What! No Miracles?

Chapter 3 of Judges and Chapter 4 of Luke, once again we have some interesting correlations between the two. Let’s start with God’s explanation as to why he did what he did.
Judges 3

1. Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2. Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
3. Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
4. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

What we have here is a failure to Dominate!

God left these peoples in the land to prove the children of those who had seen God’s miracles. They had not seen any miracles first hand, they had only heard of them, now would they harken unto the commandments of the Lord?

Now lets fast forward to:
Luke 4

1. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2. Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Interesting isn’t it? The very he we have the second test of obedience for Jesus being publicly tested as I count them. First being obedient in being baptized and secondly being obedient to, of his own free will, go into the wilderness… 2. Being forty days tempted of the devil.

So before the devil ever got turned loose on him, Jesus understood that he had a couple of specific commands to harken unto, to put it in Judges terminology. There is a difference here though, Jesus didn’t have a written command to be baptized, or to go into the wilderness, but he understood the leading of the Holy Ghost for each one.

Dave? Are you saying that Jesus was lead by the Holy Ghost even before John baptized him?
Yep, that’s exactly what I am saying.
O.K…I was just wondering.

Here’s Mark’s account:
Mark 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
13. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Short and sweet isn’t it?
Luke says: And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Mark says: And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

Matthew’s account says:
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

There is an urgency detected in each of these accounts of Jesus’ life as he had to face planned opposition just as they did in the book of Judges, and God’s purpose in each case is to test the heart.

The nation of Israel chose not to heed God’s commands given by Moses, to engage the enemy and was powerless against them with the exception of a select few leaders.

Jesus chose to heed God’s commands directed by the Holy Ghost to engage the enemy and allow his heart to be tested and…

14. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: