Tempting of God

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Concerning Temptation and being tempted:

Brother Chris Sterrett wrote:
> Genesis|22:1  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt
> Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
> 
> James|1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for
> God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
> 
> I am curious to see what the answer to this question would be?  If God
> does not tempt
> man, then why does it say in Genesis 22:1 that God did tempt Abraham? 

In Gen 22:1 the word tempt is as follows --

5254. nacah, naw-saw'; a prim. root; to test; by impl. to
attempt:--adventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.

In Hebrews 11 this incident is referred to:

(Hebrews 11:17 KJV)  "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up
Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten
son."

3985. peirazo, pi-rad'-zo; from G3984; to test (obj.) i.e. endeavor,
scrutinize, entice, discipline:--assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt
(-er), try.

Notice that the translators used the word 'tried' to indicate what 
Abraham went through.  This temptation was in the form of a 
testing, it was an assay by God to determine the extent of 
Abraham's faith.  Not that the all knowing God did not know it, 
but He wanted it on record.

(Genesis 22:12 KJV)  "And he said, Lay not thine hand upon 
the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know 
that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, 
thine only son from me."

know = 3045. yada', yaw-dah'; a prim. root; to know (prop. to ascertain by
seeing); used in a great variety of senses, fig., lit., euphem. and infer.
(including observation, care, recognition, and causat. instruction,
designation, punishment, etc.) [as follow]:--

It was a recognition or a designation of Abraham's faith.

However, as far as the James scriptures are concerned, notice what 
it says just prior to the verses you quoted:

(James 1:2 KJV)  "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers 
temptations;"

temptations = 3986. peirasmos, pi-ras-mos'; from G3985; a putting to proof
(by 
experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline 
or provocation); by impl. adversity:--temptation, X try.

We are to rejoice at our faith being put to proof or when it 
is tested.  Also:

(James 1:12 KJV)  "Blessed is the man that endureth 
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the 
crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

temptation = 3986. peirasmos, pi-ras-mos'; from G3985; 
a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], 
solicitation, discipline or provocation); by impl. adversity:--temptation,
X try.

> James|1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of 
> God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any 
> man:

tempted = 3985. peirazo, pi-rad'-zo; from G3984; to test (obj.) i.e. 
endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline:--assay, examine, go about, 
prove, tempt (-er), try.

cannot be tempted = 551. apeirastos, ap-i'-ras-tos; from G1 
(as a neg. particle) and a presumed der. of G3987; untried, 
i.e. not temptable:--not to be tempted.

In this sense, it is indicated here that God does not tempt people 
to do evil, because God is untemptable as far as evil is concerned.
Many times in the OT God is said to have been tempted by the 
children of Israel.  But that was in the sense of testing.

(Exodus 17:7 KJV)  "And he called the name of the place Massah, 
and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, 
and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD 
among us, or not?"

(Numbers 14:22 KJV)  "Because all those men which have 
seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in 
the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, 
and have not hearkened to my voice;"

(Psalms 78:18 KJV)  "And they tempted God in their heart by 
asking meat for their lust."

(Psalms 78:41 KJV)  "Yea, they turned back and tempted God, 
and limited the Holy One of Israel."

limit = 8428. tavah, taw-vaw'; a prim. root [or perh. ident. with H8427 
through a similar idea from scraping to pieces]; to grieve:--limit [by 
confusion with H8427].

(Luke 4:12 KJV)  "And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, 
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

tempt = 1598. ekpeirazo, ek-pi-rad'-zo; from G1537 and G3985; 
to test thoroughly:--tempt.

(1 Corinthians 10:9 KJV)  "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some 
of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents."

(Hebrews 3:9 KJV)  "When your fathers tempted me, proved me, 
and saw my works forty years."

tempted = 3985. peirazo, pi-rad'-zo; from G3984; to test (obj.) i.e. 
endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline:--assay, examine, go about, 
prove, tempt (-er), try.

proved = 1381. dokimazo, dok-im-ad'-zo; from G1384; to test 
(lit. or fig.); by impl. to approve:--allow, discern, examine, X like, 
(ap-) prove, try.

The point is we can put God to the test (though not wisely) and 
God can test our faith, but God will never try to lead us to do 
evil or tempt us with evil; neither can God be even slightly 
tempted (desirous) of doing evil.

Jesus Christ, as a man, was tested, but His Divine Nature 
could not desire to do evil (lust after it).

Kathy (O Lord, you will not test me more than I can withstand) Dimick
Falkville, Alabama
kdimick@colsa.com
kedimick@hotmail.com
http://members.tripod.com/~coffeepleaz/index.html

"For to me to live is Christ"