Devils Asking to Go into Pigs Matthew 8:31

Matthew continued his gospel with the words, “when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Are you come here to torment us before the time?And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding”, and in chapter eight and verse thirty-one of his book, Matthew shared how the devils asked Jesus, “to go away into the herd of swine” where we read:

So the devils besought him, saying, If you cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

The verse reads, “So the devils besought him, saying, If you cast us out, ...” Matthew began with the words, “so the devils” or “then, moreover and nevertheless the demons or evil spirits” “besought him” which means “entreated, called for and prayed to Jesus”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring or proclaiming”, “if you cast us out” which means “whether Jesus would drive, expel, banish and compel the demons to depart and leave”. Matthew shared how the demons “begged” Jesus as they knew He was going to make them “leave” the two demon-possessed men.

The verse continues, “... suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.” Matthew continued with the words, “suffer us” or “permit, allow and give leave for the demons” “to go away” which means “to depart” “into the herd of swine” or “into the hogs that were grazing”. Matthew shared how the demons desired for Jesus to allow them to “depart” into the “pigs” that were grazing in the field.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see the understanding and fear these demons had concerning Jesus. They knew He had the power to do with them as He desired, and they “begged” Him not to be “un-embodied”, but to take up residence within “hogs”. God has the power over all “demons” and “evil spirits”, and He demonstrated this through His Son Jesus as He encountered these “demon-possessed” men. This same God desires to have a relationship with every person who will submit their lives to Him, and when they “believe and trust” in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they have aligned themselves with the greatest power in the universe.

Next time Matthew shares how Jesus tells the devils to, “go”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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