Feeding the Hand that Bites You

But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. 1 Samuel 13:20-21

No one who uses chemicals sets out to become addicted. The goal initially is simply to enjoy what the drug has to offer. We use for a reason – the drug does something for us. It helps us feel good, relax, unwind, or find relief. With repeated use though, our brain is hijacked by the drug. Once we made the choice to use, but soon the drug makes all our choices. Once we consumed the drug, but soon the drug consumes us. Initially we used because we wanted to, but later, we use because we must, simply not to feel sick. We give more and more of our lives to the drug, while the drug happily destroys everything good in us. Though our addiction is killing us, we continue to feed it. That’s the pathologic relationship of the addicted to the drug.

Though it didn’t involve drugs, something similar happened in today’s passage. In the story, the Israelites observed their bordering nations, wanting to be like them. So, they followed these foreigner’s gods and their sexual practices. Like these other nations, Israel also wanted a king. This angered God who wanted to be their king, but God allowed them to make their own choices. In trying to be like these other nations, Israel allowed these foreign powers to consume them. in today’s passage, we’re told how the Philistines exerted so much control over Israel that they prevented Israel from having blacksmiths – so they couldn’t fashion their own weapons. If an Israelite wanted his farming equipment fixed, he had to pay a Philistine blacksmith to do it. Not only did Israel allow the Philistines to destroy them, they also paid them for it. In their disobedience, Israel got themselves into a pathologic relationship with the Philistines.

Israel didn’t set out to be subjugated and we don’t set out to be addicted. When however, we indulge in our self-destructive nature, we surrender ourselves to it, eventually allowing it to control us. We feed it, even though it destroys us. We don’t want to lose our jobs, but we can’t stop drinking. We don’t want to destroy our marriages, but we can’t stop cheating or looking at porn. We don’t want to lose all our money, but we can’t stop gambling or shopping. We don’t want to be unhealthy, but we can’t stop eating. That’s the pathology of addiction. So, what do we do when we find ourselves here? That’s for tomorrow’s blog.