salem and climb literally to its pinnacle? (v.5) Did he go to some very high mountain where he could see “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” [v.8].  No such mountain exists. 

Another question – at the time this occurred Jesus had not yet called any disciples, so how did Matthew know to write out this account of his Master’s temptation?  Now to seek some answers.

Seeing that Jesus taught so often in parables, some of which could not have been literal, e.g. the Rich Man and Lazarus,  we conclude that this account is in the form of a parable that he told his disciples.  Notice the main point that is common to each of the temptations: it is that Jesus refuted them by saying “It is written …” [v.4,7,10].  This illustrates the point David makes in Psalm 119, “I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” [v.11]  We also recall what James wrote, “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” [1 v.14] and if we allow this to dominate our thinking then “when it is folly grown (it) brings forth death.” [v.15]

So, before he started his ministry, Jesus was tested by being “led up by the Spirit.”  Note how Luke, in his record of Christ’s temptation says that after the temptations the “devil departed from him until an opportune time” [4 v.13]!  An example of such a time is in John ch. 6: Jesus became so popular after feeding the 5,000 that “the people … said, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come …. perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” [v.14,15]

This was a repeat of his first temptation in the wilderness, which was in effect, to immediately use his unlimited power to become king and bring great good into the world – but this would be doing the right thing the wrong way!  We have to live our lives God’s way!  This is why true believers do not involve themselves in the politics of this world. 

We also see the reason why Jesus “said to Peter ‘Get behind me Satan!’” [16 v.23] when Peter objected to his words that he was going to suffer and be killed. It was not the personal will of Jesus to die, see ch. 26 v.39. Temptation and testing comes from others as well as from our hearts, Believers in some countries today appreciate what Peter meant when he wrote, “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion.” [1 Peter 5 v.8]  Let us fully grasp James’ point, ”Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” [4 v.7,8]  Let us all draw near to God every day; Bible reading and meditation is an essential part of doing that. 

Fasting means abstaining; deliberately depriving yourself of something, usually food, as an act of submissive worship. Jesus criticised the religious leaders who “disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others,” deliberately making themselves “look gloomy” [Matt. 6 v. 16].  Jesus classes them as “hypocrites”.

What provoked our thoughts on this was the message that God gave through Isaiah in the chapter we read today..  The prophet is told to “declare to my people their transgressions” [58 v.1].  The Almighty observed that “they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as if they were a nation that did righteousness” [v.2].  The people question why God was not responding to such worship with blessings, asking “Why have we fasted, and you see it not?  Why have we humbled ourselves and you take no knowledge of it?”[v.3]

The answer is in the next verse, “Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure.”  It was a ritual they went through, their attitude and motive was entirely wrong. It did not change their ungodly behaviour, “you fast only to quarrel and fight,” [v.4] was the message. 

Does our participation in acts of worship and studies together of God’s word have a good effect on our behaviour? Is such participation totally genuine – from our hearts?  It is important to see how Isaiah records that God is looking for other kinds of fasting, ones that are praiseworthy as he observes them being practiced.  

These are the significant words.  “Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose (abstain from) the bonds of wickedness …  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house … “ [v.6,7] If you do these sort of things, this sort of fasting, abstaining/depriving yourself so that you can help others in need; then “the LORD will guide you continually … and you will be like a watered garden” [v.11]  How world has become a spiritual desert, it has no time for “the water of life”(Rev. 21 v.6) as we read yesterday. How much is this affecting you? 

 Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly … your kingdom shall not continue.  The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart.” [1 Samuel 13 v.13,14].  Saul was in trouble, he was in a hopeless military position, the prophet Samuel had come a day later (maybe only hours later) than had been arranged, so Saul foolishly offered sacrifices himself.  Although he had been victorious over the Ammonites – with God’s help – but he feared the Philistines, but did not seek God’s help, his perception of what God requires was far too limited.

But what intrigues us is the reference to God having a heart.  Can we grasp the concept of this?  In the last verse of the previous chapter we read Samuel’s farewell message to the people, “Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart.  For consider what great things he has done for you.  But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”  It seems to us that “heart” in a sense means, a committed attitude of mind, our way of thinking. In the New Testament we would say “faith”- the conviction which leads to our course of action. It is not easy to apply this definition to God as he is so totally high above us. 

The man that God found, that was after his own heart, was to write of God, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! … Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” [Psa. 139 v.17,23,24].  

David’s attitude was the attitude God was seeking. Probably at this point in time he was a lad looking after his father’s sheep in the wilderness and we will read in 4 day’s time that the attitude and confidence before God that he had developed and perfected in killing the wild animals that tried to take the sheep gave him the confidence to go against Goliath, “for he has defied the armies of the living God.”  [Ch.17 v.36]  David had a vision of the “power” God can give that was far greater than Saul’s – and a greater vision than the army itself had, but despite this, they were still God’s armies.  And are you God’s son or daughter?  Or want to be be?

Today’s chapter in Isaiah reveals the principle upon which God works in looking into the hearts of human beings. “Thus says the one who is high and lifted up who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy” – and then come the wonderful words – “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit to revive the spirit of the lowly …” [Ch.57 v.15-16].  

David experienced this most particularly after his sin with Bathsheba; he was grief stricken that he might lose his contact with God.  We read “Cast me not away from your presence … restore to me the joy of your salvation.” [Psa.51 v.11,12].  The last 2 chapters in the Bible, our final reading for today, are about the ultimate joy when “death shall be no more … for former things have passed away ”  [Rev.21 v.4]  Only those whose hearts are “after his own heart” will be alive, “those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” [v.27].

Today’s chapter (55) in Isaiah starts with an invitation, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come … “  The next verse asks a question, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?”   Today so many spend their money and energies on that which has no lasting satisfaction, they are living for the pleasures of the moment, but God says, “Incline your ear and come to me; hear, that your soul may live and I will make with you an everlasting covenant …” [v.3]

From verse 6 we read an urgent appeal that is extremely relevant for today, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.”   

Today is the time of the final ingathering before God arises to “shake terribly the earth” (Isaiah 2, both v.19 and 21) It is those who have “no money” – no righteousness of their own that he is calling – he is not calling the self-righteous, just as Jesus did not call the Pharisees.

Are you righteous?  If not, note verse 7, where we read, “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”   Reading God’s word regularly is a genuine sign that we are turning to the LORD. 

Verse 11 tells us that God’s word does not return to him “empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.”  Those who incline their ear to God, to hearing and reading his word, know what is his ultimate purpose!  The key question is – whether that ‘knowing’ inspires them “to seek the LORD while he may be found.”  Some will leave it too late – there will not be enough oil (of faith) in their lamps and the door will be shut.  

Our Revelation reading has the wonderful picture of “the marriage of the Lamb, and his Bride has made herself ready … Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” [19 v.7,9] What blessings are in store for those with sufficient oil in their lamps!  Ch. 21 v.3,4 tells us that ultimately “God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning not crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”   Will you have “passed away” – or will you be there?

The great majority of human beings, apart from many in poor countries, are totally motivated to gain and enjoy wealth.  Of course we need to have some money but Paul wrote, “Keep yourself free from the love of money, and be content with what you have.” [Heb 13 v.5]  

    Remember our thoughts 2 days ago about those who “turned aside after gain” and today’s 2 chapters in Revelation provoked us to further thoughts.

It seems to us, impossible to limit the final days of the judgements of God, when we read about, “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes (harlots AV) and of earth’s abominations” [17 v,5]  – this is said to the Roman Catholic Church and the other ‘Christian’ churches.  However, there is no doubt from the abundant testimony of history from the third century onwards until recent times that the “prostitute” is “drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” [v.6] those who held fast to his teachings. 

    The Catholic system spread over the whole earth – it includes the Eastern and Russian Orthodox Churches – and is trying to attract other churches back towards it today.

The greatest area of financial trouble today is the Eurozone and the Common Market was, maybe significantly, established by what is called ‘The Treaty of Rome’ in 1957. Another point is that the Greek word  Babylon in the Hebrew language is “Babel”- and we remember the reputation of Babel in Genesis. Much of the text in these chapters incline us to see this vision as also having a broader context with the whole world turning away from belief in the true God as at Babel – indeed more and more are believing there is no God, no creator at all to whom they owe their lives..

In Ch. 18 we read that Babylon is to “be thrown down with violence” [v.21] in such a way that “merchants … who gained wealth from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud … for in a single hour all this great wealth has been laid waste” [v.15]  This incredible event affects “all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea” [v.17]  And today we could also include all the “ships” that fly through the air carrying a great deal of cargo.  Today people have made a god of money more than ever before, but Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and money” for …(you) will hate the one and love the other.” [Matt 6 v.24].  

    Money has no value as gold or silver anymore, it is not real money as in previous generations, today’s ‘money’ is borrowed and re-lent and borrowed again and has created an artificial prosperity – and “in a single hour” it will vanish like steam! When that happens, plus other ‘last day’ dramas featured in prophecy, our faith will be put to a final test, but then a “loud voice of a great multitude” will be heard “crying out, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgements are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth …” [19 v.1,2]

    May we all make sure, by God’s grace, we are among that multitude who cry out.

 1 Samuel 8 starts by telling us “when Samuel became old …” and the next few chapters tell us of all the drama that happened in his old age.  The first problem was that Samuel’s sons whom he had made judges “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain.  They took bribes and perverted justice.” [v.3].

There is no record of Samuel’s wife.  How important it is for a wife to support her husband in the spiritual training of their children especially one as busy as Samuel for “he judged Israel all the days of his life.  And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah.  And he judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel …” [7 v.15-17]

We live in a world where few if any of those in authority have any real Bible based principles, everyone is “after gain” in some way to some degree.  Those who seek to serve the Almighty and his Son must be after a different kind of “gain” – treasure that they can lay up in heaven! See Luke 12 v.21,33,34.  

    When Jesus returns those who have done this will be “judges” – reigning with him in his kingdom. Maybe Samuel’s role as a judge is an example – but they will have divine power, which the Apostles experienced as a foretaste of “the powers of the age to come.” [Heb. 6 v.4] 

In those days the whole world will be taught righteousness and what a wonderful word picture we read today in Isaiah of this time!  “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says in Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’ … The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” [52 v.7,10] 

To talk of beautiful feet is a poetic expression of the joys of doing the Lord’s work.  What a challenge it is to “walk” in that way now. As a final passage look at Hebrews 13, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he (Jesus) has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’  So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” [v.5,6]  Let us confidently say that!

 We do not know a great deal about Isaiah’s personal situation.  In John’s Gospel we read that “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him” [12 v.41], so the seeing was with the eye of faith, a vivid picture in the mind.  Isaiah “saw” what was to come, believing with such total conviction that the experience was counted as seeing and John’s quotations from Isaiah are of the reactions, so largely negative, people were to have to God’s messages; this causes us to meditate on reactions today.  

The more we ourselves read and reflect upon what we read, the more we are challenged.  We meditated on this as a result of reading Isaiah’s words in today’s chapter, “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those that are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious” [50 v.4,5]. 

It is a privilege each day to start by reading God’s word, to awaken our minds, refresh our thinking with godly thoughts before our minds need to focus on the challenges of the day, let us not be rebellious. This is, as we recall the in the words of James, “the wisdom that comes down from above” [3 v.15].  It gives us that inner strength and ability, not only to sustain us for another day, but also, it may well be, we may be used by our Lord by bringing us into contact with someone “who is weary” and we can impart to them some of the “strength” we have received from God’s word.

Now the passage in Isaiah goes on to record a situation which was fulfilled in the life of the Master at the time of his arrest; but it must, we suspect, have also been part of the prophet’s own experience, “I gave my back to those who strike … I hid not my face from shame and spitting (see Mark 15 v.19) …But the Lord GOD helps me … therefore I have set my face like a flint …” [Isaiah 50 v6,7].  

    Let us try harder to feed on God’s word “morning by morning” and experience all the benefits that he can give, setting our faces to serve him in whatever situations we encounter. 

As we continue reading the final message of Jesus in Revelation we reflect on how much heart searching it has caused believers in every generation.  

    It’s wonderful visions of an ultimate age of perfection and glory are balanced by the awesome series of woes beforehand. The last 1900 years bear testimony to the judgements that were predicted – but so many crisis have been the natural results of man’s follies and blindness toward God.  

For many in this present age, especially the young, it is hard to relate to the woes and disasters which many chapters describe.  For one thing they are portrayed in largely symbolic language, for another, nearly all the present generation have not personally experienced fearful times of crisis. Our TV screens have been making them real, but the trouble is, so much of it is fiction, it does not seem real.  Added to this, Computer war ‘games’ have desensitized so many to the awesomeness of it all. 

A few still exist who can remember being huddled into shelters with schoolmates because of “flying bombs” – also seeing gangs of workers under guard because they were ‘prisoners of war’ – they also experienced the urgent noise of anti-aircraft guns trying to shoot down enemy planes.  

We know that awesome weapons of mass destruction exist – and there are powerful rockets able to deliver them, but it’s a threat we have become used to.  After the collapse of Communism over 20 years ago, everything seemed rather good, but it has not lasted!  

    Today’s political instability and disharmony between nations, with an impotent “disUnited Nations” unable to do anything other than talk, is worrying to some; but unless it affects them personally most people ignore what is happening. 

We read today in Revelation, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth” [8 v.13], and the people who suffer that “Woe” are “those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” [9 v.4]  But those who do have that seal “are before the throne of God … for the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” [7 v.15,17]  When the real day of “woe” arrives will you possess “the seal of God”? Jesus said, “ .. be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matt 24 v.44]