BIBLE STUDY LESSON 06

SERIES S --- THE SON OF YHVH

WHY OPPOSITION?

POWER FROM YHVH OR SATAN?

From Luke 11:14-54

When Yeshua came to a certain place, He drove a demon from a man who could not speak. Immediately the man’s voice returned, which caused great excitement among the people who saw it. [He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons,] some bystanders said. Others demanded a sign from heaven to prove that He truly was the Moshiach. Yeshua knew what they were thinking, so this is what He said, [A kingdom which wars against itself is soon destroyed, and a home which is divided will not last. If Satan goes to war against his own forces, how can he survive? You accuse Me of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub. By whose power do your people drive them out? Are you saying that they are also working under Satan’s power? Let them judge whether you are right or wrong. However, if I drive out demons by YHVH’s power, then His Kingdom is here in your midst. When a powerful man guards his own palace, his possessions are safe until a stronger one overpowers him, removes his arms and armour, and plunders his valuables. Whoever is not with Me is against Me; and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters. When an unclean spirit leaves a man, it travels about through deserted lands, seeking a place to rest. When it finds none, it returns to the same person it left. Finding it clean and orderly, it brings seven more spirits even more evil and occupies that man’s life until he is worse than he was before.] One of the women in the crowd shouted to Yeshua, [Blessed is the mother who bore You, and the bosom at which You nursed.] [Even more blessed are those who listen to the Word of YHVH and practice it,] Yeshua replied. By this time the crowds were growing larger. Yeshua continued to speak to them. [This wicked generation looks for a sign to prove that I am the Moshiach. But like Jonah, I will prove Whom I am by the things I do. That will be the only sign they will receive. The queen of Sheba travelled far to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. But I have brought far greater wisdom for you than Solomon’s, so the queen of Sheba will rise up in the Judgment Day to condemn you. The men of Nineveh will also rise up to condemn you, for they were willing to repent when Jonah preached, yet Someone far greater than Jonah is preaching to you, and you won’t listen. Who hides a lamp when he lights it, putting it under a grain measure or in a cellar? Instead, he puts a lighted lamp on a lampstand so that others may see the light. Your eye is like a lamp for your body. When your eye is pure, it lets true light into your heart. When your eye is evil, it causes your body to fall into darkness. Watch that the light you think you have in you is not darkness instead. A life filled with light will radiate into the face, as though a lamp is illuminating it.] After Yeshua’ sermon, a Pharisee invited him to his home for a meal. Yeshua accepted and reclined at the man’s table to eat. The Pharisee was surprised when Yeshua did not go through the usual ritual of cleansing before the meal. [You Pharisees wash cups and plates on the outside, but you fail to cleanse your inner lives, filling them with robbery and wickedness,] Yeshua said. [Don’t you foolish people know that YHVH made the inside as well as the outside? Don’t you know that giving hands and a clean heart are related? Woe to you Pharisees, for you pay tithes on everything, down to the last herb in the garden; but then have no regard for justice and YHVH’s Love. It’s good to tithe, but not at the expense of the other things. Woe to you Pharisees, for you love the front seats, the places of greatest honour, at the synagogues; and the honour people pay you as you walk through the marketplaces. Woe to you Pharisees, for you are like hidden tombs which people walk on without knowing.] One of the experts in the Law of Moses spoke up. [You insult those of us who are teachers of the Law when you say such things,] he argued. [Woe to you teachers of the Law,] Yeshua answered. [You burden people with rules they cannot keep, while you refuse to live by your own rules. Woe to you teachers of the Law, for you approve of the murders your ancestors committed, building tombs for the prophets they killed. You know what they did, yet you agree with them. YHVH said that He would send apostles and prophets, and that you would murder some and persecute the others. You are responsible for the murders of His representatives, from the death of Abel to the death of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the temple. You are guilty of each of these! Woe to you teachers of the Law, for you hide the key of truth from people. You don’t want it yourselves, and you don’t want others to have it.] From that time on the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law did all they could to trap Yeshua, questioning Him and looking for something for which He could be formally charged.

COMMENTARY

INCANTATION BOWLS AND DEVIL TRAPS

When Yeshua cast out demons by Commanding them to go, it is no wonder that the crowds marvelled. Common people of the time blamed demons or devils for all the illness and misfortune that happened to them, and were constantly trying to ward them off. Many people used small bowls about six inches wide called {incantation bowls.} They were inscribed with magic words or spells -- the incantation -- and filled with water. The water had to be rain water, from a tank or cistern that had been closed, or purified by a priest. The bowls were kept covered and away from light until used. The bowls were used for many purposes. Depending on how the water was drunk or how many sips were taken, it was thought to heal wounds, stop bleeding and even cure disease. A bruised knee might be sprinkled with it, an open wound washed with it, a sick child told to drink it in one swallow. In the house, sprinkling the rooms with the water was thought to keep demons away. But the strongest magic came from leaving several bowls uncovered -- the demons would be attracted to the inscription, read it while standing on the rim of the bowl, fall into the water and drown. Sometimes a bowl was buried upside down in the foundation of the house, where it was believed to trap the demon before he could get into the rooms.