The faithful dog
Dogs are amazing animals. With their fine sense of smell, they track down survivors in collapsed buildings, find drugs and weapons during police investigations, and some say they can even detect tumors in the human body. There are dogs that can detect the smell of endangered orca whales living on the northwestern coast of the USA. Dogs not only support people through their sense of smell, they also bring comfort or serve as guide dogs.
In the Bible, however, dogs have a bad reputation. Let's be honest: they simply have some disgusting habits. When I was a little boy, I had a pet dog, and it licked up everything that had just come up with it, just like a fool who takes pleasure in his own foolish words. "As a dog eats back what it has vomited, so is the fool who repeats his folly." (Spr 26, 11).
Of course, Salomo does not see things from the dog's point of view, and I believe that none of us can. Is it a primeval return to the days when the dog's mother raised her own food to give it to the young puppy, as it does today with African wild dogs? Even some birds do this. Is it just an attempt to digest the undigested food again? I have recently read of an expensive restaurant where the meal is pre-chewed.
From Solomon's perspective, this canine behavior seems repulsive. It reminds him of foolish people. A fool says in his or her heart, "There is no God." (Ps 53, 2)A fool denies God's primacy in his or her life. Foolish people always return to their own ways of thinking and living. They repeat the same mistakes. A fool is deceived in his thinking if he believes that decisions made without God are reasonable. Peter said that anyone who rejects God's grace and returns to a life not led by the Spirit is like a dog that eats what it vomits up. (2. Petr 2,22).
So how do we break this vicious cycle? The answer is: Don't go back to the vomit. No matter what sinful lifestyle we indulge in, let's not return to it. Don't repeat the old patterns of sin. Sometimes dogs can be trained out of bad habits, but foolish people remain stubborn and don't listen when warned. Let's not be like a fool who despises wisdom and discipline. (Spr 1,7)Let us be tested by the Spirit and transformed forever, so that we no longer feel the need to return to our old ways. Paul told the Colossians to put off their old ways: “Therefore put to death whatever belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passions, evil desires and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. In all these things you also once walked, when you were still alive. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene language from your mouth.” (Kol 3, 5-8)Fortunately, we can learn something from dogs. My childhood dog always followed me around—through thick and thin. He let me train and lead him. Even though we aren't dogs, couldn't this be enlightening for us? Let us follow Jesus, wherever he leads us. Let Jesus lead you, just as a loyal dog is led by its loving owner. Be faithful to Jesus.
by James Henderson
