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far been examined. One petition remains, and it will be seen also with this, that it again
yields its truth when placed in its right setting.
Lead us not . . . . . but deliver us.
It has already been suggested that the clauses, "Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil" are one petition, this being partly inferred from the absence of the
second clause in Luke 11: This is immediately helpful insofar as it brings together the
ideas of `leading' and `delivering', and `temptation' and `evil'.
a |
Lead us not
b
| into temptation
a |
deliver us
b
| from the evil
The idea of temptation in Scripture must be carefully handled. Consider the following:
"Let no man say when he is tempted (peirazo), I am tempted (peirazo) of God: for
God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth (peirazo) He any man" (James 1: 13).
"By faith Abraham, when he was tried (peirazo)--(O.T. `God did tempt Abraham'
Gen. 22: 1), offered up Isaac . . . . ." (Heb. 11: 17).
There is a plain contradiction in these statements unless we recognize that the word
peirazo can have both good and bad associations. The presence of the word `evil' (lit.
evils) in the James passage is suggestive of this, and if the following verses are read it
will be seen that `lust' and `sin' are involved in the context. Peirazo probably derives
from peiro, and Parkhurst's note is suggestive.
"to perforate, pierce through, by doing which we make trial of the internal constitution of
things" (Greek and English Lexicon to the N.T.).
A man may be tried in a good sense or tempted in an evil sense, but in both cases his
reaction reveals his internal worth. Perhaps this is one way in which the Lord is able to
work all things (good or bad) together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to His purpose (Rom. viii 28). It is the province of God to sift the
wheat, in order to separate from it the chaff for burning:
"He that cometh after me . . . . . shall baptize you with holy spirit and fire: whose fan
is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the
garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matt. 3: 11, 12).
But Satan has also a sifting to do:
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you (R.V.
margin `obtained you by asking'), that he may sift you as wheat" (Luke 22: 31).
The plural `you' indicates that all the disciples were subjected to this sifting, and the
lure of money, (the love of which is a root of all evils), brought the separation of the chaff
(Judas Iscariot) from the true wheat. Let the tests of God be carefully distinguished from
the temptations of Satan. God seeks the wheat, Satan the chaff.