The Damage of Evil

One of my 2020 habits to pursue is reading the Apocrypha - the 15 books that were removed from the Protestant Bible in the 1500s. The first book is The Wisdom of Solomon, and this morning I read through chapter 17. So far, I can see that overall the literary value of these books is not comparable with the beauty of the language in the KJV of our Bible (translated at roughly the same time in history.) 

Chapter 17 of The Wisdom of Solomon is all about the qualities that evil creates in a person. I found verses 8-20 interesting. Summarized and paraphrased by yours truly: “Wickedness is fearful, always forecasting horrible outcomes. Fear is nothing but a betraying of the comfort which reasoning gives. The ignorance within is more than the thing causing them torment. Monstrous apparitions cause their hearts to fail, keeping them shut up in prisons without iron bars. (After a listing of occupations) they were all bound with the chain of darkness. All noises - from the melodious noise of birds and the pleasing fall of water to the terrible sound of stones being cast down and the roaring of savage beasts - all noises made them swoon from fear.” 

The chapter ends with this actual quote: “For the whole world shined with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labor. Over them only was spread a dark night, an image of that darkness which should afterward receive them: but yet were they unto themselves more grievous than the darkness.” I’ve seen this in people who have let evil into their lives. Have you?