Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings near the end of the day, dear people.

I bounded out of bed about 5:30am to the sound of a raucous outside…including the squawk of a chicken being killed. I grabbed a light and a gun and headed out. I was wishing I had a shotgun as I could have taken off two raccoon heads in one shot. Besides I was reluctant to use that kind of noisy artillery as it would at least raise a wonder among the neighbors. I did use a means not much louder than an air rifle…and finally managed to drop one coon out of that cedar tree over the coup. I’ll attach the evidence. I think there were at least three members of this coon cartel on the property this morning. They have sure decimated the chicken population. We had at least 30—now we’re down to about 16.

After a full day, I’m only just now getting back to this computer. Have a good night. I hope the coons don’t disturb your sleep.

Love, Dad/Ray.

We are here given some important insight into the role and function of Satan under the sovereign rule of God. For reasons I cannot fully understand or explain, Satan clearly serves as a necessary antagonistic refining agent in the development of God’s human servants. Notice that it was not Satan who led Jesus into this desert encounter, but the very Spirit of God.

Three rounds of temptation are recorded in this account. They may indicate three basic areas of our own temptation and development.

1. FOOD. This can be representative of our full range of physical appetites that men are required to satisfy, but not to the neglect or exclusion of priority spiritual needs, for which God’s Word has been given.
2. FOOLISHNESS. It really is dumb use of human intelligence to defy known physical and spiritual laws and presume on God’s intervention and deliverance.
3. FAME & FORTUNE. Men, who refuse to comply with their priority purpose to worship and serve God, naturally worship and serve themselves, with a continual striving.

To be sure, the same means Jesus used to defeat Satan and his schemes are the same means whereby you and I defeat him—the “living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23) and “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17).