Luke 10:17-20 Don’t Be Scared of Scorpions
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: August 24, 2018 Luke 10:17-20
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
(Understanding the Text) It is unclear how long the 72 were gone or if they all returned at exactly the same time, but they must have had an appointed time frame for their mission. Jesus had given them the power to heal and cast out demons. They had seen the 12 do the same mission before, so they would have had more faith that they could receive the same power. Maybe, that is what separated the 12 from the others: their faith. When I read the gospels, it seems to me that faith is the connection that God works with in order to transmit His power to us. Maybe, it is necessary that we trust God before He can enter us, and the more we trust Him, the more His Spirit can fill us. Maybe the 72 just needed longer to open themselves up to trust.
There were 84 people who could already heal and cast out demons before Pentecost. This helps to explain why the gift of tongues and not healings was the sign of the Spirit on Pentecost. Also, people back then understood the problems of trying to communicate with someone in a second or third language or when others did not understand their language. To hear someone fluently speaking your language when someone else was fluently speaking another language and to see them all doing it at the same time, would have been a more profound miracle than healing one person since the healing could have been explained away as a con job, but hearing with their own ears could not be explained. Also, healing requires a sick person while speaking in tongues is something that a person can do alone.
The 72 came back excited over the powerful actions that they had performed. Demons are scary, but they had simply told them to go, and the demons had left. Jesus then said something that indicated full memory of His life prior to His incarnation. He told them that He had seen Satan fall from heaven like lightning. We are told that covering cherubs are associated with fire. “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” (Ezekiel 28:12-19). It is interesting that Jesus had mentioned Tyre before the 72 left and He referred to a passage where Satan is referred to as the king of Tyre when the 72 returned. I’m not sure what it means. However, I can understand why Tyre was a symbol for Satan. At one time Tyre was an ally of Israel, but then it became a terrible enemy of God’s people and was known for it’s cruelty to its own people. The daughter of the king of Tyre corrupted Israel to the point that they were rejected by God. Thus, Jezebel is also associated with Satan as his instrument to lure people who serve God away and corrupting the religions that serve the true God making them full of pagan ways and dividing allegiance to God.
(Revelation of God) This passage is a promise that Satan’s power will end and be ashes. Jesus refers to watching Satan expelled from God’s holy mountain. Satan was bright and shiny and fiery and when he was cast out, that glittering fiery flight was probably a break in Jesus’ heart that profoundly moved Him. Jesus probably mentioned this knowledge to the 72 to confirm that if they received power from Jesus, they would always be able to overcome demons.
(Understanding the Text) Then Jesus explained more of their power. He said that they could step on a snake or a scorpion and not be hurt. They had been given power to defeat Satan and his tools. There seems to be more significance to Jesus mentioning snakes and scorpions here than simply saying that poison from these would not kill the 72, but I haven’t got a clue what that significance is. The only thing a search for the word gave me is that snakes and scorpions were a danger when Israel followed Moses in the wilderness. One of the stupid kings threatened to punish people with scorpions instead of the whips that his father had used; and they are mentioned in Revelation. “Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth” (Revelation 9:3). “They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails” (Revelation 9:10). Was this a reference to the future and promise that when the events of Revelation come upon us, we have Jesus’ promise that we will be protected from the harm falling around us? (Note: I have since learned that just as the serpent is a symbol of Satan, scorpions are a symbol of demons. It’s actually right there in the context of this passage.)
Jesus refers to a similar promise right before He ascends into heaven. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:16-18).
(Application) Jesus ends with a caution not to focus on the power and protection they had received. He told them that their names were written in heaven. This promise was the reason that they should rejoice. He was directing their eyes from this world to heaven. Jesus will give me many signs and miracles here on earth. He will give me power and responsibility, but I must always remember that my little world here is not the main event in my life. I must remember that a joy awaits me in heaven that will last forever and be better than anything I experience in my life here no matter how miraculous or powerful or joyous. Heaven awaits me and will eclipse everything here both bad and good.
(Prayer) Turn my eyes up to You always. This world distracts me and the sorrow and hurt that surround me overwhelm me. Bring me back to the joy of heaven when I am distracted and overwhelmed. Giver me the faith to look beyond today and into forever with You.