Many times in our lives we are confronted by decisions. Today even, you decided whether or not to click on to this site and read Tuesday's Musical Notes. Thank you by the way!
In these circumstances, it is obvious which choice you should make...but then you hear that voice..." Yeah, come on, come on now take the chance That's right, let's dance"...
"Devil's Dance" from the November 18, 1997 album Reload by Metallica (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Seek And Destroy" (Metallica), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Fade To Black" (Metallica))
Following on the heels of the 5 times platinum Load, is the sequel from the band Metallica, the aptly titled Reload. The original intent was to release the albums as one double album unit. Metallica decided that there were too many studio time constraints with so many songs for an album of this nature and decided to release Load and Reload as separate records, one year apart. Load has a running time of 79 minutes, making it the longest Metallica album to date and thus accounting for the separation of the 2 releases.
Reload continues the experimentation with styles found in its predecessor. While many fans were upset at the "toned down" Metallica, Reload extended Metallica's garnering of favor from the more mainstream music listening public. It sold 436,000 copies in its first week, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 (remaining on the chart for 75 weeks), and garnered its own 3-time platinum status.
Metallica released 3 singles from the album Reload. "The Memory Remains" (peaking at #28 on Billboard's Hot 100), "The Unforgiven II" (peaking at #59), and "Fuel" (not charting in the US).
Tucked in between these 3 songs is the album track "Devil's Dance". It is one of 7 tracks from Reload that Metallica has performed live. Lyrically, "Devil's Dance" could very well have been an invitation from the red-suited character sitting on Kronk's shoulder or perhaps a conversation initiated in a wilderness...in the middle east...
As you read the testimony of Jesus' life as given in The Gospels, you see very quickly that there is an urgency about what Jesus must accomplish in His time among men. Today's passage shows us that Jesus doesn't take the time to relish the whole "This is My Son..." moment at His baptism. Mark, who is thought to have penned Peter's eyewitness account of Jesus' life, records that immediately after Jesus' baptism He is scooped away into the wilderness for 40 days. Matthew and Luke also hint at the brevity between Jesus' baptism and His wilderness time. Jesus' mission on earth had a short shelf life, but there was another who realized that his time is limited because of Jesus' mission. Here is an interesting article to help inform you about the enemy of God: 8 Facts about Satan You Need to Know by Clarence L. Haynes Jr, June 18, 2020, crosswalk.com
All of The Gospel accounts indicate that after the 40 days were complete, Jesus was inundated by Satan, Lucifer, the one who could very possibly have been singing "Devil's Dance" to Jesus long before it was penned by James and Lars.
"Let's dance..."
Something to consider. There are 3 places in the Bible where Satan is allowed a conversation. The first is in Genesis 3:1-7 NASB/AMP/KJV/ESV where Eve and Satan have their chat regarding obedience. The second is in Job 1:6-12 NASB/AMP/KJV/ESV. Here God begins the conversation by posing a challenge to His opponent regarding Job. Finally, today's passage details the one on one between the hater of all mankind and the Savior of all mankind. The enemy is quoted one other time in Isaiah 14:13-14 NASB/AMP/KJV/ESV in a passage that has a duality of implications. One is a reflection of a quote that God uses to taunt the nation of Babylon and the other details the account of the enemy's expulsion from God's presence.
"...Hunger I will feed..."
Matthew and Luke both record more details about Jesus' confrontation with the enemy. They both allude to the fact that Jesus spent 40 days eating nothing. Both Matthew and Luke further attest to Jesus being hungry. Yup, Jesus was fully human. I'm hungry after 4 hours, much less forty days, how about you? At a point where He was vulnerable, the narrative indicates the enemy attacks in an attempt to appeal to Jesus' humanity and physical well-being.
Just like in Genesis ("Did God really say..."), Satan uses the opportunity for doubt to be leveraged in his favor. ("If you really are God..."). Jesus takes the moment and dissuades the enemy with His own words... " Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God." Immediately Jesus slaps the devil down. Jesus informs the enemy that His physical being, while nourished by bread, is not dependent on that bread. The Words of God are sufficient for sustenance and are the source by which we are eternally nourished. Jesus later refers to Himself as the bread of life. His Word and His life are the only sustenance we truly need.
Strike one!
Satan then retools His strategy by thinking he could venture down a similar route that Jesus did. Satan takes God's word and manipulates it as a part of his next proposal. Many in our day know what the Bible says. They know it well enough in fact to use it to support their stance on the issue of the day. (Search Tuesday's Musical Notes to see the various comments regarding using Philippians 4:13 or the current debate regarding student loan debt...Hey believers...stop! just stop!!!) That is why Jesus started by saying we need to use the Word to sustain us. Our foundation in knowing what God says about everything is imperative when we face those who wish to use God's Word for their own devices.
In this instance...Jesus once again shuts the devil down...‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Jesus is saying...dude, I wrote the Book, I know what is in it and the context by which it is meant. As we mature in our journey to become like Jesus, we need to know His Word as well as He does. We need to know the context, the nuances, and yes, sometimes the original Hebrew and Greek to make sure we are equipped for the battle we will face. I find it very interesting that there is no snarky quip or anything at all recorded as a reply by Satan when Jesus rebukes him.
Yup, strike two!!
Finally, Lucifer then lays all the cards on the table and comes to the point of the entire exercise. He wanted Jesus to worship him. The enemy showed Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world and promised to give them to Jesus if Jesus would bow down and worship him. Remember that Satan was cast out of heaven and into the earth and was given some power over it. Satan, however, does not have the ultimate authority over the world. The enemy has some power to shape kingdoms and feed the lusts of man, yet, as proven in Job, he does not have the power over life and death. Jesus dismisses Satan and again takes the Word of God diffusing the claims that the enemy makes regarding his power. “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” I love how The Amplified Bible puts this: "...For it is written and forever remains written,..." Jesus is stating that the power that Satan has at the moment is fleeting, but the Word of God remains forever.
Strike three...you're outta here!!!
Did you also notice that Satan did exactly what Jesus told him to do? Satan had NO authority in the situation and Jesus had ALL authority. Jesus' weakened, human, physical form was not a distraction from His being the holy, Spirit-filled, all-powerful Son of God. This fact informs how Jesus was later able to endure the most horrific, torturous, form of capital punishment and still complete the salvific mission for which He came.
You see friend, Jesus met the temptations of physical need, Biblical misinterpretation, and power because He loved you and me. He allowed Himself to go face to face with the one who hates Him so you and I can spend an eternity in a restored relationship with God, our creator.
So what do we do when invited to the devil's dance? We follow the example that Jesus gave us. We rely on God's Word to deflect the bright and shiny objects that are paraded in front of us. We feast on the bread of life, we lean into God's strength and the wisdom found in His Word, then we command the enemy to leave our presence.
This is impossible to accomplish without a consistent study of and immersion in the Bible. Satan knows Scripture, probably better than some believers, and will use it in whatever way he can to trip us up on our maturation process. Ultimately when we are invited to the devil's dance, we can employ the name of the One who has already defeated Satan by boldly responding to him...“Go away, Satan! For it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
"...That's right...let's dance..."
'Til Tuesday
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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