Luke 4:2-4 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungry.… There are three distinct names given to him in these temptations. 1. His name "Satan" shows his malice and fury, which is the ground and fountain whence all that trouble proceeds which we meet with from him. 2. He is styled "the tempter," and that signifies to us how he puts forth this malice, his way and exercise in the exertion of it. 3. He is called "the devil " or accuser, expressing thereby the end and issue of all. From this name, then, here given, we may observe: — That it is Satan's work and employment to tempt men. Implying (1) That though there be never so many tempters, yet Satan is the chief. (2) That he makes temptation his proper employment.That Satan doth so, I shall evidence by these few notes: 1. Temptation is in itself a business and work. 2. Satan gives up himself unto it, is wholly in Mark 2:3. He takes a delight in it, not only from a natural propensity, which his fall put upon him, whereby he cannot but tempt — as an evil tree cannot but bring forth evil fruits — but also from the power of a habit acquired by long exercise, which is accompanied with some kind of pleasure. 4. All other things in Satan, or in his endeavours, have either a subserviency, or some way or other a reference and respect to temptation. His power, wisdom, malice, and other infernal qualifications, render him able to tempt. 5. He cares not how it goes on, so that it go on; as a man that designs to be rich, cares not how he gets it; which shows that tempting is general in his design. (1) He sticks not to lie and dissemble. (2) He will tempt for a small matter; if he can but gain a little, or but molest us, yet he will be doing. (3) He will not give over for a foil or disappointment. (4) He is not ashamed to tempt contradictory things: he tempted Christ against the work of redemption. (5) Any temptation that he sees will hold, he takes up. (6) He will sometime tempt where he hath not probability to prevail, even against hope. The use of the observation is this, If it be his business to tempt, it must be our work to resist. (R. Gilpin.) Parallel Verses KJV: Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. |
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