Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.   – Proverbs 24:11

Shocking verse.  Like waking up at 3am in a cold sweat, sitting up ramrod straight, eyes darting around the room in the darkness, paralyzed as you realize the fate of the people who are “staggering to slaughter” all around you while the bullhorn sits rusting in the closet and that warning message you memorized so long ago sits on the back porch of your mind on the porchswing.  Batteries are still good… imagine that.  When’s the last time we used this thing?  The warning message still seems appropriate to the situation, too.  I guess it never gets old, does it… even when it’s swingin’ away, out of use.

Startling.  “Oh hold them back!”

And the next verse is startling for other reasons:

If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
And will He not render to man according to his work?   – Proverbs 24:12

It sure is comfortable when you’re asleep… You don’t have to change the batteries… or get beat up for hollering the message.

Gotta hit the streets.

Man, this book will change my life.