You know how “secret combinations” are mentioned all throughout scripture as a major tactic Satan uses to draw people in?
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve always wondered what these secret oaths and combinations are really about!
Mostly out of curiosity, since they seem to be so effective at bringing people away from the Lord.
One my absolute favorite insights I’ve gained from studying this week come from Cain.
Cain, the first murderer, gives a perfect summary of the gist of all these oath and combinations that the adversary uses.
In Moses 5:31, Cain says, “Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain.”
(Just for context, “Mahan” often refers to “mind”, “destoryer”, or “secret”.)
Did you catch that false promise?!
Satan teaches people that they can commit any kind of grievous sin, and that IT WILL WORK FOR THEIR GAIN.
Sometimes, it’s in dramatic ways, like Cain believing that murdering his brother would give him his brother’s flocks.
But for most people on earth, Satan is much more subtle.
He convinces us that not keeping a covenant we’ve made will actually be better for our life.
Or that choosing to bend the rules a bit will actually bring much more joy.
Or that selfishness is actually much more healthy than service and empathy.
But it’s not true.
Satan has NOT discovered some secret loophole for gain.
Because his lie has always been the same:
“God tells you to keep all these commandments and try to become like Him? No, I’ve found a secret workaround for all that hard work, and it will make you happier, too.”
It’s a lie.
It’s a lie that is as old as quite literally the earth itself.
Committing sin will never bring us on a shortcut to lasting happiness.
And we can push back on any temptations that are trying to convince us that they will.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
