No
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
James 1:13 NASBu
Yes
1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Genesis 22:1 NASBu
1 Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
2 Samuel 24:1 NASBu
13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:13 NASBu
SAB Contradiction 342 (by book)
The sceptic triggered
In the small letter of James we read a strict statement that God never tempts people. And really, that is an immediate cause for the sceptic to make a hit. Not only does the directness of the statement provoke him, but much more his own negative image of God is conflicting with a good God who doesn’t tempt. Let’s have a closer look at the only three instances he could find in the entire Bible trying to contradict James’ statement.
James 1:13
The word peirasmos (temptation) is only known with a negative meaning inside as well as outside the Bible. However the Greek verb peirazo (to tempt) can also have a positive connotation (to test, to try, to prove). James starts with the negative word peirasmos and then continues by giving his view that God doesn’t tempt by evil. James doesn’t say that God can’t test or prove someone in a positive way. James is speaking here about the verb to tempt with the negative connotation as not being a work of God.
Genesis 22:1
We are told here that God gave Abraham the task to slaughter his son Isaac. Certainly no easy task, as it seems completely contrary to God’s character to ask something like that from a father. It seemed evil, but it was not. In the end God prevented Abraham from killing his son. Moreover, Abraham knew that he and Isaac would return safely after the event, as he said to his servants: “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” How did Abraham know? Because it was promised earlier that Isaac was to bring forth a nation. Conclusion, Yes it was a difficult test for Abraham, but no negative temptation.
2 Samuel 24:1
We have earlier seen that God is not tempting David. The translation must be: ‘and one incited David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”’ So this verse also is not speaking about a temptation from God’s side. (See the article: Who tempted David to number Israel?)
Matthew 6:13
Jesus, in the Lord’s Prayer, also uses the expression peirasmos in the standard negative meaning of temptation. It is definitely clear that God is not the author of it, but the father of evil (‘the evil one’ RSV). The prayer asks for protection against temptation, but if necessary, that God leads through it unto an ultimate victory over temptation (but deliver us from evil; ‘the evil one’, RSV). Again the temptation is not God’s work.
Bible Contradiction?
The Sceptic has deployed only some superficial witnesses that can’t stand the test of cross examination. In all cases we have proved that God doesn’t produce temptations.