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Eric Alexander reflects on Matthew 4:8-10, observing the distortion of worship in Satan's temptation of Jesus. He notes that the fallen being who once worshipped God (Isaiah 14:12) now seeks to divert that worship towards himself.
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Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:8-10)
Here is Satan—a rebellious, fallen angel—coming into the presence of the Lord of glory who has given him being; and he seeks—he who was formed to worship the Lord of Glory—he seeks so to contort and distort His life that He will worship Satan instead of Satan to ministering to Him. Oh, how would we say with the prophet, “How you are fallen, Lucifer, son of the morning. How you are fallen” [Isaiah 14:12]. There are few more ugly, grotesque pictures in the Bible, my friends, than the picture of Satan himself seeking to bring Jesus to bow at his feet, and to divert the worship that belonged to God to him.
—Eric Alexander, “Worship: The Chief End of Man,” Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, 1998
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Isaiah 14:12; Matthew 4:8-10
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