(6.) The Gospel Story of Tobit: Binding the Demon
(6.) The Gospel Story of Tobit: Binding the Demon.
“The prayer of both Tobit and Sarah found favor before the glory of God and was heard in the presence of the great Raphael, who was then sent to bring remedy to them both. Raphael ws sent to heal the blindness of Tobit, to arrange the marriage of his son Tobias to Sarah, and to bind Asmodeus, that worst of demons. For Tobias had the right to marry her before any others who might wish to make her his bride.” (Tobit 3:16).
The Demonic Assault of Sarah. Asmodeus, which means “destroyer,” was traditionally the demon of lust, and it harassed Sarah by killing the bridegrooms of her seven consecutive marriages on the wedding night before the marriages were consummated. This demon lusted after Sarah, and was so jealous that it wouldn’t allow Sarah the pleasure of her wedding night. Sarah’s name was disgraced as the cause of this tragic train of events, and this led to her asking God to take her life. Later in the story, Raphael binds the demon and Tobias and Sarah were married and lived happily ever after.
Kissin’ Cousins. For a devout Jew to marry a foreign woman was considered highly offensive in their faith and absolutely rejected by God. No one from among the Chosen People were to marry someone outside the faith, as it broke God’s covenant and so was thought to be a grave act of unfaithfulness. To marry a Gentile was an impudent way of choosing a way of life in opposition to God and a serious spiritual compromise. Since Sarah was Tobit’s closest eligible relative in his lineage, Tobias was first in line to marry her. Fortunately, Tobias and Sarah fell madly in love the moment they met.
Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago – War (Live)
To Bind the Demonic. The same word for “bind” in Tobit’s story is used in Jesus’ mini-parable about binding the strong man. The Greek word is “deo” and it means to tightly bind, to tie up, to shackle and overpower an enemy.
“Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. The crowd was out of their minds with amazement, scarcely believing their eyes, and asked, ‘Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?’ But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, ‘No wonder He can cast out demons. He gets the power from Beelzebul, the prince of demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts and replied… ‘If I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger – someone who could bind the strong man, tie him up and then plunder his house.’” (Matthew 12: 22-29; Mark 3:21-27; Luke 11:14-23).
Binding the Strong Man. The Pharisees have already accused Jesus of being a sorcerer, and they wanted to pursue the idea that Jesus is practicing magic by Satan’s power, which is a capital offense for which He could be stoned. But Jesus doesn’t hesitate to tell them this charge lacks common sense and is completely foolish. Satan is not about to work against himself by casting out his own demons! Satan’s kingdom wouldn’t last a second if he went around doing that! So Jesus offers a simple little illustration, what could be considered a short parable, about the binding of a strong man in his house by a stronger man, who then takes the weaker man’s stolen possessions. One of the meanings of the term Beelzebul is “master of the house,” so the Pharisees would have known right away the meaning of Jesus’ story. In this case, the strong man’s possessions are those who are lost or captive to Satan’s powers. Jesus is telling the Pharisees that He has bound the strong man Satan to release them from his house, this sinful world, to set the captives free! Jesus is plundering Satan’s goods through these exorcisms. Because Jesus has indeed defeated Satan at the Temptation, Jesus has begun to bind the strong man because He is stronger still. The kingdom of Satan is on its last legs after his defeat by Jesus in the Temptation. The Cross and the Resurrection are the nails in Satan’s coffin.
Spiritual Authority. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus cast out demons to show His power over the Devil, to bring spiritual wholeness to the afflicted person, and to advance the kingdom of God. “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matt. 12:28). Wherever Christ’s kingdom spread, Satan’s realm diminished. The power of Christ overwhelmed the power of the Evil One.
“The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost… On the other hand, the devil, our great enemy and accuser, is constantly prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone, anyone, to devour. This adversary is like a thief whose only purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. But the almighty Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, was revealed to us for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil, to undo his evil activities, and completely put an end to everything that the Evil One has accomplished.” (quoted from Luke 19:10, 1Peter 5:8, 1 John 3:8, and John 10:10).
Passion – Run Devil Run (Live) ft. Crowder
Casting Out Demons. Many scholars have noted that Jesus conducted more exorcisms than any historical figure on record. Casting out demons seemed to take up just as much of His time as physical healings, and in fact, His ministry usually included both forms of healings together. “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons…” (Mark 1:32-34). Jesus revealed His authority over physical ailments and over spiritual possession. In the spiritual realm, not one demon ever successfully resisted the commands of Jesus. As soon as the demons saw it was Jesus, they knew their days were numbered. It is heartening to see that Jesus was just as concerned with the spiritual world as He was the physical world.
Delegated Power. The power of Christ overwhelmed the power of the Evil One. It was also significant that Jesus gave the spiritual power to cast out demons to His disciples. “Jesus summoned together His twelve disciples and imparted to them authority over every demon and the power to heal every disease.” (Luke 9:1). Sure enough, “They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” (Mark 6:13). Jesus’ power and authority in the spiritual realm was absolute, and in order to understand Jesus, we need to understand that. Peter said as much when he tried to explain to Cornelius who Jesus was: “Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with great power. He did wonderful things for others and divinely healed all who were under the tyranny of the Devil; He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was harassed by the Devil.” (Acts 10:38). When Peter tried to help the Roman Gentile Cornelius understand Jesus, he put His exorcisms and power over demon-possession right at the top of the list. And so should we.