Wednesday, October 9, 2013
“And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel” (Mark 5:20 KJV).
Who is this man, and what “great things” hath the Lord Jesus done for him?
The Gadarene of today’s Scripture, possessed by many unclean spirits, consequently pursues a rather bizarre lifestyle. When the Lord Jesus confronts him, and commands these evil spirits to leave him, notice what the unclean spirits desire of Jesus.
“Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea” (verses 11-13; cf. Luke 8:32,33).
The Lord Jesus commands these unclean spirits to leave the man, but He gives them permission to possess a nearby herd of almost 2,000 swine (pigs), animals God considered “unclean” for Israel’s consumption (Leviticus 11:7; Deuteronomy 14:8). These pigs then run into the sea and perish.
Notice how these evil spirits sought safety and solace in a body of water. They possessed and drove the pigs into the water. In fact, throughout the Middle East, evil spirits such as these still hide in various bodies of water (rivers, lakes, et cetera). During the future seven-year Tribulation, God will dry up these water masses to expose these evil spirits—these creatures will kill one-third of the human race (see Revelation 9:13-15, for example)!
“And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done” (Mark 5:14; cf. Luke 8:34). Those who fed the pigs are aghast. They have just witnessed 2,000 pigs wildly stampede into the sea and violently drown. As they flee for their lives, they spread the news to the neighbors!
A crowd is now approaching Jesus, and what they discover is quite shocking….
333 Words of Grace 