Lucifer by Any Other Name
And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon 1 Kings 11:14 NASB
Adversary – You may find this word surprising. It is the Hebrew word satan. That’s right. Our word Satan in English is really a transliterated Hebrew word that means “adversary.” The reason we connect it to the person we call Satan is that when the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek, this word was translated with the Greek word diabolos – the word we translate as “devil.” But the Hebrew word is not just a personal name. The word has all of the following meanings: divide, set at odds with, accuse, slander, reject, deceive.
Yeshua is very much aware that His mission is a direct assault on the forces of evil in this world. Those evil forces have purposes that are expressed in the full meaning of this word. The intention of these evil forces is to bring separation, blame, lies, rejection and defamation against us. Every time we participate in any form of these actions, we add support to the empire of evil. No wonder Yeshua exhorts us to seek unity, truth, acceptance and kindness.
The Hebrew word satan exposes the principal strategy of evil – opposition. God triumphs through submission. His power is the power of weakness. Evil attempts to control through opposition. First, it attempts to usurp God’s graciousness by enticing us to oppose God’s claim over us. It suggests that God really does not have our best interests in mind – that we need to stand up for ourselves. At an individual level, this means confrontation with anyone who also believes he has a right to his own way. At a social or national level, it means ethnic hatred, social distrust, power struggles; force and lies rule our behavior. Where there is opposition to God’s purposes, there is always satan.
How many times in my life have I unwittingly been seduced into acting as though I had to exercise my rights? How many times did I create opposition by claiming that my way was the right way? Conflict is part of the human condition, but it always represents a choice. Will I be sensitive to God’s whispers for reconciliation and unity, or will I shout my claims for personal justice – and push opposition one step further? If I truly believe that God is the Lord of all creation, why am I so inclined to wrest control of my life from His hands?
God encourages unity, submission and serving. Ha-satan (as a force and a person) endorses disunity, opposition and entitlement. It’s pretty easy to check yourself on this scorecard. How are you doing?
Topical Index: satan, adversary, opposition, 1 Kings 11:14, Satan
NOTICE: On July 16 there was no Today’s Word sent out. I didn’t realize it was missing until I got home from El Salvador about 1:30 in the morning and by then it was too late. So, for those who wanted to read about Ruth, here it is. Sorry for the mistake.
I just read Volume 1 and am about to read Volume 2 by James R. Brayshaw on this subject. Very very intresting and informative. I have been wanting to ask you to read it and let me know what you think. This provided the opportunity. Volume 1 is called, Satan, Christianity’s Other God, follows right along with what you say here. Has anyone else out there read it? I think we have once again been fooled. This really calls for honesty with ourselves and calls for us to take a good look at who we really are and who we are fighting against. Again, thanks.
I don’t know the book but I will put it on the list (along with a pile that now is about 4 feet high).
While Lucifer (light-bearer) may be our adversary, “the accuser of the brethren”- satan himself has an adversary- God Himself.
“I will bless them who bless thee and curse them who curse thee.” The weapons of the serpent haven’t changed in thousand of years- why? if it’s working- why change it?
Our enemies are three: the world, the flesh and the devil (hasatan).
Know your enemy. Yes, -keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.
1. The world. Is the earth evil? Not hardly, – God don’t make no junk. He made it and called it good. Therefore it is good. ~ The earth is the LORD’s and the fulness thereof~ For He (amen) our Sovereign Savior, “calls the shots.” If God calls something “good” who am I (please) to debate? Oh.. we’ll listen to Martha when she says.. “it’s a good thing”- but do we listen (shema) to the words of our own Creator? God has the final word. Our ABBA, the Artist of the Universe is quite pleased with the work of His hands. God never does a “halfway job” on anything or anyone. Again, – God don’t make no junk. So what is “the world?”
It is already defined (in high definition!) for us in God’s Book- the Book God wrote. And as I quote what He wrote (” it is written”) I, another son of Adam, am using the very same sword our Savior used in His confrontation with our Adversary and Accuser! I pick up my Bible, the “sword of the LORD (-and of Gideon!) and joyfully announce to “whoever has ears to hear,” – “it is written” – or even better, – “thus saith the LORD.”
Listen, listen, listen again for the first time!
~ For all that is in the world.. (is this all?) – Am I “questioning” the Word of God? Do I doubt the word of God when He says (through the scriptures) ~for all that is in the world…~
For everything in the world–
~the cravings of sinful man,
the lust of his eyes
and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world.
And again..- For all that is in the world—
the desires of the flesh and
the desires of the eyes and
pride in possessions—
-is not from the Father but is from the world.
Now what would we call our “desire for that which is forbidden?”- do we have a name for this? I see it. I want it. I crave it. I’ve got me a craven craving for what God has forbidden. I will not, I cannot be “satisfied” until this “whatever” is mine. I see it. I want it. It must belong to me- no matter what price I must pay- I will “one day” – today, own this- (whatever). Oh look! (yes, just one look is all it took…) – there’s Bathsheba *ahem, exposed on the rooftop. David (too) saw the (potential) fruit- and the seed of lust (strong desire for that which is forbidden) was implanted in his brain. This same pattern is repeated millions of times in millions of lives. In a word- “it works!” Why mess with what works? The lust of the flesh is still very much “present” within a foolish fella’ by the name of “everyman.”
James know this stupid sheep and writes about him.. ~ But “everyman” is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. ~ You don’t go fishing with a bare hook!- You got to put an “enticing” shiny little bling-bling wiggle-waggle on the end of that hook!- And if Mr. FishEyes is hungry and you jiggle-wiggle that enticing lure, that little piece of flesh in front of his hungry eyes (ha!-are the eyes bigger than the stomach?), Hook, line and sinker- we gonna eat some fish tonight.
There is a method to the madness- and it is the deceitful LSD of hasatan, Lust, Sin and Death. The old, old- 1,2,3. First comes lust: I see it- I want it, I “deserve” it- then comes sin, transgression/disobedience of “thou shalt not” – (don’t do it Adam!), then sin is followed by Death- separation from God and separation/division/infighting between ourselves and our ABBA- our Father who longs to see His own family reconciled.
Now, after all this..- some “good news!” We, you and I fellow sinner, have a Savior, a Reconciler, ONE who stands in the gap between sinful man (us- all of us) and our thrice-holy Father. We have been reconciled to God through the perfect propitiating blood of the Tslav of our Messiah, the Lamb of God who has purchased us by His own blood, given as an atoning sacrifice, and has purchased our redemption, restoring unto us full rights and privileges (intimacy and access included!) of the children of our ABBA-Father.
~ And since sons, then also heirs; heirs of God and co-heirs with Yeshua The Messiah, for if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with Him. ~ (Romans 8.17)
You know.. -if I continue on like this, and actually believe these words, – I’m liable to start shouting- “Glory!”
May I then, just simply stand, lift my voice and say (and sing) unto our Glorious King – “Hallelujah!”- “What a Savior!”
Man of Sorrows! what a Name
-for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
. Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
-in my place condemned He stood;
sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
spotless Lamb of God was (is) He;
full atonement can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
-now in Heaven exalted high,
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
When He comes, -our glorious King,
all His ransomed home to bring,
then anew tHis song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! – What a Savior!
‘It’s pretty easy to check yourself on this scorecard. How are you doing?’
Actually, doing better bit by bit. With every step forward, God’s shalom is more visible. He’s in control and that’s OK with me. It took a lot of time before I could let go, but these days that’s what my wife and I tell each other: let go of it…. And it really works!
Who spoke to Yeshua in his temptation? The offer was power, to be obtained by abandoning Torah, the power and wisdom from above. This was a power from below. Thus the nations of this world, whenever they abandon YHVH, seek the power that comes from below, ultimately manifested in the unity that will be achieved through totalitarian government. Thus far, the track record of power from below is a dismal failure, bringing every nation that has tried it to its eventual disintegration, confining any memory of them to the history books and archaeological finds.
Yeshua, rejecting the power from below, offers instead dominion over sin and death and decay through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh, the power from above.
So there is a choice: power or dominion. You can’t have both unless it is the power from above.