APPLES OF SEDUCTION

It was a balmy evening, with a mild wind lending coolness to the dying day as the sun drowsily slid under the blanket of the clouds. I was on the royal balcony, sipping grape juice when my pulse raced off like Usain Bolt! I saw her! My castle overlooks most houses and it was easy to see through the open window into her bathroom. She was a glorious sight. Sculpted out of a block of ebony, her skin glistened like black pearl reflecting shards of moonlight. With more curves than a French curve, hour glasses seem shapeless beside her form. The drops of water from the shower accentuated her more than oil shows off the muscular ridges of a body builder. As the tears from the faucet soaked her, the stream flowing down her body made it seem she took her bath in a cascade of jewels. Excitement coursed through me with the intensity of Jupiter’s bolts.  Suffice it to say I was more firmly hooked than a shark on a harpoon. Despite the fact that a faint distant voice of disquiet niggled in my soul that she was a faithful subject's wife, I knew I had to have her or else life would never be the same…

The animals ran me ragged this time. It was quite a tedious hunt. I came back almost empty handed with hunger ravaging my innards like a lupine huntsman. As my weary steps inched towards my tent, it hit me with the force of a stampeding herd! My nostrils were overwhelmed by an aroma that could only have come from the kitchens of heaven. The angel manning the pot turned out to be my brother. I knew he could cook but this was on another level and the look of that red pan stayed with me forever. The palm oil was fresh and fragrant of pepper; thick with vegetables, lamb chops swam in its blood. All in all, it was an enticing sight. Surprisingly enough, he asked for my birthright in exchange for some of his food. Birthright? The fellow is a joker! Who cares about a birthright when my saliva drools more than a canine’s. A birthright would not help me in the grave, if I did not get some of this pottage; I was going to die…

The Babylonian robe dyed in murexes’ juices was silk smooth and irresistibly soft, the silver’s glare was overwhelming and the gold’s glint enchanted my soul. Though it was written that I should just do my work and leave without touching any of the spoils, I knew that I, Achan the son of Carmi would never have a good night rest again unless I take these treasures into my custody. If I obey the law without pilfering them, they would haunt my dreams forever……

The whole paradise belonged to me. The entirety of the orchard was mine. Then I heard the hissing suggestion and took a long look at the apple. The sibilant proposal made me wonder how I never beheld it before. It was beautiful beyond anything I had ever seen and suddenly looked sweeter than any other around me. How can I live another day of my life without having a taste of this, it would be the torture of a lifetime. Even Tantalus would agree mine is a worse torment. I must have it…..

I stole the honey that was not mine and licked it sweetness…

I exchanged food for my birthright…

I took things that were not mine and hid them…

I took a bite of that luscious flesh…..

Life sometimes is like being caged in a cookie shop with an instruction not to touch while hunger sets your tummy on fire.  The streets of living are lined with endless malls filled with the sounds, sights and smells of all sorts of tantalizing temptations that can make even the stoutest heart fall.  The list of unwanted wants keeps up it's endless dazzling display before us. Billboards of graphic enticement continually attack our senses, wily guerrillas of destruction. But everything boils down to whether we will fall or not…

I fell and left murder in the wake of my lust. I killed a faithful friend, watched my son die, and was dethroned by my favourite son who raped my wives before the watching eyes of all and sundry…

I lost my right to being the firstborn and could not get it back. I wept until my heart broke, cried until my lachrymal glands were scorched and yet I wept. I am still weeping….

Dying by stoning is quite excruciating but within my agony, was the anguish of seeing the same happening to my wife and little children…

My eyes opened to naked ignominy, shame dogged my steps, and my opprobrium was to last for all eternity. I lost glorious divinity for loathsome humanity…

TRUTH IS THAT IT IS NEVER WORTH IT! I am sure the above four even though they lived in different periods would concur. But the pull is strong so how do we survive?

I was beside myself with hunger after not eating for forty days yet I did not succumb to the seduction of fleshly bread. I was the King of the world yet I did not give in to pride. The cosmos glitz and glitter was pretty attractive but I refused to take the easy route out by bowing to the allurement. How did I do it? I kept His word his word in my heart. His book was not far from my mouth. I rattled the written word like a Gatling gun in full steam…

Are you drowning in the pool of a dangerous appeal, and then it’s high time to call out to Him. Do you feel you cannot live except you scratch the itch of a particular enchantment? Then you need to hear His voice telling you that YOU ARE NOT MISSING ANYTHING.

It is His voice that tells us not to be a profane person like Esau who for a morsel of meat sold his birthright. The loss of a birthright causes everlasting regret.

Our birthright could be our destinies, career, families, children, marriage, finances, relationships, name it. Thing about a lost birthright is that it might never be gotten back. God help us all!

We all need to borrow a leaf from the book of the Psalmist, which says….

YOUR WORD HAVE I HIDDEN IN MY HEART THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU....