Luke 4 and Matthew 4 – Temptations

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A morning Bible reading, a God-thought, and a Sunday morning sermon led to this post. My morning read started with Luke 4. When I had finished the first temptation of Jesus a small thought said, “The Second Adam passed the test that the first Adam failed.” The “test” that Jesus passed was of earthly provisions/good food. O, Jesus gave a “Tree of Life” answer.

Temptation 2 and 3 are exactly the same, but Matthew and Luke reverse them. Thought #1 – Both of these happened, and Jesus passed and gave a “It is written” answer. Thought #2 – Is the order important? Please see Thought #1. Matthew, a Jew, put Jerusalem and the Temple first; Luke, a Greek missionary who traveled with Paul, focused on earthly kingdoms. Who is right? See Thought #1. What was the Holy Spirit trying to teach us and why would He allow these writers to do this? See Thought #1.  

Kingdoms of the World and Their Splendor

Satan/Tempter is a liar. A “good lie” needs facts in it or it will not be believed. Jesus did not argue the devil’s statements; He ended the lie with the truth – “It is written”. Who do earthly kingdoms serve? Jesus said and showed in John’s Gospel and Revelations that His Kingdom is not of this earth, and He will bring a new one with Him when He comes again. Adam gave his authority to satan in the Garden when he ate the fruit, so satan twisted the facts making a lie.

I will offer two of MY thoughts here.

  1. The only mountain I can think of that is that high is the Mountain of God in Heaven.
  2. When people want to assign blame; ask them if it is their god or our God that should get the blame. (Be firm in your knowledge of God and His nature.)

Jerusalem and the Temple

Any fall from a tower or city gate would have been high enough to have caused death. So, the location is what is important. God loves the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. Some scholars have suggested that this is where the Garden of Eden was. That step off of the Temple would have given the devil control over the worship of God. Ask yourself why the world wants to take His Land away from Jacob’s Children.

Another Layer of Thought

Earthly rewards (Temptation #1) will get most people’s attention. Once that has been surrendered the desire for power is right before you. But if Satan can get your right relationship with the Father; he does not need the first two.

The Sermon

Steven Furtick referenced the temptations today (9/21/2025) and compared them with Moses and the Children in the Exodus. That fits with Jesus’ baptism (passing through the Red Sea), 40 days (40 years) (Jesus’ earthly ministry could have been 40 months), and bread from stones (manna) as examples. I thought of the Garden in Genesis 3. The Holy Spirit layers lessons together to increase our knowledge of the work done for us.

Assyria, Our Forgotten Enemy – Cruelization

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Well, I will start by contrasting Cruelization and Civilization. (Yes, I made up a word.) As I have studied the ancient empires of the Hittites, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon then added in Persia, Greece, and Rome I really had to think about our modern term “civil”.

Yes, these empires have contributed to modern society. But have we put on rose-colored glasses because of these contributions and ignored why they were able to pass these contributions on? They were not “civil” in their “ization” of their contemporaries. Archaeology has found evidence of trade and the exchange of ideas and information in the Levant before the Assyrians. That is when Egypt and the Hittites were battling each other. Bullies, however, will be bullies and it was not limited to major empires; Abram faced that problem when he rescued Lot in Genesis 14. Elam is specifically mentioned in the bully group.

These empires not only battled each other; they learned from each other. (Who you listen to or read may spin things slightly different.) Egypt and the Hittites along with the lower Tigris and Euphrates River region seem to be the first major players in building societies. An unknown group referred to as the Sea People showed up from the west and plunged the Levant into a dark age; cities were destroyed, trade ended, and art-work stopped. Assyria rose up to fill the vacuum; they used iron/steel to make weapons (from the Hittites) and rose to great power. They also started a full-time army that did not have to go and gather crops. Add in writing on tablets, efficient routes of communication within the empire, and a consistent administration of the kingdom, Assyria forced themselves on the region. They took what they wanted by demanding tribute or they just wiped cities and people groups off of the map. They also practiced wholesale movement of conquered peoples to new areas, that type of slavery wiped out national identity. Besides taking what they wanted from you it also gave them control of trade from the east to the Mediterranean.

My Point of View

God made this world for His purposes. Adam and Eve messed that up. Even with our freewill, God has directed HIStory for His purpose. He gave us the Hebrew/Jewish people and His Word to give us insight into that plan. The rise and fall of these great empires should be proof of that and His timing.

Most of the experts I have watched or read acknowledge parts of the Bible and use it when it suits their purpose. The Prophets that reference these empires and especially Assyria are noted and sometimes agreed with on their historical facts. Many experts love to try and find things to disprove the Bible that is being sighted as fact. The timeline seems to be a favorite attack point; assign different dates that make it seem that the prophets are not telling what is to come but what has happened. Ground Number 2 in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) seems to fit many of them.

A Case in Point

Sennacherib (2 Chronicles 32, 2 Kings 18,19,20:20, and Isaiah 36+37, his Nineveh is also in Jonah) is a good study. He would have made a good poster child for socialist dictators. He built up his three major cities, even diverting a river to water his gardens and lake, with high walls and giant palaces. If he did not get what he wanted he went and took it. On one such excursion to Sidon and Tyre he kept going to Israel. His first stop was Lachish. He was so proud of the destruction it went on his palace walls in Nineveh. That relief shows whole families being carted off and people impaled on stakes. Archaeology attest to the devastation from the siege. (A moment of comparison. Vlad the Impaler/Dracula also put people on stakes, but Sennacherib has a better reputation. In Romania, Vlad is a national hero.)

The rescue of Jerusalem is documented by non-Bible sources, so his attitude and boasting did not help when he insulted God. It took several years but his sons did kill him. When the Assyrian Empire fell to the Medes it was not pretty or nice; bodies were left (and found) at the city gates were the warriors fell. No one moved them or buried them, no one was left, sand storms and time did the work.

Micah 1:13 is about Lachish. She was a source of sin for Daughter Zion. She is also mentioned again when Babylon invaded Judah.

God Used Assyria

It may seem strange to say Assyria was enemy of Israel and that God used them. God wanted a righteous relationship with Israel and still does. When you read through the “Prophets” it is easy to see that many in Israel was not following the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They would obey the call to follow God for awhile and then go back to worshipping the demon gods of the countries they interacted with. The northern Tribes had even made their own gods and priest. You have to wonder if they kept any part of the Law of Moses. God sent many prophets to warn them and bring them back. When they refused, He had Assyria take them away from His Land and out of His sight (Isaiah 8). Sennacherib did some of this in the attack of Judah, especially Lachish. Isaiah 10:5-19 talks about Assyria and their punishment for going overboard on attacking nations.

Much of the “sin” Judah did was in the time of Assyria. These sins had finally reached the breakpoint under Babylon. Babylon beat Assyria and Egypt and inherited Judah; they carried out the punishment on them when Jerusalem was destroyed. Christians, we need to wake up and not do what ancient Judah did, God wants us to have a righteous relationship with Him.

-ization suffix – Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Assyria, Our Forgotten Enemy – A Little History

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In this series of posts, I want to study Assyria. They were for several hundred years and many Books of the Bible, an enemy of Israel. Christians tend to focus of Egypt and Babylon and ignore Assyria. If Egypt and Babylon have lessons to teach us, so does Assyria. Many of the prophesies about the coming Messiah are in Books that were penned while Assyria was coming against the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Assyria starts with the time of Ahab (not in the Bible) and is still mentioned in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Nehemiah. Several kings of Judah had dealings with the kings of Assyria, they include Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. The Assyrians are the ones who took captives and relocated the northern Tribes and parts of Judah (Lachish, 2 Chronicles 32:9).

Egypt is Israel’s oldest enemy in the Bible; they started with Abraham and go to Jeremiah’s time. In movies and print there is a lot of information about Egypt. Babylon is mentioned in Genesis, but really is a problem for Judah after Hezekiah. They were one of the four major empires of the ancient world. The Bible is HIS STORY, and how he deals with the descendants of Abraham through his grandson Jacob. There is a lot of historical mentions of other kingdoms. Some of them have major impacts on the Hebrews, while some have minor or indirect effects on the land and people of Israel. Israel’s neighbors are written about many times and frequently they at war with the Twelve Tribes.

Biblical figures, places, events, and Books of the Bible are referred to in documentaries and scholarly writings. It is one of the oldest historical writings. With that said, many scholars seem to fit our Bible into their work as it pleases them. I have heard references to the Garden of Eden, Jonah, and the Torah that do not match the biblical time frames. Secular scholars do not ignore the Bible; they just don’t want too valid it too much. I feel who is paying for their grants and projects may have a lot to do with it. Using God’s Bible might mean you have to believe all of it and change how you are living.

Well, with that written, you may have noticed I have not given references. In my studies I never thought I would be writing about some of this. I may add references as I view some of the documentaries again; this is a study not a finished thesis. For weeks I have been looking up names, cities, kingdoms, and regions and have seen these references in the Bible written about in extra-biblical publications and movies. So yes, this post will be changing.

Neighbors

The Land of Milk and Honey is in the Fertile Cresent and is part of the greenway along the Mediterranean coast. Some of the countries are “family” because of Abraham, Isaac, and Lot.

  • Moab and Ammon – Lot’s sons by his daughters (Genesis 19:36).
  • Edom – Esau’s family. Esau married a daughter of Ishmael, so that is also part of his family tree. Seir is the land they settled in.
  • Ishmael and the sons of Keturah (Genesis 25) – Many people groups are children of Abraham through these men; they stretch all the way to the Tigris River and into the desert. Midian is a notable tribe that was an enemy of Israel.
  • Aram/Damascus – There is much history here with Israel.
  • Tyre and Sidon are north of Israel and were allies and enemies.
  • Byblos is north of Sidon and is also associated with Phoenicia. The Sea People figure into this mix.
  • Philistia is a well-known enemy and also associated with the Sea People.
  • Hamath is an area that is part of the curve in the Crescent. Some of its history is associated with Nebuchadnezzar.
  • Kadesh – There is a town/area in southern Judea with that name. Kadesh in Hamath is the site of great battles. This was a very wealthy, important city that controlled trade from the east to the Mediterranean.  

The Four Great Early Empires and Elam and the Medes

  • Egypt was a great nation before Abram, Joseph, and Moses. Most of its history with the Hebrews is not good and there are many prophesies about and against it. At the time of Josiah Egypt and Assyria were allies against Babylon (2 Chronicles 35:20).
  • Babylon the city is ancient and has been a religious center for millennia. The city we think of may not have been the tower of Babel; Ur may have that ziggurat. Babylon has been destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout history.
  • Hitties – Their capital city of Hattusha was in Turkey. They had a powerful empire built on conquest and fear. They controlled much of the Fertile Crescent. Once they marched down to Babylonia, leveled it and marched back. They had a battle with Egypt at Kadesh in 1270 BC. Who won? It depends on what ancient chronical and expert you read. Their empire fell apart from within; civil war within the family. Hitties are mentioned several times with Abraham and Esau; some scholars do not think they are related to Hattusha. From what I have seen, they, or their minions, did control that much territory. Battle of Kadesh – Wikipedia
  • Assyria or Asshur – This is the first Iron Age empire in the Fertile Crescent. They learned from and made improvements over other empires. A huge thing for them was a year-around standing army. There are six named Assyrian kings in the Bible. Like leaches and fire, they wanted more and usually took it. For many years they controlled or directly ruled over Babylon and fought with Egypt. Asshur is also a name of several different men in the Bible.
  • Elam is a country you will find in the Bible. They were not a major empire, but they did their share of destroying other nations. Frequently, they waited until an enemy was in a weaken state and then rushed in. Ur was beaten and razed to the ground by them and do not forget the looting.
  • Medes – They may be best known for joining with the Persians and defeating Babylon.

Elam and Media may not have been major empires, but they caused plenty of trouble in the area.

If you think about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream statue, there was Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Bible 911 – Acts

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Acts 9:11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. (KJV)

This is a true 911 call. Saul of Tarsus was calling for help and Jesus sent Ananias from the Eternal Miracle Saints. Ananias had training in the things of the Lord, because even though he was reluctant, he went and preformed emergency laying-on-of-hands and spoke the word-of-faith. The sortie was successful and Ananias helped more by washing the patient. Saul told and retold of his miracle service for many years.

I believe that this event and the one in 1 Samuel 16 share some common elements and are course-setters for the people of God. Once these two events were accomplished the path and direction God wanted His people to follow came into view. Here are some commonalities.

  • A zealous but “blind” man named Saul from Benjamin are in both of the stories.
  • Both events have a servant following the leading of God to anoint the “shepherd” with a call from the Father.
  • Neither servant is happy about going; they had to overcome their paradigms to do the right thing.
  • David and Saul/Paul set a “new” direction. Both influence the written Word.

There are times that Judah and Benjamin are paired together:

  • Judah and Benjamin in the second trip to Egypt for food
  • David, King Saul, and Jonthan
  • David and Mephibosheth
  • David and Benjamin at the time of Absalom. This one is complex with many people from Benjamin involved.  
  • At the time of Rehoboam when the kingdom split
  • This one with Jesus and Paul    

Through the centuries this pairing took many forms depending on the individual players. If I was writing a drama Saul/Paul would be a descendent of Mordecai through Mephibosheth. He would be attempting to reclaim King Saul’s stolen kingdom, and then come to the Light.

Damascus and Saul’s mission were two things that caught my attention. The one clear fact that my study left me with is Damascus is a long way from Jerusalem.

Was it in a different political jurisdiction? How did Saul and the High Priest have authority to make those arrest? Was Saul a member of Herod’s household? My internet search produced some facts and many highly charged opinions. It was interesting and it reminded me that our God will use who is available to produce Their results.   

When did Paul start praying? Was it before the vision of Ananias or after? I rest in the fact that he was praying. I would be pretty sure that the topics and request of his prays and fasting changed over those three days.

What happened with the company of soldiers? Okay, they are never called that, but Saul was going to make arrests. They saw the light but not Jesus and heard sounds. A blind and reformed Saul must have affected them somehow.  

A disciple?! Paul expounds on Ananias’ story in Acts 22. I want to put aside how to pronounce his name and the legends that now surround him and ask a question. What has happened to us? Jesus spoke to him, in a vision. Ananias, spoke back. He accepted what was said and proceeded in obedience and changed a man’s life. Lord, may we all be used like that. He is described as in the Bible by Luke is a disciple; not a leader, not a super-saint who was lost in pray, and not someone with a lot of credentials other than having studied the Bible. Father, forgive me and make me/us more open like Ananias.

Vision – Visions drive this story. True to form English translators use one word for three different Greek words. In Acts 26 Paul/Luke uses a different word for vision than in our 9:11 verses; I will focus on our 9:11. (Another study may happen on vision.) Strong’s Greek: 3705. ὅραμα (horama) — Vision To my surprise the first use of this word is in Matthew about the transfiguration. My limited paradigm of a vision has been expanded. The different context that comes under this word covers all sorts of supernatural occurrences.

The two men in our story, one a devout man and the other an enraged zealot, got clear messages to direct them and build their faith. God visiting both of those men changed them and our world.

Well, this is my final Bible 911 post. I have grown and learned many things as I did this study.  

Assyria, Our Forgotten Enemy – Kings

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This post is about the kings of Assyria, Judah, and Israel (northern kingdom). The rulers are how we label and set times (years) for the actions we see in the Bible. The Bible has many historical notes in it that sometimes we miss, but it is one of the non-Assyrian sources that talks about the conquest of the Assyrian kings. There are many preserved texts of clay tablets, stones, and wall reliefs that tell stories of this period. With that said, some of this material is not just from our Bible.

Aggressions, conquest, and Temple news is in our Bible and the writings of the Assyrian kings. We know there were documents that have been lost to history about Judah and Israel. Even with Assyria in control, the kings of smaller countries attacked and held campaigns against each other. We can see this with Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Damascus against Judah and King Ahaz. King Amaziah did this against Edom and stole their gods.

Taking conquered kingdoms gods was a practice that Assyria did regularly; they took Marduk of Babylon and held a trial and found him guilty. Tribute and captivity of the people to other lands are how they controlled the kingdoms they conquered. Gold, silver, and other valuables, like wool and sheep, are mentioned many times in the Bible. The Temple and palace treasuries were emptied many times.

My search terms were Assyria and Ninevah. I will give the Assyrian king then kings from Judah and Israel; some biblical kings do not have direct mention with Assyrian kings, but they were in the same time periods. This is just a brief look and not a comprehensive list of interactions. From my Background post many of the prophets were writing in this period and may mention Assyria or Ninevah but not a specific biblical king. Pronouncements of Assyrian judgment are found in many places in the Bible.

  • King Ahab fought Assyria at Qarqar in 853 BC Battle of Qarqar – Wikipedia  This is not found in the Bible.
  • Tiglath-Pileser/Pul 745-727 – Ahaz 2Kg 16, Menahem 2 Kings 15, Pekah
  • Shalmaneser 727-722 – Hezekiah, Hoshea 2 Kg 17
  • Sargon 722-705 – references in Obadiah 20 and Isaiah 20
  • Sennacherib 705-681 He built up Ninevah making it his administrative capital – Hezekiah and Manasseh. 2 Kings 19 and 2 Chronicles 32
  • Esarhaddon 681-669 – Mentioned in Ezra 4, Isaiah 37:38
  • Ashurbanipal 669-631 – King Josiah. Ashurbanipal and Pharaoh Necho were beaten by Babylon.

The Assyrian Conquests (853 bce–612 bce) | Encyclopedia.com

Sepharad – Encyclopedia of The Bible – Bible Gateway in Obadiah, refers to exiles from Judah

List of Assyrian kings – Wikipedia  look at the bottom

List of Assyrian Kings – Bible History

Kingdoms of the Arabs – Kedar / Kedarites