Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.
My son, if sinful men entice you,
    do not give in to them.
If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot”—
my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot on their paths;
for their feet rush into evil,
    they are swift to shed blood.
How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
These men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!
Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.

• Proverbs 1:8-18

“1:8—9:18 This lengthy section features parental praise of wisdom in the form of didactic addresses. These chapters prepare the reader for the actual proverbs that begin in 10:10.
1:10-19 Here is a father’s warning against enticement by sinners who will succeed if his son fails to embrace wisdom (v. 8).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

The Rev. MacArthur quote is telling in many ways.  Solomon’s son was Rehoboam.  Rehoboam liked impressing his friends and he did not embrace wisdom.  But in all ages, the enticements of this world draw us away from godly wisdom.  In some translations, the title for this section is a warning against enticements, while others call for a warning against violence.  Both of these warnings are weaved together, but I think the overall concept is regarding enticements for ill-gotten gain.

The one who seeks ill-gotten gain loses his/her life in the process.  This does not mean just ill-gotten gain through violence.  Rehoboam took the advice of his unwise friends and swore to increase taxes.  This led to the second Jeroboam rebellion.  Jeroboam had been banished by King Solomon, but Jeroboam returned after Solomon’s death and the northern tribes successfully broke away, leaving only Judah and Benjamin.  There was no open violence in Rehoboam’s decision.  There was no ambush.  But there was ill-gotten gain leading to a major loss for Rehoboam.

These verses talk in detail about the violence that was used and the tactic of ambush.  But violence may not be the method in an ambush, although ambush tactics may have an element of violence as a threat.  Twice with my last job, both times with the same boss, I was invited to a particular room in the building for a friendly chat.  I was instructed to bring a document that I had written.  Once in the closed room, my boss started yelling at me, wanting to know what could possibly be going through my “idiot pea-brain” to write a document as I had done.  In one of these two cases, he did use violence, putting his hands to my throat, having a company officer pull him off me, or I might be dead.  But the other ambush was simply yelling.  Some people call that “violence,” but it was such a part of my early life, I would always thank God it did not go past the yelling.  My ear drums would quit ringing in a few hours after yelling, but the bruises and cuts from violent blows might take longer to heal.

But in the enticement, the words that describe the violence are visceral.  The key is that it is innocent blood, a harmless soul.  Then they swallow them alive, cast them into a pit.

Then the image is that of amusement.  They’ll cast lots as to who gets the plunder.  If that is the method of decision, the one enticing you probably has loaded dice and if the police come calling, you, who received nothing, having lost with the casting of lots…  You will be carted off to prison while the one enticing you simply shrugs.  “Those are the breaks, pal.”  Some pal that is.

Alarms should be going off in those situations.  Many times, I avoided invitations from my friends due to the safety aspects, and only a few times was I invited to do something that just was not legal.  Violence may have had nothing to do with it.

Even being asked to sell products that were watered down and inferior to what was in the store might be tempting when they flash the amount of cash you might “earn,” but you do so to the harm of those people who may have once been your friends.

See, you lose your friends, and you lose a piece of your soul, just to make a few dollars.

And now let us sing.

The following song is sung by Austin French, Why God.  This might not mention violence, but the lesson of keeping that communication line open is very important, especially when things just don’t make sense.  And before you are enticed to do anything, ask yourself if you are about to put someone into a Why God Moment.

“Why God do people have to die?
A daughter or a son, sudden and so young
Long before their time?

Why God do people fall apart?
A promise and a ring becomes a broken thing
A road that got too hard?

I don’t understand, but I understand

Why God? I need You
It’s why God I run to Your arms
Over and over again
It’s why God I cling to Your love
And hold on for dear life
And I find You are right by my side

Why God do we feel so alone?
Every single day fighting through the pain
Hoping there is hope?

I don’t understand, but I understand

Why God? I need You
It’s why God I run to Your arms
Over and over again
It’s why God I cling to Your love
And hold on for dear life
And I find You are right by my side, ooh

Give me a faith stronger than I have
I need to know when it hurts this bad
That You hold my heart when it breaks
And I’m not alone in this place

That’s why God I need You
Why God? I run to Your arms
Over and over again
It’s why God I cling to Your love
And hold on for dear life
And I find You are right by my side

Always right by my side
Even here in the why God.”

• Mia Fieldes, Jeff Pardo, Austin French, Jacob Harrison, Why God

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We need Your wisdom.  We need that added moment when others suggest something.  Are we harming anyone by doing what they suggest?  Is our gain someone else’s loss?  And are we glorifying Your name?  It does not take long to ask those questions, but it takes wisdom to answer them properly.  Lord, give us wisdom and give us the burning desire in our hearts for greater wisdom.
In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.