Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
Summary: Fantasies are Satan’s doorway into our minds. Once in the door, he introduces thoughts and imaginings that lead us to the edge of hell. Our only hope to escape is submitting to God’s will.
Over the years, I have read through Proverbs many times. But Proverbs is not a book that can be digested quickly. It is highly concentrated spiritual food. When we read through the book of Proverbs in one or two sittings, the best we can hope for is to sniff the aroma of Solomon’s wisdom. Only by going through slowly can we hope to absorb some of the wisdom he imparts here.
Take today’s passage, for example. Solomon compares those who work the land with those who chase fantasies. I guess some things never change. People don’t need technology to “chase fantasies.”
I’m not sure what fantasies Solomon had in mind when he wrote this, but I can guess a few. The first one that comes to mind is the story of Tamar and Amnon in 2 Samuel 13. The chapter begins this way: “In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David” (2 Samuel 13: 1).
As we have discussed many times here, the word “love” has many meanings. As the story unfolds, we discover Amnon does not really “love” Tamar in the sense that he cares about her. Instead, he “loves” her in the sense of an erotic fantasy. His fantasy becomes so obsessive that he plots to rape Tamar, and as soon as he is confronted by the reality of what he has done, his so-called “love” turns to hate. Tamar is devastated and in the end, her brother, Absalom, kills Tamar.
Absalom is also Solomon’s half-brother. He himself is not content to be avenged against Amnon. Instead, he plots to take over the kingdom and kill his father. This fantasy is almost fulfilled when Absalom wins over the hearts of the people and raises an army that chases David out of his palace and away from his throne.
Why do I call this a fantasy rather than a plot? There are similarities. The difference is whether the plan accords with God’s will or not. Absalom should have known that the kingdom was destined to go to his brother, Solomon. He should have known that God was in charge, not man, but Absalom was only half Israelite. Absalom’s mother was from Geshur. Geshur was one of the Canaanite tribes that the Israelites did not drive out (Joshua 13:13).
Perhaps the most bitter fantasy of all time is the one that Judas fell for. He believed that by betraying Jesus, he was doing something good. In his warped mind, the thirty pieces of silver paid him was his just due (Matthew 26:15). Like Amnon and Absalom before him, the end of the fantasy was a bitter pill. When the fantasy was fulfilled, it evaporated like a child popping a soap bubble. What was left was the painful realization that nothing he had believed was real.
And what about today? Have fantasies become more extreme? Does Satan still cast fanciful images into our minds in hopes of enticing us to fall away from God? Sadly, fantasies of sex have become pervasive in our world. Technology acts as a lightning rod, attracting the temptations of our enemy. Perhaps the solution is putting down our computers and smartphones and going back to working the land. As Paul reminds the Ephesians, “…do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27).
Application: Stay grounded in God.
Food for Thought: How do we tell the difference between fantasy and reality?
Reality is based on truth. Fantasy is normally based on a lie. Since Jesus is truth and His word is truth, reality will align with God’s word and fantasy will align with lies of the enemy as portrayed by the world. The source matters. If we accept something as true that comes from the world, we may be falling for a lie not based on reality. If what we believe aligns with God’s word we are on solid ground. Colossians 2: 6 – 8; 2 Corinthians 10: 5.
Rich,
Well said! The difference is interesting. What we define as “truth” matters!
07-10-2022, Proverbs 12:11, How do we tell the difference between fantasy and reality?
Great question! It is critical believers recognize, break from fantasy and focus on living in reality.
A fantasy is an idea with no basis in reality, which is the state of things as they actually exist. Fantasy is anything the human mind can imagine, unrestricted by reality. The absence or distortion of reality.
Humanity is infected with a moral disease called sin. The rebellion of mankind has infected all and the cost of the cure is beyond our ability to pay. Jesus has paid the price in full and we have the choice of accepting this or choosing eternal separation from God by rejecting His sacrifice. It’s that simple.
Jesus is reality, the only way of salvation. He is the only one who solved the problem of our separation from God by sin. He is the only one who paid the price, so we could be reconciled with God. This is not fantasy, it is fact. We sinned in time-space history, the real world. Jesus died in time-space history, the real world. When believers talk about Jesus, we are talking about reality, not religious fantasy.
Christianity is reality in a make believe world, the truth of the way the world really is. It is the true history of mankind, not one of the many versions of fiction being spread by the followers of the evil one. It is the true standard for Godly living, moral standards. Our faith is not a personal spiritual fantasy, a religious fairytale, or make-believe-to-make-me-feel-happy kind of story, and we are called to be bold in our faith. We must clearly, lovingly speak the truth to all God brings into our lives. Our words and lives should be convicting, not offending.
We live and minister knowing christianity is a narrow way to eternal life that few find. It is not a wide way to destruction that many follow. Actually, “Christian” was not the label the followers of Jesus initially used of themselves. Instead, they called their group “the Way,” in light of Jesus’ own claim.
Thank you, Ron.
I love the reminder about Jesus being “The Way.” And you are right, the world twists the Christ story into a “fantasy” and then sells pure fantasy and reality. I would be dead or in a rubber room somewhere because of the world’s “logic” if it were not for Jesus coming to my rescue.
Praise God for His unconditional love for all mankind. We can thank Him for all faith and obedience, and as you say, sanity!