II. “And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.”—Mark v. 10.
This shows (1) that the devils knew and acknowledged the power of the Lord Jesus. They knew not only that He could put them out of the man, but also out of the country and out of the world. (2) These words show the dread which the devils have of the punishment which they know is awaiting them. (3) These words show that communion with men, possession of men, dwelling in them and among them, is much relished by them. They besought Him much that He would not send them out of the country. They besought Him much, as much as a man would beseech that he might not be banished from his country and home, treasures and friends and pleasures. A man who felt himself threatened with banishment from all these by one who had full power to do it would beseech him much to be allowed to remain, and would intreat for all the mitigation of his sentence that could be obtained by entreaty. And this the Legion did in this case. The power of the Lord Jesus over them, the dread of punishment, and a passion for communion with men—wicked men—are the leading points which we see in this conduct on the part of the Legion. And this leads us to inquire, why devils desire, covet and eagerly seek to retain the society of men. That they do so is most manifest from this text, and from all parts of Scripture. And this is a fact that has too serious and important a bearing on the condition of men to be neglected by them. The Legion is not indifferent as to whether he is to dwell with men, or to be sent into the deep. They besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country. And (1) Because he and men agreed well together. They suited him and he suited them. Their habits and tastes had so much in common. The strongest likings and passions of their nature, and his strongest likings and passions altogether agreed. The body of the Jewish nation in the days of the Saviour was under his power and in his service. So that the Saviour, in the epistle to the angel of the church of Philadelphia, says—“I will make them of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. They said they were Jews, and Jews they were according to the flesh, but Jews they were not inwardly, and true worshippers they were not, but the synagogue of Satan. They were Satan’s own. They were animated by his spirit, they loved his image, and did his work, and what father would not beseech much that he should not be sent away from his children. If Satan has children, depend upon it he has a fondness and liking for them. He wants to be with them, and will try all he can not to part with them: he will beseech the Lord Himself much not to send him away from them.
There is the closest relationship existing between fallen men and fallen angels. There is an intimacy between them, and bonds of the strongest kind exist—bonds which may be called bonds of love, satanic love, that draws out all his desire towards them. Bonds such as exist between the fornicator and his harlot, between the drunkard and his cups and companions in sin, between the hunter and his game, between the lion and his prey, between the miser and his gold, between the schemer and the pliant, ready agents of his craft, between the giver and the receiver, between the speaker and his willing, eager hearers, between the king and his subjects. It cannot, therefore, be marvelled at that he besought Jesus much that He would not send them away out of the country. This would be against all his likings and against all his interests. He had schemes in hand which he had not yet developed. He was carrying on a trade the full profits of which he had not yet reaped. And to be sent away out of the country without his profits and investments gathered and reaped would be a sore loss. To have done so much and to lose all, and see all his schemes blasted and his hopes blighted when he was about to realise them was something he could not endure. All the principles of Satan’s nature, all the interests which he has at stake in the world, and all that he has set his heart upon from the day he caused the fall of man is at work in him, prompting him to keep his hold of all he has got into his power. Let me try and open the subject more particularly. Why did he beseech Him that he would not send them away out of the country? (1) Because he delights in communion with men, wicked men. He has a present gratification in fellowship with them. He likes to see them, to hear them, to dwell where they are dwelling, and mingle in all business and intercourse. Sin is his present work and delight. And men can rival him in sinning. Men take pleasure in sin, and sin with all their might, with their whole heart, in sinning lies their joy. And Satan is like them in this, that sin affords him all the delight and happiness of which his nature is now capable. No idol of fashion, no idol of society, ever dreads and dislikes expulsion from the circles in which he moves as Satan dreads the disgrace and loss which expulsion from the circles which he haunts. (2) Not only has he present gratification in human society, but he has his hands full of work among them. He finds ample employment for all his fertile and active mind among them. He is in his own kingdom, in his own fields, with all his machinery in active operation around him, with his whole heart set upon what he is doing. He is not playing nor carrying on his work with any measure of indifference as to whether he will prosper or fail in what he is doing. He means business—business at the present moment with far-reaching consequences in view, making investments and laying out much with a view to future profits, and in the midst of all this to be suddenly arrested and threatened with expulsion and lose all he has done is something he dreads. He besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country. This would be to stop all the business he was carrying on, and lose the profits of what he had already done.
When the Lord rebuked Peter, saying—“Get thee behind me, Satan.” He gave the reason in the following words:—“For thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men,” showing that to savor the things that be of men is the same thing as being of Satan. The things of men, of which men approve, relish of their own accord, are also of Satan. “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood” (Rev. xii. 15).
His name is Jesus. Who originated this name? It was planned from all eternity. Deep in the recesses of the Divine mind, deep in the counsel of omnipotent love, there lay a jewel, a gem, which was to be manifested in the fullness of time, and to be the joy and glory of eternity. It was the name of Jesus. . . . It was not man who gave this name to our Saviour, but eternal wisdom and love.”—Dr Adolph Saphir.