Are you "taken", "staggering" or holdem . . .

11Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
  And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
  Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
  And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
  And will He not render to man according to his work?

Proverbs 24:11-12

I find these two verses rather interesting.  When we were in seminary our professor would tell us to start the analysis of the pericope (big sounding word which just means passage) with asking questions.  First, who is present.

Well I see at least three persons:  the one dragging the person (victim 1) to his death, the person being dragged, and those who are "staggering" on their own (victim 2) to their own destruction.  

Of Victim 1, I say dragging but the passage says "being taken" to their death.  How is one taken?  Do you really think that if someone knew they were heading to their death they would voluntarily allowed themselves to be "taken?"  We like to think of ourselves as being in control of ourselves, our own destiny.  Does it make any sense that we would allow someone to "take" us to our own death?  No unless . . . unless we really do not think or know that we are heading there.  Perhaps the way seems so well tread.  There are so many with us.  If there are so many that believe it, it MUST be right.  Right?  It makes me feel so good, it just can't be wrong.  It makes sense.  How would God be so mean to so many people, letting so many perish, so he must have meant that we can all choose a way.  He made us like Him right?


13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 
Matthew 7:13-14

Okay, so just because every one is believing it doesn't mean it is right.  In fact we may be "taken" by a system and belief that is completely false, simply because there are SO MANY who agree.  We may like the fact that it seems so easy to believe, so little to do, no sacrifice to give.  Its MY life!  I can not miss this opportunity to do as I feel, as I want to!

33“Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  
Luke 17:33

Well, I guess that living for myself is not the way.  But doesn't all the pleasures which we can do outside of him, you know the forbidden women or men, excessive drink, "dirty" dancing (LOL), forbidden sex - straight, gay or other wise, . . . we are only young for a short while . . . can't we just . . . can't we even just take a little . . . a little look . . . a peak?

Its interesting that Luke 17:33 immediately follows a warning:

Remember Lot's wife.
Luke 17:32

Yeah, its almost like Jesus was saying, yeah that was a type of life, hey but remember the woman who looked back at where she had been called out of, the place and life that she had been living, and turned into a pillar of salt!  

I guess even a peek isn't advisable.  Don't want to be "taken."

I love the description of the Victim 2 . . . "those who are staggering to slaughter."
Well after reading the first part of today's writing you and I both may both feel like we may just be staggering.  Beaten up by all that comes our way.  Vacillating between two opinions but still headed down one path.  See when we have not made a decision to fully follow Christ in His leading, then we are not standing still.  We are actually staggering to our distruction.  Its like we are standing on an escalator headed down, straight to hell.

Wow, but wait.   Wait, there are at least two others in the passage right?  How observant you are.  Yes there are, two more:  You (or Me) and God.  We are the ones watching this, and God is watching us.

The writer makes it clear that it is our job who know the truth to hold those heading to death, Victims 1 and 2, to hold them from it.  It is our responsibility to do all that we can to prevent them from their destruction.  

God lets us know that we can not say that we did not know they were heading there.  He sees our hearts.  He knows our souls.  And yes, He knows that it will be work to do it.  It will not be easy.  It may cost you something.  See part of the plan of God in the prevention of all those being destroyed is that we, you and I would step in and "hold them."  We are charged to tell them the truth and to be willing to "touch" them.  That means we may get dirty.  That means we have to be willing to get close enough to be hurt.

Now, up to now I have been writing like you and I are the ones charged to hold em.  But it may be that we are the ones being taken or staggering.  If so, we must open our eyes and look around us to the truth all around.  Run to the word and grab hold.  Do the right thing.  Make a stand and choose Christ NOW!  

See there is no one left out of this Proverb.  We are either being taken or staggering or we are charged to hold them that are.  Which one are you?  

Well once you realize who you are, . . . do the right thing.  He knows our hearts.  He knows our souls.  As it says:

"And will He not render to man according to his work?"

Got it?

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Love yah,

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