The beloved physician Luke wrote how, “certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded”, and in chapter nineteen and verse seventeen of the book of Acts Luke shared how “this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus” where we read:
And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus;
and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
The verse begins, “And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus;”: Luke began with the words, “and this was known” which means “and the evil spirit jumping on the seven sons of Sceva was made notable and well-known” “to all the Jews” or “to each, every, the whole and everyone of the Jewish people as respects to origin, birth or religion” “and Greeks” which means “and the people who were non-Jews, pagan, heathen and from Greece or their colonies” “also dwelling at Ephesus” or “even so and indeed living, inhabiting and settling in the city of Ephesus whose name means permitted and was a maritime city of Asia Minor, capital of Ionia and under the Romans, of proconsular Asia, situated on the Icarian Sea between Smyrna and Miletus”. Luke shared how “all the Jews and Greeks” living in “Ephesus” knew about the evil spirit leaping upon “the seven sons of Sceva”.
The verse continues, “and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” Luke added the words, “and fear fell on them all” or “and terror, dread and reverence seized and pressed upon each, every, the whole and everyone of the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus”, “and the name of the Lord Jesus” which means “and everything the name covers including the thoughts or feelings which are aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing and remembering belonging to the One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master, and the title given to God the Messiah whose name is Jesus which means Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of Mankind and God incarnate” “was magnified” or “was made conspicuous, deemed and declared great, extolled, lauded and celebrated”. Luke shared how “reverence and awe” came upon “all” the “Jews and Greeks” in Ephesus, and “the Lord Jesus' name” was “exalted and extolled” among them.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the attempted “expelling” of the “evil spirit” by the “seven sons of Sceva” caused everyone in the city of “Ephesus” to “revere and be in awe” of “Jesus Christ the Lord”. God wants to have a relationship based upon love with every person who believes and trusts in His Son Jesus, and when they yield to Him, He will forgive their sins and grant them everlasting life. He is a God of love, and He desires to operate in love. However, should a person doubt and refuse to have a relationship with Him, let everyone reading these words know He is also a God of great power and might. He should be reverenced and His name should be “magnified”, and His power over “evil spirits” should demonstrate to everyone He is worthy to be “lauded and celebrated”.
Next time Luke shares how, “many that believed came, and confessed”, 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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