Gary Webster: Elul - Testing, Trials and Triumph [2024/5784]

Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Gary Webster.

Greetings from Zion! Tonight starts the month of Elul, a very important month on the Jewish calendar. It is a month of preparation, a month of introspection. The next major events are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipur (Day of Atonement). Jews all over the world are getting ready for the Day of Judgment Yom Kipur.

2,000 years ago, a famous Jew was getting ready to begin his ministry. Matthew chapter 3, verse 13, to chapter 4:11 gives us the details. Let's read it together:

 

Then Jesus (Yeshua) came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased." Then Yeshua was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city (that's Jerusalem) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him, "It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Yeshua said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

How do we know these events took place in this time of the year? In a few words: the Jewish calendar. Every year for the last 2,500 years, the same books of the Bible (or Tanakh) are read in the same order. Last month (August), we started reading the book of Deuteronomy (Devarim). We will continue reading it till the end of Sukkot. Then the cycle starts anew with Genesis (Bereshit). Every Shabbat, there's a passage from the book of Isaiah that goes along with a reading from Deuteronomy.

Rabbi David Rosenberg has put forth the following theory. He believes that Yeshua was baptized by John on or around Tisha B'Av. Why Tisha B'Av? It was on this day that the Israelite spies gave their evil report. God's punishment was to give them a 40-year death march. If Yeshua goes immediately into the wilderness, then finishes his 40-day stay in the desert before August 28th, he will then make his way to Nazareth, where he'll read from Isaiah 61 on that day.

Another proof of the temptation of Yeshua occurring during this time frame is when John the Baptist says to the crowd,

"I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him."

These words are verbatim from Isaiah, chapter 40. That passage was read on August 17th in synagogues all over the world; that was 4 days after Tisha B'Av.
But the most convincing proof is that what Yeshua says to Satan during this time of testing. Yeshua rebuffed Satan with quotes from Deuteronomy every time. I believe there are some truths we can glean from Yeshua's temptation. First, this 40-day ordeal was orchestrated by God. Chapter 4, verse 1 reads,

"Yeshua was led by the Spirit into the wilderness."

He was not competing in a Tough Mudder event; he was not proving his manliness; he was submitting to God's plan for his life. Why did the Spirit drive him into the wilderness? The scripture is silent as to the reason, but maybe it's to give us an object lesson of what obedience looks like. Do you believe that that the tests and trials you go through are orchestrated by God? I do. God is sovereign; he will not allow anything into our lives that will not bring him glory and make us better.

Secondly, every disciple of Yeshua will be tested and/or tempted. If you have not gone through the fire yet, wait for it; it is coming. Yeshua told his original disciples,

"In the world, you will have tribulation."

(John 16:33) The writer of Hebrews echoes a similar sentiment:

"My son, my daughter, do not make light of the Lord's discipline and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son or daughter. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?"

hird, whenever you or I are tempted, we must fight the temptation with the sword of the Spirit—God's word, the Bible. When Satan urged Yeshua to turn the stone into bread, Yeshua said,

"It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

(That's from Deuteronomy 8:3) When Satan told Yeshua to jump off the top of the temple, Yeshua said,

"It is written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

(That's from Deuteronomy 6:16) When Satan offered Yeshua the world for a price, 

"Bow down and worship me," Yeshua said, "It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only."

(Deuteronomy 6:13)

Yeshua was victorious; you can be, also. It will require some work on your part. Yeshua had memorized the word of God; he did not have his smartphone or a biblical scroll with him. You and I must hide the word in our hearts so we will not sin against God. Many believers in the past memorized chapters, not just verses. John Bunyan was one such person who wrote "Pilgrim's Progress." Let us imitate Yeshua, the Holy Spirit-led, and full of the word of God. Rush chodesh sameach.