The devil was not ferrying Jesus about to be tested. The devil interrupted what was presumably a moment of spiritual insight and personal revelation precipitated by 40 days of fasting, initiated by the Holy Ghost, and culminating on the pinnacle of the temple. Satan does not have the authority to be the driver in our lives, he can only hope to derail. I have also had experience where Satan has attempted to taint or diminish spiritual highlights and intrude on sacred moments.
Once atop the temple, the devil tempted Jesus saying, "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" (Matthew 4:6, JST Matthew 4:6). Satan appears to be referring to a passage in Psalms 91, which reads: "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" (Psalms 91:10-12). Here not only did Satan tempt Jesus to question His own divinity, but also to challenge the prophesies that had been written in the scriptures. Second only to a conviction that we are all children of God, faith in the scriptures as the word of God is essential to spiritual survival and well-being.
Jesus' response can give us insight into how we can respond to our own doubt regarding the inspired writings of the prophets. "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Matthew 4:7). Jesus did not say that we should not have doubts. He did not say the we should not experiment upon the word of God. He did not say that we should not ask for clarification and personal revelation to shore up our knowledge of and conviction in the scriptures. He said we should not tempt God.
In the Book of Mormon, the phrase "to tempt god" is usually associated with seeking signs, and comes up in the context of deflecting the attacks of anti-Christs. Jacob and Alma rebuked the anti-Christs Sherem and Korihor, respectively, who preached against Christ and undermined the faith of the people. Jacob said, "What am I that I should tempt God to show unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true?" (Jacob 7:14). Alma said, "Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator" (Alma 30:44). The question of tempting God by seeking signs is a matter of attitude not action. Presenting requests for personal confirmation in humble prayer before God is one of the most important ways we learn truth, and God's prescribed method for growth and learning. There is nothing wrong with asking God to show His hand, and for the Holy Ghost to testify of His truth. The problem comes when these requests are insincere or faithless.
Contrary to the wording in the King James version of the bible, the Holy Ghost, not the devil, took Jesus up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them" (Matthew 4:8, JST Matthew 4:8). The devil did not show Jesus the kingdoms of the world as part of some kind of temptation. (As an aside, I'm just realizing for the first time that the devil may not have the power to present visions to our minds. While we know the devil can "transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light," I can't think of an example in the scriptures when the devil showed anyone a vision (2 Nephi 9:9). Jesus was in the middle of a spiritual manifestation that echoes the visions had by prophets like Moses and others had before him. In the Old Testament, mountains were frequently used as makeshift temples. An exceedingly high mountain would have been seen as a location for God to make bare His hand and reveal His most precious truths. I would be curious to know the Spirit's intended purpose in showing Jesus the kingdoms of the earth before Satan interjected. "And the devil came unto him again, and said, All these things will I give unto thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me" (JST Matthew 4:9).
Christ's response teaches us important things about the importance of worshiping God, despite our other failings. "Then 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 4:20). Jesus endured temptations to question His own divinity, succumb to physical desires, question the scriptures, and seek a sign. But the insinuation that He worship anyone other than the true and living God reached an unacceptable threshold, and He cast Satan out. Christ could have cast Satan out at any time, so I'm curious to know if there was something significant about this temptation or moment. While Satan's other temptations were diabolical, they did not invite Jesus to directly violate the first and great commandment to love God (Matthew 22:37). It is as if the other temptations were less grievous. It is my belief that God is more interested in our direction (which way we are facing) than our position (how far we are along the trail). When I recall the chapters in my life when my behavior was least in harmony with God's law, I certainly experienced a sense of separation and distance from God, but I never questioned His reality or my commitment to worship Him. Even at my personal worst in terms of performance and adherence to His laws, I could still love Him, and I could still fully desire to follow Him.
After Jesus rebuked Satan, "Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him" (Matthew 4:11). Why did the angel come? At first glance, it seems as if the angels are somehow comforting and strengthening the Savior in response to the devil's attacks. While this is certainly possible, I am inclined to believe that it had nothing to do with the devil's actions, and was instead part of a deeper spiritual experience. If you look at the timeline of Matthew 4:1-11 and remove the involvement of Satan, it follows that:
- Jesus went into the wilderness to be with God
- Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights
- The Spirit carried him away to the pinnacle of the temple
- The Spirit carried Jesus into an exceedingly high mountain
- Jesus saw the kingdoms of the world and their glory
- Angels came and ministered to Jesus
Jesus Began to Preach
Immediately after this defining spiritual experience, Jesus began his ministry. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). While not explicit in Matthew's account, I can't help but think there is a direct connection between Christ's period of fasting and spiritual preparation and the start of His ministry. I would love to have some insight into the thoughts and impressions that the Savior had while fasting in the wilderness, or to know what the Spirit said to Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple. As is so often the case, our pinnacles of spiritual insight are almost always private, and cannot be fully conveyed even if we tried. This detail in the sequence of Jesus' life makes me think of the times when I have spiritually prepared myself for a new chapter in my life, whether that was serving a mission, getting married, or having children.
They Straightway Left Their Nets, and Followed Him
Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all fisherman. When Jesus came upon them and called them as disciples we learn that Peter and Andrew "straightway left their nets, and followed him" and that James and John "immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him" (Matthew 4:20, 22). Without hesitation, they set aside their livelihoods to follow the Savior and to help establish the kingdom of God on earth. What and incredible and enviable example of commitment to the Lord. I'm sure they were no less burden with the pressures of life than I am, and yet they had the clarity to choose the better part. When the demands of providing for family, pursuing professional advancement, and winning the worldly recognition comes in conflict with my commitment to the gospel, I often feel conflicted and encumbered. It is easy to stall when sacrificing time, money and energy to the Lord's causes means letting go of hobbies, foregoing wealth, and delaying world achievements. Of course it is always a false choice and the Lord will make more of our lives than we ever could on our own. That is what Peter, Andrew, James, and John intuitively understood, and it is a conviction that I hope to continue to nurture and develop.
Image Credit: Ivan Kramskoy, Christ In The Desert, 1872
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