Chipped Teeth

“Bread of deceit [is] sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.” (Pr 20:17 AV)

It was that second part that stood out to me.  Curiosity drove me to consider what would possess a baker to put gravel into his dough, or what event would result in dirt or pebbles being baked into a loaf.  Further, who would eat such a thing without first examining it?  I know there are types of bread out there that might fill the bill.  There are whole grains that are coarsely ground that may leave a residue.  But who would eat that for pleasure?  One must assume the bread is offered to someone who is both naïve and impulsive.  He does not think the offering all the way through, neither does he want to consider the consequences from such an offer.  All he sees is freshly baked bread that smells amazing.  He knows the flour and honey will taste very good, but does not consider the offering may be tainted.  Such it is with sin.  Rarely do we think it all the way through.  We are drawn more to the short-term pleasures and ignore the long-term effects.  That is, until we chip a tooth on the gravel within.

This is our universal problem.  It started in the garden of Eden and has perpetuated to this day.  No one is immune.  Sin is attractive.  Sin is alluring.  Sin is pleasurable.  What is seldom considered is what follows.  I give Capt’n Crunch a hard time.  And rightly so.  I don’t know why any sane person would eat such a thing.  The taste is outstanding.  But the aftertaste is horrible.  Admit it.  After a bowl of that stuff, the diner must brush his or her teeth for an hour to get the grit off.  Who would want to eat something that requires an immediate dental visit?  Or, who in their right mind would eat bread that is more seed than flour?  Good for you?  Really?  Eat enough of that and one might sprout a barley plant in the colon.  Our how about any number of foods that taste great, but require a bathroom nearby.  My wife’s coffee cake is that way.  It is out of this world.  Yet if I am not near a bathroom within an hour of consumption, there is going to be a mess somewhere.

Solomon is saying what we all experience.  There isn’t a perfect person on the planet.  We all make bad choices and then pay the prices afterward.  It is really silly.  Thinking on it, one might come to the conclusion we are not all there.  Perhaps we are a few fries short of a happy meal.  Why would we do this?  Yet, we do.  We make horrible choices and then pay the piper later.  We consume and then regret.  We live and then sorrow afterward.  The only hope is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Only He can convict us before the choice is made.  Remaining in prayer and relying on the Holy Spirit is the only way to turn one’s head away from gravel filled bread.