Luke the beloved physician wrote how Paul was spreading the gospel throughout the city of Ephesus, and “there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen. Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover you see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships”, and in chapter nineteen and verse twenty-eight of the book of Acts Luke shared, “when they heard these saying, they were full of wrath” where we read:
And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying,
Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
The verse begins, “And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when they heard these sayings” which means “and at the time and moment the fellow silversmiths of Demetrius were endowed with the faculty for hearing, perceiving and understanding what Demetrius told them”, “they were full of wrath” or “the silversmiths were filled with anger, heat, boiling up and ardor”, “and cried out” which means “and shouted aloud and vociferated”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” the following words. Luke shared at the time and moment the “silversmiths” assembled by Demetrius “heard” what he told them, they became exceedingly angry and began to shout aloud the following words.
The verse continues, “... Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” Luke added the words, “Great is Diana” which means “eminent in power, authority and virtue exists Diana whose name means complete light or flow restrained and was the so called Tauric or Persian or Ephesian Artemis, the goddess of many Asiatic people, to be distinguished from the Artemis of the Greeks, the sister of Apollo” “of the Ephesians” or “belonging to the natives and inhabitants of Ephesus”. Luke shared how the “silversmiths” began to shout aloud and declare the goddess “Diana” who belonged to the people of Ephesus was “eminent in power and authority”.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “silversmiths” became “exceedingly angry” when they “heard” what “Demetrius” said, and they began to shout how “Great” their goddess “Diana” was. In other words, the crowd of “silversmiths” began to protest and declare their “goddess Diana” to be worthy of worship and adoration. This idea would preserve and reclaim their “craft or business”, and the loss of profits and revenues would be sustained. Keeping their profits was temporal at best, and what “Paul” offered through a relationship with Jesus was eternal in nature. Many people trade the “temporal things of the earth” for receiving Jesus Christ as their “Lord and Savior”, and these “silversmiths” demonstrated the normal reaction of those who do not believe. God's desire is to “save” every person from their sins and grant them everlasting life. This commitment comes with a “cost”, and those who are wise will carefully examine the difference between that which is temporary and that which is eternal.
Next time Luke shares how, “the whole city was filled with confusion”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or 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".
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