Sit Down by Companies - Mark 6:39

Mark wrote, “when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: He answered and said unto them, Give you them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He said unto them, How many loaves have you? go and see. And when they knew, they said, Five, and two fishes”, and in chapter six and verse thirty-nine of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus told his disciples to make all the people, “sit down by companies” where we read:

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

The verse reads, “And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies ...” Mark began with the words, “and he commanded them” which means “and Jesus ordered, instructed and enjoined His disciples” “to make all” or “to bid and ask the people within the multitude to” “sit down by companies” which means “be seated by rows or parties”. Mark shared how Jesus told His disciples to have the people be seated in rows.

The verse continues, “... upon the green grass.” Mark added the words, “upon” which means “on or over against” “the green grass” or “the green or yellowish pale herbage, hay or provender where grass grows and animals graze”. Mark shared how Jesus wanted the people to be seated on the “green grass” beneath them.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus organized the people who were in the crowd. Rather than have disorder and chaos among the people, Jesus had His disciples put them in rows upon the “green grass” below them. God is a God of order, and even as He will provide for the multitude's physical need, He has an order and plan to provide “salvation” to sinful people in all the world. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to “save” people from their “sins” so they might live forever with Him, and this plan also demonstrates His order and means to make provision for the spiritual hunger of man.

Next time Mark shares how the people, “sat down in rank, by hundreds, and by fifties”, 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".