Don’t let down your guard lest even now, today, someone—man or woman, clan or tribe—gets sidetracked from God, our God, and gets involved with the no-gods of the nations; lest some poisonous weed sprout and spread among you, a person who hears the words of the Covenant-oath but exempts himself, thinking, “I’ll live just the way I please, thank you,” and ends up ruining life for everybody. [Deuteronomy 29:18-19 (MSG)]
Last month we took a driving trip through Virginia and North Carolina to enjoy the fall colors in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. While taking a train ride along the Nantahala River Gorge, we commented on the beautiful vines covering the hillside. Our seat-mate told us this lovely looking plant is a destructive weed called kudzu. Native to Asia, this semi-woody vine was introduced to the U.S. back in 1876 during the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Originally advertised as an ornamental plant, kudzu’s ability to grow up to a foot day (and up to 60-feet a year), overtake, grow over, and smother just about anything in its path, has given it a new name: “the vine that ate the South.”
Thinking that kudzu would revitalize the land, reduce erosion, and add nitrogen to the soil, the government once offered up to $8 per acre as incentive for farmers to plant it. Giving no thought to the long-term effects of planting over 3-million acres with such a fast-growing plant, more than 85-million seedlings were given to southern landowners from the 1930s to the 50s. Spreading through runners with vines that can grow to 100-feet, kudzu ended up stifling agriculture production and timber growth, killing native plants, and causing loss of animal habitat and biodiversity.
As I learned about kudzu, I couldn’t help but see parallels to sin. Like a kudzu seedling, a sin may seem little and inconsequential but it can take over our lives and negatively impact the lives of those around us at an even faster pace. When David allowed the seed of lust to grow in his heart, he never thought his tryst with Bathsheba would lead to a pregnancy, murder, his child’s death, fratricide, and rebellion in his household. The ramifications of his sin were felt for generations! Like kudzu, sin is destructive.
Like kudzu, with its large lobed leaves and long clusters of fragrant violet flowers, sin often looks quite beautiful, innocent, and inviting. Looks, however, are deceiving; kudzu doesn’t look like the killer it is, the seductive Delilah seemed harmless enough, and that forbidden fruit in Eden was most inviting! If sin and evil looked like the invasive weeds they really are, we wouldn’t be so easily tempted to plant them in our lives!
Able to weather dry hot periods, kudzu is opportunistic. With climate change leading to warmer weather and more drought, it’s taking over where native plants can’t survive and is spreading from the southeastern U.S. to the Midwest, Northeast, and even Oregon. Sin is equally opportunistic. Satan tried to vanquish Jesus when He was hungry and weak after fasting in the wilderness for forty days, he tempted Joseph with Potiphar’s wife at a low point in the young man’s life, and he tempted Job after he’d lost family, health, and wealth!
Whether just a little kudzu or a lot of it, the weed must be kept from expanding and the same goes for sin! A little flirtation may seem harmless but it can turn into adultery in an instant. Although goats, persistent mowing, and applying herbicide can keep kudzu under control, the best way to defeat it is the hard labor of hand pulling, digging out, and removing the plants’ root crowns. Sin can be as difficult to defeat but it can be done. Rather than goats, we use the Holy Spirit to convict and guide us along with persistent prayer. We continually apply God’s word to our actions and labor to eradicate sin’s root from our lives! Of course, the best way to deal with both an invasive plant like kudzu and sin is to prevent it from taking root as soon as it’s recognized!
Last year, our family rented a lake home in Idaho. Although we never saw our next-door neighbors, we saw their landscaper nearly every day. A robotic lawnmower, it was meticulous about not missing even a small patch of grass on their expansive lawn. About twice the size of our robotic vacuum, this mower puts our little vac to shame. Rather than going in seemingly random circles, it efficiently cut in back-and-forth straight lines. The gizmo never strayed onto the beach, got lost in the shrubbery, banged into lawn furniture, or wandered into our yard! From lakeside to house, it went up and down the slope without slowing down and returned to its charging station when its power ran low. An obedient and hard-working servant, it was on call 24/7 and would have mowed all night if so directed. The mower’s schedule, boundaries, and grass height requirement were controlled by its master’s smartphone! Because that technology came with a hefty price tag, it also came with a built-in-alarm system, GPS theft-tracking, and a pin code.
Yosemite Sam, the cartoon arch enemy of Bugs Bunny, used to exclaim “Jumpin’ Jehosophat!” I was an adult before learning that Jehosophat was the fourth king of the southern kingdom of Judah. It’s ironic that the king said to be jumping in Sam’s pseudo-swear is best known for standing still in 2 Chronicles!
Saul, a man willing to kill his son rather than concede his error in making a foolish vow, wasn’t quite as eager to fulfill other vows he made. Later, he promised his daughter (along with exemption from taxes and military service) to the man who killed Goliath. While the vow prohibiting his men from eating came from his desire for revenge, this one may have come from fear. It was the king’s job to lead his men into battle and Saul, as the tallest man and the only one with bronze armor like Goliath’s, was the obvious choice to take on the Philistine. Perhaps Saul hoped the promise of wealth, honor, and a place at the king’s table would be incentive enough for someone else to volunteer to face the Philistine. For 40 days Goliath had taunted Israel but there were no takers until David.
Last week, when writing how Jephthah’s reckless vow caused his daughter’s death, I remembered how Saul’s equally foolish vow nearly cost his son’s life. While Israel was at war with the Philistines, Saul and his 600 men were camped near Gibeah. Israel was seriously out-numbered by the better-armed Philistines and, because their enemy controlled the pass at Micmash, Saul’s troops could proceed no further. Although the rest of Saul’s men were afraid, Jonathan and his armor bearer were confident that the Lord was with them. Tired of the hopeless standoff with their enemies, the two snuck out of camp and headed toward the Philistine garrison. After passing through two treacherous cliffs and scaling a steep slope, they entered the enemy outpost and, outnumbered ten to one, killed them all.
Skeptics love to ask how God could allow Jephthah to offer up his daughter as a burnt sacrifice. First, let’s note that it never says God approved of his sacrifice. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that such a sacrifice was abhorrent to the Lord. In His wisdom and mercy, God even provided a way out if someone made a rash or unrealistic vow. Leviticus 27 explains that such a vow could be purchased back with a 20% penalty and describes how valuations were to be determined. Although Jephthah displayed knowledge of Israel’s history when negotiating with the Ammonites, he showed his ignorance of God and God’s law with his rash vow. Moreover, there is no reason to think his daughter was sacrificed in the Tabernacle. It’s more likely that such a horrific event would have been part of a pagan ceremony.
Devotions of the Heart 