A Great Herd of Swine Feeding - Mark 5:11

Mark wrote how Jesus and His disciples, “came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains. Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the most high God? I adjure you by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is your name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country”, and in chapter five and verse eleven of his book, Mark shares how there was, “a great herd of swine feeding” where we read:

Now there was there near unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

The verse reads, “Now there was there near unto the mountains …” Mark began with the words, “now there was there near” or “moreover and there existed close and in proximity” “to the mountains” which means “to the risings above the plain”. Mark shared how there was something notable “close” to the “mountainous” area.

The verse continues, “... a great herd of swine feeding.” Mark added the words, “a great herd” which means “a large and massive company or group” “of swine” or “of hogs” “feeding” which means “that were grazing and eating fodder”. Mark shared how there were “hogs” “eating” upon the “mountainous” area near to where Jesus and the man possessed with the “unclean spirits” met.

When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see how he recognized a “herd of pigs” that were eating near to where Jesus and the man were. This will be a key part of this story, but for now those who understand that Jewish people were to have nothing to do with “swine” should get a clue as to why this group of pigs are in the story. God's desire is to give another demonstration as to His willingness to “save” people from their sins regardless of how far away from Him they are. When a person submits themselves to Jesus Christ as their personal “Savior and Lord”, even when they are involved in areas in which they have no business being, He is able to forgive them and deliver them from whatever they have been involved.

Next time Mark shares how, “all the devils besought him, saying, send us into the swine”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".