Bible Studies

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Open your Bible to Mark 7, verses 24 to 30.
The location in this story: Tyre (and Si’-don), a city in Israel which was partly on an island, had two fishing harbors, and was fortified on the mainland side with a 150 ft. wall.
There were walls of lesser size all around the other sides. It is said that 40,000 people lived there and overall, this city was an exceedingly strong position. In Joshua 19:29 it as referred to as “… the strong city Tyre…” And Jesus, having come previously from Gen-nes’-a-ret, journeyed to this city.

He entered into a house, but could not be hid. He had become quite well-known, so wherever He went word spread about it!

Then, in verses 25-26, it says that “a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet: The woman was a Greek, a Sy-ro-phe-ni-cian by nation; and she besought Him that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.”

Jesus told her, “Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.”

What did He mean by this, how did this apply to the woman? The “children” were the children of Israel, the Jews. The “dogs” were the Gentiles, or anyone who was not Jewish. The Hebrews were and still are God’s chosen people, so Jesus came, healed and taught “first to the Jew, and then the Gentile.”

Now listen to what the woman said. “Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.” He then told her, “For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.” When she got back home, she found the devil gone from her daughter, just like Jesus said! Yet another miracle!

Now let’s look deeper into this story. Even though the woman only said a few words, she gave us a good example to follow. How so? Read what she said again. She showed humility by acknowledging and submitting to Jesus by saying “Yes, Lord.”

Yet, she still reached out in faith by saying “yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.” She could have stopped at “Yes, Lord” and dropped the whole subject, yet she showed boldness, courage and faith. And Jesus blessed her for it!

“By humility, and the fear of the Lord, are riches, honor and life.” Prov. 22:4.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

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