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As would have been evident through Israel’s experience in the wilderness, temptations to forget the Lord and to turn from Him would always confront the people of God (v. 17). Some of these would come from the surrounding pagan nations. Some would come from their neighbors in Israel. Some would arise within their own hearts. God would allow temptation to come to His people as part of His passive discipline in seeking to draw them more closely to Himself.
Temptation is not sin; temptation is the advance notice that sin lies ahead and is to be avoided. Israel had two responsibilities when confronted with temptations. First, they must recognize temptation as such. In order to do this, they would have to be firmly grounded in the Law of God, understanding all that it requires as well as whatever it forbids. When the opportunity to sin presented itself, an Israelite well-grounded in the Law of God would immediately recognize that he had encountered temptation in his path, and he would then be in a position to deal with it effectively.
Dealing with temptation meant resisting the invitation to stray from God’s path and renewing oneself in the way of the Lord (cf. Ps. 119.59, 60). In addition, to whatever extent it was possible for Israelites to remove the source of temptation they were to do so, even if that source were a prophet, a family member, or one’s close friend.
Temptation is not sin, and God allows temptations to come as aspects of His passive discipline. Through temptation He heightens our understanding of righteousness and sin, warms our hearts to deeper devotion, firms up the values and priorities of our consciences, and leads us on along the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake. We may prefer not to have to deal with temptation; however, the Lord uses temptation to help us realize the full benefits of His covenant love.
For a more complete exposition of the promises of God, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, from our online store. How does Jesus use spiritual disciplines in our lives? Read T. M.’s article, “Precommitment,” for a look at how we may prepare for temptation.