Tiny Devotional for RED Friday, 11-05-2021

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, wouldn’t it be cool if the Braves did to the 20s what they did to the 90s?

And strangers will be filled with your strength,
And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;
Proverbs 5:10, NASB

Just empty boxes; no cookies.

This is one of the bad outcomes for the person who turns from fidelity to adultery. It’s intended to prevent, not describe.

It has at least two meanings. 

You may have heard this, or read it yourself, as an allegory of the relationship between Israel and God, warning against apostasy. I’m not arguing against this interpretation but:

I’m in favor of the plain meaning, in which Loving Elder tells Youthful Offspring WHY he should stay away from The House of Three Colors. 

When it’s told depends on the age (and maturity) of the Offspring, of course. My first-born was eight or nine when he started asking questions about some of the Proverbs for the Day. He understood infidelity was bad; loss of strength and possessions were something he understood, at least in theory; but why does it matter that those go to strangers/foreigners?

Adults understand the issue, because we are already thinking about passing along wealth to later generations.  For a fourth-grader, some elaboration was necessary: 
“The Commies are going to get your bicycle, if you look at naughty pictures.”

No, I didn’t say that! I didn’t even think those words until now. Besides, they might be scary, but they are wrong, and lead AWAY from the truth in this verse about wasted wealth. 

I’m now sitting FLUMMOXED by the practicality of ancient wisdom.

Peace be on your household.

Comments

  1. Vanessa PattersonNovember 5, 2021 at 7:39 AM

    What did the braves do in the 90s

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moose45RiderNovember 5, 2021 at 9:06 AM

      They played the sport ball

      Delete
    2. Habakkuk21November 5, 2021 at 9:13 AM

      SERIOUSLY? The Five Aces pitching staff destroyed opposing pitchers during the decade. World Series Champs 1995. Won their division EVERY year, National League champs 5 times. That's all. Not much.
      You would have had to have been there, I suppose.

      Delete

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