Proverbs 5-8 Don't Talk to Strangers

Work has me pre-occupied right now.  Read on.

Proverb 5 has some interesting things to say about 'strange women'.  I like the writing here and think it has a nice, wholesome message about fidelity.  The author is obviously a breast man.

Proverb 6 has a bit that I find interesting.

6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

I'll chalk up verse 16 to flowery writing but it smacks of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Verse 17 lists the shedding of innocent blood as something that the LORD dislikes.  But, if every man is a sinner and no one is innocent, there can be no innocent blood.  Just sayin'.

6:28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?  The answer of course is yes.

Verse 7 warns us to be wary of wonton women.  As Billy Joel sang, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners then cry with the saints".

Verse 8 is another one of those oddities that drifts between first and third person narrative.  An odd style.

2 Kings 6-10

2 Kings 6-10

Man, the authors of the OT are just getting lazy.

Some guy loses his axe head and Elisha uses God to retrieve it.

Then we get to 6:8-6:10 "Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp."

and "the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice."

Then, Elisha blinds and spares the soldiers that are ordered to bring him to the king of Syria.  Why does he spare these men when just a few chapters ago, he killed over one hundred men with holy fire because they came to talk to him?

We then get a little story about women eating their kids!  This is straight out of Monty Python and a story worthy of Axe Cop!!!

The book then gives us another one of those condensed histories, with famine and the killing of a king.

Elisha then delivers one of my favorite quotes so far in the OT.

At 9:3 we get  "Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not."

Tell Jehu that he's the king and then run like hell!!!  Sounds more like a prank from a hidden camera show then the Bible.

The catch is, Jehu has to kill the Family of Ahab.  Jezebel is thrown out a window, trampled by horses and eaten by dogs.  She got off easy if you ask me.

As per God's orders, Jehu kills all seventy (?!?!) of Ahab's sons for the sins of the former king.  That sounds fair.

His bloodlust still in full force, Jehu kills Ahaziah's forty two brothers.

God is very happy with Jehu's slaughter.

Once again I'll point out that these chapters seem to be more a chronicle of politics and war and using "God" as an excuse for murdering your rivals.

What do you think?