Satan quotes the words of God, even correctly.

When does he do this, and what does this tell us about him? Any quotes? Where did he aquire such knowledge and can he understand its true meaning (he must to some degree if he purposely distorts it).




Also, I notice that the Devil seems to ask a lot of questions?

Hath God said?
Doth Job fear God for nought?

Is there anything revealing about the Devil's use of questions?

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

I think Satan uses questions to fulfill his internal priority - kill, steal and destroy God's glory.

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-JD

Pergamum;

Yes, there is something very revealing about it, they are asked in order to get us to question God..in which case they either strengthen our faith as we stand firm in "Yes, God did say this" or to hardened hearts against God, "God didn't say that, some man made it up so that men would comply and live in fear of a made up God."

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Bobbi Clark
Covenant Member
Pinewood Pres. (PCA) Middleburg

When I kept Silent, My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

The usage of questions in arguments is something particularly Jewish and reflects the Jewish origin of the scriptures. You see this in the ministry of Jesus also. When He was in the temple, he asked them questions and they were amazed at his answers. Answers are ordinarily questions. Even today, when Jews argue they argue with questions back and forth. The one who hasn't thought of a retort question is the one that loses the argument. I think this is cultural, not theological.

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Mary Vanderkooi
Kale Heywott Church (KHC)
Soddo, Ethiopia

Might reflect some cultural realities, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's what actually happened. Satan was employing a tactic intended to make Jesus doubt, just as his questions to Eve tempted her to doubt and seek autonomous action.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://inprincipiodeus.solideogloria.com
http://puritanwisdom.blogspot.com

"As God did not at first choose you because you were high, He will not now forsake you because you are low."
John Flavel in Keeping the Heart



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Satan, being at one time the highest of the angels would have an immense knowledge of things pertaining to scripture. I would think he would have gained this knowledge in Heaven before his fall.

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Jeffrey Wilson
Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church
London Baptist Confession of Faith 1644
Summerland, British Columbia, Canada

"If ever a monk got to heaven by monkery, I ought to have gotten there!" Martin Luther

He would have attained his knowledge of Scripture in heaven before the Scriptures were written?

I could be way off here, but wouldnt the Covenant between the Father and the Son, and the plan of Redemption have existed in eternity before the foundation of the world? I don't know how to say what I am trying to say but I am sure I have heard or read about this somewhere, how the Angels would have knowledge in heaven of the entire unfolding of the world, which would enclude the plan of Redemption and the scriptures etc etc...


Again, this is far above me so I should have said nothing

The Scriptures are revelation of a reality that pre-existed them. Moreover, Satan has been persistently present it seems, though not omni-present, throughout human existence and even before.

He would know what God said and the significance of it.

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Andrew DeShazo
Husband of Kathryn
Father of Phillip-Giles B. DeShazo
Deacon
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
"From out of the depth of unbroken Infinfity arose the Question, "Who am I?" And to that Question there is the answer, "I am God!" -Meher Baba, died 1969.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Christ, died 33 AD, ressurected three days later.

Ya... what he said

Matthias, I was always under the impression that even the unfallen angels might have been in awe of God's plan when Jesus was born and took on human flesh, they wondered at these things.

Perhaps God revealed His plan step by step to the audience of angels and the hosts of heaven did not know how the story ended either. Any covenant between the members of the Godhead might have been between them alone, leaving the angels in suspence.

Any thoughts?

Absolutely plausible! I am sure the angels would still "wonder" at these things even had they known about them all along. I really dont know

Perhaps also that it was not the plan itself that they ultimately marveled at, but at it's unfolding. It's one thing to know God will condescend to save people who hate Him. It's another thing to see it. This is all sheerly speculative though.