SCRIPTURE:
7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever. Psalm 121
21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech
and enticed him with her flattery.
22 He followed her at once,
like an ox going to the slaughter. Proverbs 7
27 Her house is the road to the grave.[c]
Her bedroom is the den of death. Proverbs 7
OBSERVATION:
The last few lines of Psalm 121 struck me as odd. Does God really protect us "from all harm"? I then thought I should see what another translation might say with that line. (BTW: the translation we typically use at CrossRoads is called The New Living Translation. It is very readable and helpful, but it's important to keep in mind that it is a "thought for thought" translation, not a "word for word" translation. Thought for thought translations exist because there are not always easy English equivalents for the Hebrew and Greek in the scriptures. That said, some translations will do their best to translate word for word. It's arguable whether such an endeavor is ever achieved on either front, but it's the best we can do considering we speak different languages than the original writers.) Anyway, a different translation I found wrote the line as follows: "The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life." This translation seemed more realistic, especially seen in the light of Solomon's counsel in Proverbs 7. There he paints the picture of the man being enticed by the prostitute. If the man so chose, God would provide all he needed to resist that temptation. However, the man chose to walk away from God's laws and follow his sinful heart. Therefore, God could not keep him from evil.
APPLICATION:
Proverbs 7 applies to every home that now has a computer and internet access. No longer does the man have to cross the street to be enticed by the prostitute. He or she can simply skulk away to spend time with internet pornography. We live in a strange, wicked time where the prostitute now lives within our homes.
I watched a fascinating Nightline last night on the subject Is America Addicted to Porn? On it a debate was held between a pastor and a couple of porn stars. The event was held at Yale, and it was fascinating to see the crowd side with the porn stars. We have grown to a point in our nation where people value their "rights" more than they value God. (BTW: Sanctuary will host an event on pornography called Porn Sunday a week after Easter.) Wisdom according to Solomon is intimately tied to the "fear of the Lord." The opposite of wisdom, of course, is folly. We are a nation going to bed with prostitutes. We are a nation of fools. A recent study I read said 48% of Christian households struggle with pornography. I think that number far too low. What do we do?
Solomon tells us in v. 25 "Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path....Her bedroom is the den of death." We have to create boundaries in our homes that keep the prostitutes in our computers outside our walls. I personally have accountability software on my work computer and I have blocking software on our computers at home. (This software is available at www.xxxchurch.com.) Furthermore, I have to train my mind in the ways of the Lord. Nothing helps me resist this temptation more than doing what I'm doing right now. Our minds need to be transformed by God's word and prayer and Christian community. These are the tools God has given us to keep us from evil.
PRAYER:
Abba, thank you for your word. Thank you for access to You through prayer. Thank you for the Church; Christian community that molds us and shapes us. You have called us to live differently, Lord. In a world that values You less and less, this is hard. We feel like we are swimming up stream sometimes. Fill us and empower us with Your Spirit, so we might be the people you've called us to be. When we stumble give us grace. When we hide, remind us that it is your "kindness that leads" us to repentance. Help us flee temptation, and run into your arms. None of us are perfect. We have all fallen short. Thank you for Jesus who makes us "white as snow." Through the Spirit of Christ now keep us faithful. Amen.
