The Godly Are Rescued from Temptation
2 Peter 2:9
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of YAHveh (the LORD) has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will [and does] cover the earth and deep darkness (great deception) the peoples…” (Isaiah 60:1-2). Our Messiah prophesied that when we see the events of our day unfolding we are to look up and straighten up being spiritually purified by continually “working out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) because our “redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). As we look to YAHshua (Jesus) who is the “glory and lifter of our heads” (Psalm 3:3) and focus on the love and faithfulness of YAHveh our Provider, He will grant us every provision we need to endure victoriously to the end with unshakable faith. If we look to the world and rely on our own strength and understanding, we will not be equipped to overcome all that He prophesied would cause terror and despair upon those who do not know Him. Our Savior gives a peace that the world can never take away (see John 14:27). We need to keep our mind ever looking toward our King, His Kingdom, His Word and His Promises. We are to live in the Spirit and die to our flesh to avoid the terror and despair that the unbelievers and the faithless will be overcome with.
[YAHveh] will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him” (Isaiah 26:3). “His love endures forever—His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Psalm 136:1)! “YAHveh (God) is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Considering the times that speak of YAHshua’s (Jesus’s) soon coming Kingdom we are to make every effort to be found pure, spotless, blameless, and eagerly waiting for our coming Bridegroom. We, the redeemed, are to be wise and faithful servants who “the master has put in charge of the servants in His household to give them their food at the proper time …” (Matthew 24:45) by feeding, loving, praying for them and helping to spur them on in readiness for the Master’s return—which is sooner than later.
With this in mind an important question to consider is: What are we filling our lives with that are of a holy origin and of eternal value at this most critical juncture in world history and its threshold into eternity?
Beloved, very little time and daylight is left to redeem for YAHveh’s Kingdom and glory. Satan knows that his time is short (Revelation 12:12) and he has unleashed untold multitudes of demonic entities to accomplish his deceptive and diabolical purposes. Satan has come to deceive the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 12:9). In these wicked perilous times, the redeemed righteous remnant, like Lot, are grieving and “vexed in their righteous souls” (2 Peter 2:8). We are living in a day where evil far exceeds that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Because of the darkness of Satan’s deceptive powers and lies, perversion and every form of evil have taken over a huge majority of people’s bodies, souls, spirits and minds. Over the past few years we have continually witnessed diverse judgments and righteous indignation from our Creator who has a cup overflowing upon nations, cities and peoples—those who refuse to repent and turn from rebellion, corruption, and sin.
As Apostle Peter prophetically envisioned and spoke let us take to heart his words, “And if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then YAHveh (the LORD) knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise [YAHveh’s] authority.” (2 Peter 2:6-10)
YAHveh’s (the Lord’s) infinite mercy, prior to judgment and destruction, was shown to Lot and his household. “Then the two men [angels] said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? ...bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before YAHveh that YAHveh has sent us to destroy it.” Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for YAHveh will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting” (Genesis 19:12-14). In 2 Peter 3:3-5,7, we read about a similar scoffing spirit that will come upon the last day’s population not believing that judgment was at the door.
“When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he hesitated. So the men [angels] seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of YAHveh was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. [YAHveh’s compassion is seizing our hands to lead us out of harms way.] When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you…’” (Genesis 19:15-17).
Lot’s wife disobeyed the Almighty’s instruction she “looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). She had a love and longing for the continued comforts and familiarity of a life that she had to leave behind. Her disobedience and her rebellion against righteous instruction led to her destruction. “When you know what to do and don’t do it, it is sin, and the wages of sin is death (see James 4:17 and Romans 6:23). Regardless of the confession of your lips, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Those who have ears, let them hear and learn from these key words: “Lot’s wife looked back” (Genesis19:26) and “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32). Don’t look back! Flee from the coming judgments! Continue to “work out your salvation” with humility and sincere repentance, glorifying YAHshua (Jesus) your Savior, whose blood was poured out for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal deliverance of your soul. Listen and heed the words of the apostle Paul, “…Forgetting what is behind…I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which YAHveh (God) has called me heavenward in Messiah YAHshua (Christ Jesus)” (Philippians 3:13-14).
In addition, let’s look at Israel’s deliverance as an example of those who looked back and craved what they had left in Egypt. Most of the Almighty’s chosen nation who were continuously and miraculously delivered from Egypt—symbolic of the world and wicked Pharaoh—symbolic of Satan, never entered the Promised Land. They rebelled against the Almighty’s righteousness through lack of faith and disobedience and fell under His sovereign judgments and curses. YAHveh was to be their exceedingly great reward as He was for their father Abraham (see Genesis 15:1) but He was not enough. Most were continually discontent, murmuring, grumbling, and complaining forgetting all the wondrous miracles the God of Israel had performed for their deliverance from evil. YAHveh had proclaimed to Moses, “for I, YAHveh your God, am a jealous God”(Exodus 20:5). Israel in her rebellion, discontent, and cravings aroused His jealousy and righteous indignation and consequently righteous judgments.
“Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of YAHveh (the LORD); and when YAHveh heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of YAHveh burned among them…The rabble [apt term for the halfhearted] who were among them had greedy desires…saying ‘Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! ...Why did we ever leave Egypt?’ [They looked back and turned up their noses at YAHveh’s heavenly provision.] …the anger of YAHveh was kindled against the people, and YAHveh struck them with a very severe plague. So the name of that place was called Kibroth-Hattaavah [meaning grave of cravings], because there they buried the people who had been greedy- (consuming fleshy desires)” (refer to Numbers 11:1,4-5,18-20,33-34).
“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:11-13)
We are not to be enticed to look back to what once satisfied our carnal nature. We are to look to YAHshua, (Jesus) who died in our place for the wages of such self-serving, sinful preoccupations, and lifestyles. As the sacrificial Lamb His blood covers our repentant hearts. He is also our Good Shepherd who is leading His redeemed little flock out of this doomed world into the safe pastures of His eternal righteous Kingdom. We are to be on our guard against such cravings and self-indulgence instead we are to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) and to “hunger and thirst after righteousness” and we “shall be satisfied” (see Matthew 5:6). YAHveh (the LORD) will become our exceedingly great reward and provider of everything we will need to overcome and endure victoriously over our flesh, the enemy, and the world and its pulls. We will be found unashamed and pleasing in His sight at His coming when we see Him face to face and have to give an account at the judgment seat.
Prayer: Thank You for Your compassion to take me by the hand, pulling me away from the enticements of a lifestyle that I choose to leave behind to follow You. I humbly ask You, YAHshua (Jesus), to empower me with Your Spirit that I might “cast aside every besetting sin” that would hinder me from running the race (see Hebrews 12:1) and escaping the judgments that are coming (see Luke 21:36).