Title: What to Think and Do During Temptations
Topic: Salvation
Summary: This bible study outlines five things to think and five things to do during the suffering of spiritual temptations.
Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.
References:
Exodus 14
James 1:13-14
Matthew 4:1-11
Psalms 107
Isaiah 24
Jeremiah 5:14-18
Nahum 2:1-2
Psalms 34:15; 37:24; 118:17-18; 119:71
#44 What to Think and Do during Temptations
By Jonathan S. Rose
Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 6/8/2011. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com
Psalms 107
1
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
3
And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
4
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
5
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6
Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
9
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
10
Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
11
Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
12
Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
13
Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
14
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
15
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
16
For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
17
Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
18
Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
19
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
20
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
21
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
22
And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
23
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
24
These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
25
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
27
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.
28
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
31
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
32
Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33
He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;
34
A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
35
He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
36
And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;
37
And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
38
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
39
Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
40
He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.
41
Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.
42
The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
43
Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Arcana Coelestia #3880
3880. 'And she said, This time I will confess Jehovah' means in the highest sense the Lord, in the internal sense the Word, in the external sense doctrine from the Word - the Divinity of love, also His celestial kingdom being meant here. This is clear from the meaning of 'confessing'. As regards 'confessing' - in the external sense or inner sense nearest to the literal - meaning doctrine from the Word, this is self-evident, since confession, even in everyday speech, is nothing else than a declaration of personal conviction before the Lord and so comprehends within it the things which a person believes and which for him therefore constitute doctrine. That 'confessing' in the internal sense means the Word follows from this, for all teaching regarding faith and charity must be drawn from the Word. Of himself man does not know anything about celestial and spiritual things, and therefore he knows them only from Divine revelation, which is the Word. The reasons why 'confessing' in the highest sense means the Lord are that the Lord is the Word and therefore doctrine from the Word, and that the Word in the internal sense, having regard to the Lord alone, deals with His kingdom, 1871, 2859, 2894, 3245, 3305, 3393, 3432, 3439, 3454. This is why 'confessing Jehovah' means the Divinity of love, also His celestial kingdom, for the Lord is Divine Love itself and the influx of this love makes His kingdom, doing so by means of the Word received from Him. For 'Judah' who received his name from the expression 'confessing Jehovah' means the Divinity of love, also the Lord's celestial kingdom, see what has been shown already in 3654; and this explains why it is stated here that 'confessing' has that meaning.
[2] But what 'confessing' or 'confession' really is will be seen from places in the Word where these expressions are used, as in Isaiah,
You will say on that day, I will confess You O Jehovah; for You were angry with me, Your anger turned away, and You comforted me. And you will say on that day, Confess Jehovah, call on His name, make His deeds known among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Isaiah 12:1, 4.
In David, we will confess You O God; we will confess, and Your name is near. They tell of Your wonders. Psalms 75:1.
In the same author,
A Psalm for confession. Make a joyful noise to Jehovah, all the earth. He made us and not we ourselves, His people and the flock of His pasture; therefore we are His, His people and the flock of His pasture. 1 Enter through His gates in confession, His courts in praise; confess Him, bless His name, for Jehovah is good, His mercy is for ever, and His truth from generation to generation. Psalms 100:1-5.
What 'confessing' and 'confession' mean here is self-evident, namely acknowledging Jehovah or the Lord, and the things that are His - that acknowledgement clearly being doctrine and the Word.
[3] In Isaiah,
Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places. Gladness and joy will be found in her, confession and the voice of song. Isaiah 51:3.
In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I will bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be built upon its mound, and the palace will be inhabited in its accustomed manner. And there will come out from these confession and the voice of those amusing themselves. Jeremiah 30:18-19.
In David,
I will confess Jehovah according to His righteousness, and will sing of the name of Jehovah Most High. Psalms 7:17.
In the same author,
When I shall have gone to the house of God with the voice of song and of confession, a multitude keeping festival. Psalms 42:4.
In the same author,
I will confess You among the nations, O Lord, I will make melody to You among the peoples, for great even to heaven is Your mercy. Psalms 57:9-10.
[4] From these places it is evident that 'confession' has reference to the celestial form of love, for in the descriptions 'confession and the voice of song', 'confession and the voice of those amusing themselves', 'I will confess You among the nations and I will make melody to You among the peoples', 'confession' is used to mean something distinct and separate from that meant in phrases describing the spiritual form of love. 'Confession' or 'confessing' is a celestial term, whereas 'the voice of song', 'the voice of those amusing themselves', and also 'making melody' are spiritual expressions. In addition confession is said to occur 'among the nations' but melody to be made 'among the peoples' because 'the nations' means those who are governed by good, 'the peoples' those who are governed by truth, 1416, 1849, 2928, that is, those governed by celestial love and those governed by spiritual love. For in the Word, in the Prophets, dual expressions commonly occur in which one has reference to what is celestial or good, the other to what is spiritual or true, so that the Divine marriage may exist in every individual part of the Word, and so a marriage of good and truth, see 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712, 3132. From this it is also evident that confession implies the celestial form of love and that genuine confession, or that which flows from the heart, flows from nothing else than good. But confession which flows from truth is called 'the voice of song', 'the voice of those amusing themselves', and 'making melody'.
[5] A similar duality occurs in the following places: In David,
I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with confession. Psalms 69:30.
In the same author,
I will confess You on a ten-stringed instrument, Your truth, O my God. I will sing to You with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. Psalms 71:22.
'Singing with the harp' and all other stringed instruments mean spiritual things, see 418-420. In the same author,
Enter His gates in confession, His courts in praise; confess Him, bless His name. Psalms 100:4.
'Confession' and 'confessing' flow from the love of good, but 'praise' and 'blessing' from the love of truth. In the same author,
Reply to Jehovah by means of confession; make melody to our God with the harp. Psalms 147:7.
In the same author,
I will confess You in the great congregation, I will praise You among a numerous people. Psalms 35:18.
In the same author,
I will confess Jehovah with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise Him. Psalms 109:30.
In the same author,
We, Your people and the flock of Your pasture, will confess You for ever; generation after generation we will recount Your praise. Psalms 79:13.
In the same author,
Let them confess Jehovah for His mercy, and for His marvellous works to the children of men. Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of confession, and proclaim His works with a song. Psalms 107:21-22.
[6] In all these places it is evident that dual expressions occur describing the same thing, which would be seen as pointless repetitions if one did not embody something celestial, which is good, and the other something spiritual, which is truth, and so did not embody the Divine marriage. The Lord's kingdom is that marriage. This arcanum is present in every part of the Word but it cannot possibly be disclosed except by means of the internal sense, and of knowledge derived from this, showing which in a dual expression belongs to the celestial category and which to the spiritual. But a general impression of what the celestial is and what the spiritual, to which reference has often been made already, must exist first.
[7] True confession of the heart, because it flows from celestial love, is confession in the genuine sense. The person with whom it exists acknowledges that everything good comes from the Lord and everything evil from self. When that acknowledgement exists with him it is a state of humiliation, for in this case he acknowledges the Lord to be everything in him and he himself in comparison to be nothing. And when confession is made in this state it flows from celestial love.
[8] But the sacrifices of confession which were offered in the Jewish Church were thanksgivings, and in the universal sense were called eucharistic and repayment sacrifices, of which there were two kinds - those of confession and those that were votive. As regards sacrifices of confession embodying the celestial form of love within them, this becomes clear from the institution of them, described in Moses as follows,
This is the law of the sacrifice of eucharistic offerings made to Jehovah. If someone offers it as a confession, he shall offer in addition to the sacrifice of confession unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and fine flour fried, cakes mixed with oil. With leavened cakes of bread he shall offer his gift, in addition to the sacrifice of confession. Leviticus 7:11-13, 15.
All the things mentioned here, such as 'unleavened cakes mixed with oil', 'unleavened wafers anointed with oil', 'fine flour fried', 'leavened cakes of bread' mean the celestial things of love and faith and so mean confessions. It also means that these must be present within humiliation. For 'fine flour' and cakes made from it mean the celestial element of love and from this the spiritual element of faith, which is charity, see 2177; 'unleavened' means purification from evils and falsities, 2342; 'oil' means the celestial element of love, 886, 3728, as does 'bread' also, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735.
[9] Votive offerings however, which constituted the second kind of eucharistic sacrifices, in the external sense meant repayment, in the internal sense the will that the Lord should provide, and in the highest sense a state of Providence, see 3732. This is why both types of offerings are mentioned in various places in the Word, as in David,
Sacrifice to God confession, and render to the Most High your vows. He who sacrifices confession honours Me, and he who sets in order the way, to him will I show the salvation of God. Psalms 50:14, 23.
In the same author,
Upon me, O God, are Your vows; I will repay confessions to You. Psalms 56:12.
In the same author,
To You will I sacrifice the sacrifice of confession, and on the name of Jehovah will I call. I will render my vows to Jehovah. Psalms 116:17-18.
[10] In Jonah,
I with the voice of confession will sacrifice to You; that which I have vowed I will render. Jonah 2:9.
From all this one may now see what 'confession' is, from which Judah received his name, namely this: In the highest sense the Lord and the Divinity of love; in the internal sense the Word, and also the Lord's celestial kingdom; and in the more exterior sense doctrine from the Word which the celestial Church possesses. Evidence that these things are meant in the Word by 'Judah' may be seen in what is presented below.
Footnotes:
1. The first and second halves of this sentence are in fact alternative ways of understanding the original Hebrew.
