writesaboutdragons

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 84 – Wisdom is Calling

Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. (Pro 8:1-2 NLT)

Read: Psalm 119:17-24

According to the website, christianityinview.com, the growth of the Christian religion has far outstripped the growth of the world population since 1800. While the world population increased from 904M to 8B, the number of Christians grew from 204M to 2.7B, increasing from about 1/5 to 1/3 of the earth’s total population. The growth was seen not in the US or Europe so much as in Asia and Africa, especially in the last few decades.

While Christianity has grown, so has Islam, from 91M to almost 2B. According to Pew Research, it is the fastest growing religion in Europe and in India. Large numbers of Muslims are migrating from Pakistan to the UK.

The gospel message has reached into almost every country because of the magic of radio and more recently, the internet. It’s plastered on billboards, road signs, and in magazines. It’s been inserted in full page ads in the newspapers and it’s presented on street corners. It’s in popular secular songs on regular radio stations, and 30-second commercials on every radio station and many TV channels. The US is super-saturated with the gospel message. Yet it doesn’t seem like the message does much more than fall on deaf ears. It’s like the average heart has become stony to the wisdom found between the covers.

Why? The eternal truths found in God’s Word are priceless. They mark the division between everlasting life and everlasting destruction. They define the light and dark. They describe an unfathomable love and a staggering price paid for us. They give us worth and purpose, direction and hope. If you find your heart hard to the truths of scripture, it’s honestly time to break out the plow, dear Christian. These seeds of truth need to fall on well-watered fertile soil broken up and ready to receive them. Take a lesson from our neighbors in Africa, and welcome Wisdom with open arms.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, the price you paid for us is beyond understanding. You paid for me, with a cross. Prepare a heart to receive this truth, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 83 – Don't Go There

So now, sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words I speak. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways - do not wander into her pathways; for she has brought down many fatally wounded, and all those she has slain are many. Her house is the way to the grave, going down to the chambers of death. (Pro 7:24-27 NET)

Read: Judges 16:4-30

For those who love the Lord of the Rings, who can forget the scene where Gimli is laughing about the Mines of Moria, and the hero’s welcome waiting for them there?

Oh, Lol, sorry, couldn't resist. THat's not the scene I meant.

While Gandalf is summoning light after the magic door is finally opened, Gimli goes on about the roaring fires and food waiting for them. How the caves are a home of his cousin, and they call it a ‘mine’… And then the light of Gandalf’s staff reveals that it wasn’t what they expected, but a tomb.

Here's the scene I meant.

That scene sticks with you. The movies do a masterful job of reflecting the underlying message Tolkien was attempting to convey in it. That things aren’t always what they seem. What you’ve heard isn’t always true, your mileage may vary, some restrictions apply, limited time offer, void where prohibited, no refunds, no exchanges, no substitutions, sold by weight not by volume, causes cancer in the State of California, not valid in the state of Utah. What Gimli was expecting was a warm welcome. What he found was death.

Samson found death too. It was sad that his heart was set on the women of the Philistines. They sometimes betrayed him out of fear of their masters, or sometimes, like Delilah, for money. His disastrous fall is a watchout for all of us, frankly.

Solomon concludes his appeal to his sons on the subject of adultery. He warns them not to go there. The list of people slain by her is long. The men slain by her were strong, Samson being the best example. It’s dangerous to play with this kind of fire, kiddies, and asbestos underwear won’t protect you from her in the long run. Whether you are a man or woman, boy or girl, whether you identify as a mushroom, the sexual pleasures with somebody else’s spouse are a good way to end up dead.

Those hormones help us find joy with the wife of our youth, the one God intended. They are such a powerful force and voice for good, dear Christian. But like all other blessings God gives us, the devil, and our flesh, can twist it into one of the most powerful tools of the enemy. So just. Don’t. Go. There.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to stay true to you, by reading your word, by praying, and enjoying the blessings you give me, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

HTTYD 2025 Review

Yesterday for my birthday, my youngest son took me to see the live action remake of How to Train Your Dragon. If you haven't seen it, I'll say that this post has some spoilers, but let me say on the outset that it was the perfect father-son movie, since Finding Nemo. My son made a memory I won't forget. The audience erupted into spontaneous applause and cheered six times in the flick. Unforgettable.

On to a review: I'd seen some rants online about the movie, frankly. That the plot, actors, dragons, and script was identical to the original movie, scene for scene. I'll give that some due credit. If you come to see this movie expecting to see some radically different movie than the original, you'll be disappointed. They didn't rewrite the whole plot or insert any woke pap like Disney did with Snow White. So if you are attending looking for some extra girl-power that wasn't in the original... but wait. The Astrid in the original had plenty of girl power, and Nico Parker delivered in this version, too, executing flawlessly choreographed acrobatic stunts that were just breathless.

And they did insert a few lines into Stoic the Vast's speech about how all of them had come to Berk to hunt dragons and find the nest, from all different countries and islands. A positive message of cooperation and teamwork. It seems there was about 20 minutes more screen time, so there must have been new material, but I didn't notice. Maybe in the final battle.

On the Dragons: I'd read somewhere that the dragons were weak sauce, that they looked like dinosaurs or poorly CGI'd copies of the original. Eh, I beg to differ. They were clearly copied down to the spikes to be EXACTLY like the originals, but far more realistic. The interaction between the characters and the dragons was immersive and flawless.

On the romance: I'd read that the female lead was frigid and that the male lead was completely clueless. That's true to the original script, but if anything it had a little more sauce. Vikings were tough, and could be a little focused and reticent. Nico Parker and Mason Thames had chemistry. This is a kids-show remake and the actors were early teens. Don't go expecting skin and sweat.

On the setting: I don't have any idea how much of the coastline was CGI vs real footage of the shores of Strangford Lough, or how much of the setting was true to the highlands around Belfast Ireland, but it was just as breathtaking as in the original CGI movie. The fly-throughs were stunning.

Final Analysis: #HTTYD2025 was, in a word, amazing. Having read the mentioned rants above, I didn't go in expecting much, but found it engrossing, entertaining, realistic, and satisfying. On all fronts, the movie delivered what I wanted - a faithful retelling of the original movie, with live action flawlessly directed and performed, without agenda or poor action to jerk me out of my willing suspension of disbelief. Good job, Universal. This is one I'll watch again.

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 82 – A Willing Victim

With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. (Pro 7:21-23 ESV)

Read: Proverbs 7:6-23

As I’ve dealt with autism in my own family, my mother-in-law, a retired psychiatric nursing instructor, made me aware of a woman named Dr. Mary Temple Grandin, an autistic savant with a doctorate in animal science, and named a Hero in Time Magazine’s 2010 edition of Time 100, a listing of the 100 most influential people in the world.

While doing research for today’s lesson, I ran across an invention of hers (she has more than 40) of a serpentine ramp used to funnel cattle from a stockyard into a meat packing plant.

It’s designed as a humane way to direct the cattle to a place where they are slaughtered. The first cow is led through a walled ramp that twists and turns, and the other cows follow after. The sides get narrower, from four cows across to only one. Since the path turns corners, they can’t see what’s going on ahead, like cars in a traffic jam.

But they docilely follow as they go up a ramp and through doors into a building where they are killed humanely without pain, so they can be processed into steaks.

Our key proverb today reminded me of this invention. The cows don’t see it coming, or you would never get them into that building. If they smelled the blood or heard bellowing, they’d be trying to break down the walls of the pen. The same is true for our poor fellow. He doesn’t see what’s coming. Solomon gives him a little credit here – it requires much seductive speech on her part. He’s hesitant, seeing her beauty, wanting it, yet unsure if he should take what isn’t his, even if it’s offered. Yet all at once, he’s made his decision, and he follows her. She leads him along like an ox to the slaughter; he doesn’t know that the pleasure he's seeking is going to end in pain and death.

Solomon watches the woman lead the man off. He turns away from his window, shaking his head sadly. As king and judge of the country, he knows the endpoint of that midnight meeting all too well. The husband comes home too soon, and catches them in the act. He’s not going to overlook it. He’s not going to accept some payment. There’s not going to be a divorce. There’s not going to be an explanation. There’s just going to be death. The young man in our story didn’t make his decision ‘all at once’ on that street corner. He made it when he decided to go out looking for trouble.

Prayer:

Father God, help me keep my mind and heart fixed on you, that I might not go looking for trouble, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

God had patience with Elijah, and he's had patience with me too. I had deep depression for almost a year. I didn't know how to get out of it. It was God that got me out.

[writesaboutdragons]

[writesaboutdragons]

Every Spring, life from death. This is a beautiful picture of it, like crocuses coming up from the snow.

Two purple Pasqueflowers (Anemone patens) emerge from the winter grasses. Beartooth Plateau, Wyoming

(c) riverwindphotography, April 2025

[writesaboutdragons]

Beautiful shot.

A pair of Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) hold forth in the swift rapids of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

(c) riverwindphotography, May, 2025

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 81 – The Other Shoe Drops

I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband [is] not at home; He has gone on a long journey; He has taken a bag of money with him, [And] will come home on the appointed day." (Pro 7:16-20 NKJV)

Read: 1 John 2:18-28

There’s a turn of phrase from the early 1900s, in New York City, when millions of people moved there as the industrial revolution cranked up. All those people had to live somewhere, and so housing companies build large tenement houses with small living quarters, which had paper-thin walls and floors. After a long day at work, a person would come home from work, and the first thing they’d do after standing on their feet all day was take off their shoes. From several floors down, you could hear the first shoe bang on the floor, and knew within a few seconds, you’d hear the other shoe drop too.

The brazen woman we’ve been discussing the last couple days now makes her proposal. Let’s look at all the hard work she put in setting up her web. The covering she’s put on her bed is a tapestry. This wouldn’t have been a large wall-hanging image, as we envision tapestries today, but expensive multicolored heavy coverings from the merchant trading ships. She goes on to add that she has anointed her bed with wonderful perfumes – myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. The scents might be applied by small incense braziers in the room, rather than dust spread across the bed, and they aren’t cheap.

She’s describing a beautiful, exotic and inviting room to have their fill of love, not for just a moment but for the entire night. And here is where the other shoe drops. Her husband is not home. He’s gone on a long journey. He’s taken a bag of money with him, and he’ll come home on the appointed day. She’s married. In those days, a woman was rarely without the protection of a father, older brother, or husband. So a husband shouldn’t be a surprise, really, except that adultery was a capital offense. So these two would need to continue their sneaking around in earnest, and ensure they weren’t caught, or there’d be an execution.

As the bride of Christ, we’re instructed to remain faithful to Jesus. We don’t want to be caught in a room we cannot die in, when Jesus returns, when our master returns, for he will return on the Appointed Day, but we know not when that is.

Prayer:

Oh, Jesus, may I remain faithful and true to you, like you are faithful and true to me, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 80 – Looking For a Sucker

So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him, [I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. (Pro 7:13-15 KJV)

Read: Proverbs 7:1-15

P T Barnum once said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Only, he never said that. It was competitor New York investor David Hannum, commenting about how people flocked to see Barnum’s PLASTER COPY of Hannum’s granite ‘Cardiff Giant’, BOTH of which were hoaxes, and not petrified giants. The quote turned out to have more lasting value than either fake giant.

We continue our focus on the woman in Solomon’s little story of a midnight meeting. While both parties sought out this meeting, the woman now takes control of the situation. She catches him. He’s hooked by the attire she wore and her beauty, the perfumes and makeup. At this point, he has little chance of getting away. She kisses him. Most people understand that a wedding concludes with, “you may now kiss the bride.” This age-old custom seems very outdated in our current society of ‘try before you buy’. Yet it’s a holdover of an age where the kiss was reserved for this moment, which obviously put other actions out of reach. It’s rare in modern times to find anyone that reserves themselves for marriage, making movies like The 40-Year Old Virgin a comedy.

With an impudent face, she claims that she has peace offerings with her. That she paid her vows that same day. The peace offering was a religious offering. One portion went to God, and another to the priests. The larger portion went back to the family, to share together in fellowship, with close friends. The peace offering was usually a big meal, a bit large for the family alone.

For this woman to mention a religious fellowship meal with a stranger would be generous, if her husband were home, and a slap to God’s face, when consumed in the act of adultery. What a sad and twisted turn of phrase. Worse, her face makes it clear she finds this statement funny.

Finally, she tells him that she was diligently seeking him. That she was there on purpose to find one person only, HIM. He falls for this lie, easily believing this beautiful girl somehow knows and cares about him, wants him specifically. But all she was looking for diligently was a sucker, and she found one in him.

Prayer:

Father God, may I seek the truth and not the lies of the adulterous woman, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 79 – Desperate Housewives

And behold, a woman [comes] to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home; [She is] now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner. (Pro 7:10-12 NASB95)

Read: Genesis 39:1-12

The most popular all-female TV series was Desperate Housewives, running 8 seasons and gaining over 120M viewers. Potiphar’s wife could have been on the show. Potiphar seemed like a decent sort of man, and a nice catch. He had power and position, and could recognize worth in a person. But he had a blind spot, and that was his wife. Maybe he didn’t see her at all. She didn’t seem satisfied with him. In fact, she seemed a little… desperate.

In our key passage, Solomon continues his description of the dangers of adultery by turning now to the woman’s story. He begins by describing what he is seeing in real time. A woman is coming to meet the young man we discussed yesterday. And she has carefully chosen what she will wear for this meeting. The attire of a harlot has changed over the centuries, but its purposes have always remained the same. To advertise a product.

He goes on to describe her character. The woman here is described as cunning of heart. Many an adulteress, as described in Lying Eyes by The Eagles, feign love for their husband while they pursue physical satisfaction in a younger man’s arms, as is being described here by Solomon. He goes on to describe her attitude as ‘boisterous and rebellious’. She is full of talk to avoid discussion of what she’s doing. She’s rebellious to the will of her husband and God, clearly deciding to go where she wants and do what she wants. Her feet refuse to remain at home where they belong at night.

So, again we find that she is given three destinations, like the young man. She is on the street, she is in the square, and she’s lurking on every corner. God, again, is setting up blocks to her trade, to prevent this meeting, or provide her opportunities to escape. Her heart is not right with Him, yet he still shows compassion in giving her every chance to escape where this is going. If she would simply give up, and turn home, perhaps things will be ok.

Ladies, while yesterday’s proverb was addressed to the guys, today’s seems more focused to the woman. While every guy is accountable for his part in a meeting like this, so is the woman. God designed marriage for better than that. I get it that it takes two flawed humans to make a marriage work, but focus on what you have, and stop looking for greener grass. It’s got RoundUp on it.

Prayer:

Lord, there but for the grace of God go all of us. Help us to stay faithful, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 78 – Foregone Conclusion

At the window of my house I looked through my lattice. I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense. Crossing the street near her corner, he strolled down the road to her house at twilight, in the evening, in the dark of the night. (Pro 7:6-9 CSB)

Read: Proverbs 7:1-9

Solomon begins his final message on the perils of the adulteress by giving a sad chain of stacked events that lead towards a foregone conclusion. He begins in these four verses by describing someone headed for trouble in a hurry. Someone determined to get there.

We have no way of determining if the story recorded here actually happened, but Solomon’s palace was accepted to be on the temple mount, positioned southeast of the temple and lower down. As such, he’d have had vantage, as David did with Bathsheba, to look out on the streets of the city. Solomon recorded this as an observed historical account. Its endpoint, which we will get to in a few days, would not have been observed, but its preamble and meeting might have been.

Our actor tonight will be played by someone inexperienced. They don’t have the wisdom of years that Solomon had, as he looked through his window lattice. They were out of reach of his warning call, and as we will see, they wouldn’t have listened. This person has the virility and hormones of youth, handsome of face and eagerness of desire. Solomon adds an additional component which is sadly common at that age, a lack of sense. Because of those three components, innocence, youth, and a lack of sense, this young man goes out on a venture to visit the red-light district. Where clandestine meetings between ladies of the evening and the young men who desire them come together.

You will notice in verse 9 that Solomon records that the man was there at twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. He might have done this for poetry, but the rest of this exchange is not poetic, so it’s obvious this man came to her corner in the twilight, but she wasn’t there. So he strolled along and came back in the evening, but she STILL wasn’t there. And finally, he arrived back in the black and dark of night. This young man was laser focused on getting what was coming to him.

It's not uncommon for a Christian to be tempted to sin. And it’s not unusual for God to thwart us, to put obstacles in our way, to provide a way of escape. It’s important we look for those. If this young man had decided the better plan was to go home, he wouldn’t have gotten ‘what was coming to him.’

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me see and follow the way of escape, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 77 – Wisdom is Your Sister

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:  That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.  (Pro 7:4-5 ASV)

Read: 1 Samuel 25:1-38

The live action remake of Lilo and Stitch recently came out, to mixed reviews. One of the more serious criticisms of the remake is that in the end Nani allows her sister to be cared for by a neighbor so that she can go to college and get her life off hold, when in the original movie, the central theme was that

“Ohana means family; and family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten.”

This line was repeated multiple times for emphasis, even by Stitch. The idea of Ohana was not new to Lilo and Stitch. It’s a common theme in Hawaii, and the word in Hawaiian means connection, or belonging, and stretches further than immediate family, to friends and even community.

The oha is the shoot of the taro plant, a massive-leaved food source for native Hawaiians, and sacred in their lore and mythology.

The taro was supposed to be the ancestor of the Hawaiian people, and so it connects them all as family.

In both the 2002 and the 2025 versions, Lilo accepts Stitch as family even though he is a disaster, and Nani accepts Lilo as family even though she wrecks her life. But the remake actually expounds on the meaning of ohana, in that it allows for members to leave the home without leaving the family. After all, that’s what happens when you grow up. And Nani doesn’t lose Lilo, she gains a neighbor into her ohana, and her family expands, not contracts.

My sister is only a couple years older than me, but I was certainly a trying brother, and she found it her task to take care of me as we grew. I didn’t know it back then, but she kept my bumbling self out of a lot of trouble, especially from bullies and a gang down the street. For what it’s worth, I’m grateful for the wisdom and guidance of my big sister, and proud to call her Ohana.

Our reading covers the story of Nabal, the fool, and his wife Abigail, and how Nabal railed on David’s men and refused to give them provision. This act of selfishness almost caused the death of his whole household, yet Abigail’s wise actions and words saved them all from harm. In the end, Nabal dies of a stroke, and Abigail is eventually elevated to Queen. The Word of God gives wisdom, and can preserve you from harm, too.

Prayer:

Lord, may I find wisdom in your Word, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 76 – Obey Me and Live

Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands. Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes. Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. (Pro 7:1-3 NLT)

Read: Joshua 2

One of the enduring movie franchises out there is the Terminator series. Who can forget Arnold Schwarzenegger as the terminator robot sent back in time to eliminate the biggest threat to their takeover of the world, a child not yet born.

The most memorable line in the movie, one Schwarzenegger used in most of his films since then, is, “I’ll be back.” But there’s another memorable line which was repeated in the other Terminator movies – “Come with me if you want to live.”

This line was delivered by Kyle Reese to Sarah Connor right after a violent gunfight where he shoots the terminator ten times with a shotgun. (Which he gets up from). It was repeated in almost every other movie in the franchise.

It’s common for a movie or book to have someone show up with special information, information you must follow to the letter to survive. It’s been used in Star Wars, in Lord of the Rings, in The Wheel of Time, in Divergent, and in more books than I could name.

When Rahab the harlot took two strangers into her house for the night, she had little idea they were spies for the coming army of Israel. But like all the people of Jericho, she had heard what Israel did to Og king of Bashan and Sihon king of the Amorites. So she hid them, and helped them escape, under condition that they save her from the coming destruction. The spies were let down by a scarlet cord hanging out her window. They told her, tie this scarlet cord in your window, and bring your family over, because anything outside your house will die. A month later, Joshua and the Israelites marched around the city, and shouted with a great shout, and the high walls of Jericho fell down flat. That is, except for one small column of wall belonging to a harlot named Rahab, who had obeyed. That’s right, Rahab’s house was IN the WALL, and all of the wall fell, but her own house.

God’s Word is full of instructions on what to do. On how to avoid evil, to keep yourself pure, to avoid the bad places and evil men. While it’s no guarantee you won’t have trouble, or that you’ll be saved miraculously from harm like Rahab, your life will be far better if you do.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for your Word. May I listen and obey, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 75 – Self-Destruct Button

A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks wisdom, whoever does it destroys his own life. He will be beaten and despised, and his reproach will not be wiped away; for jealousy kindles a husband's rage, and he will not show mercy when he takes revenge. He will not consider any compensation; he will not be willing, even if you multiply the compensation. (Pro 6:32-35 NET)

Read: Revelation 2:18-29

One of my favorite animated series is Phineas and Ferb. They have a pet platypus who is actually a secret agent, whose nemesis is Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

The evil doctor is always inventing dastardly devices to help him take over the tri-state area, and they almost always would succeed except for the fact that he always builds into each a self-destruct button, frequently right beside the power button.

While Perry and Doofenschmirtz are scripted as if they are a side gag, their battles ALWAYS clear the scene from whatever Phineas and Ferb are up to, much to the chagrin of their big sister Candice, who is always trying to ‘bust’ them to their mom, who never seems to notice what her kids are up to.

While the series contains so many object lessons we could be here for days, I wanted to focus on those crazy self-destruct buttons. If I were Heinz, I’d have kept them off, had them locked behind a shield. Hidden them in a safe place. Put them deep inside the casing. In short, made them hard to get to. But, no, they were always easy to find, with a large red button, clearly labeled.

We’ve got one built in too, you know. It’s the drive that helps us replicate the species. But when allowed to run in sinful directions, it destroys our fellowship with God, then our fellowship with our spouse, and often our fellowship with others, too. We are still paying for the sexual revolution of the 60s, but it’s getting stale to blame the hippies for our problems today. Because, truth be told, we’ve always had a little of Thyatira in our blood. It’s not something any of us like to admit. And if we stick close to God, keep our hearts fixed on him, and put up enough safeguards, we might forget that self-destruct button is there. But if we keep trying to push it, dear Christian, we’re eventually going to blow up.

Prayer:

Father, may I keep my mind fixed on you, today. Amen

[writesaboutdragons]

#want. Because, #coffee

Moin ☕☕☕

[writesaboutdragons]

365 Proverbs for Daily Living

Day 74 – A Thief Caught

People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. (Pro 6:30-31 ESV)

Read: Exodus 22:1-12

Today’s proverb is actually a continuation of Solomon’s second warning about the dangers of chasing after sex outside marriage. But it’s a comparison/contrast, to the thief. You see, while people claim God doesn’t consider any one sin worse than another, and this has biblical support when it comes to our justification, it is certainly NOT true, when it comes to our sanctification, and the consequences of our sin.

Lev 20:10 tells us that a couple that commit adultery shall both be put to death. Obviously that doesn’t happen anymore, but it’s grounds for divorce in every state, even if the adulterer doesn’t want one. In the 1950s, adultery was the ONLY grounds for divorce in many states, and there had to be proof. But in the 1960s, states began shifting to no-fault divorce, which made divorce far easier to obtain, especially if both parties wanted one.

Adultery in the bible was grounds for execution. But theft was only punished by restoration of the stolen property, plus a penalty up to double the value of the stolen property. Based on our key verse, Solomon gives a worst-case scenario, where a thief must restore sevenfold, losing up to his entire substance. Judges back then did not normally punish that severely, but even if they did, it wouldn’t be as severe as the punishment for adultery. After all, a person must eat to live, but they don’t HAVE to commit adultery. The term he uses in this verse, translated ‘despise’, is buz, which is found 12 times in scripture, used for utterly, despise, or condemn. It reflects what the common citizen thought about this failure back then.

I’ve known people who admitted having affairs, or dating married people. It always shocked me that they could be so cavalier about contributing to the betrayal of one of the most basic institutions.

But looking back forty years, one of the girls I dated for months had me assist her in cleaning out an apartment several hundred miles away, and on the drive back, I asked why her stuff was way out there, and who was living there. She said she was married to the person that owned that apartment.

Wow.

That pretty well ended the relationship, because I just wasn’t ok with that. That husband might have killed me! So, yeah, I’m guilty, too, but my advice to you is that God doesn’t like it, and so we shouldn’t do it. Because getting caught cheating is worse than getting caught stealing.

Prayer:Father God, thank you for your forgiveness, which is free, and your mercy, which is new every morning. Give me more of your grace, today. Amen