Deep Purple: "Smoke on the Water"

This song is based on a true event which happened to the band. A venue they hoped to play at burned down because of "some stupid with a flair gun." Check it out here.
 

 Listen to the song here:

As is always the case in human affairs, it only takes one or two people to spoil it for the rest. One example the Bible mentions was when David was on the run from King Saul. A man named Doeg told the king that his prey was hiding with the priests of the Lord.

We read what happened because of one evil man in 2 Samuel 22:18 (Bible in Basic English). "Then the king said to Doeg, 'You are to put the priests to death.' And Doeg the Edomite, turning on the priests and attacking them, put to death that day eighty-five men who took up the ephod." Saul also had the townspeople and their livestock killed.

Earlier in Scripture, Achan stole a few things when Jericho was destroyed. But God caused the Israelites to lose a battle with a little city called Ai. Achan was discovered and the objects he stole caused him and his family to be executed.

Joshua 7:25 and 26 (BBE) tells us, "And Joshua said, 'Why have you been a cause of trouble to us? Today the Lord will send trouble on you.' And all Israel took part in stoning him; they had him stoned to death and then burned with fire. And over him they put a great mass of stones, which is there to this day; then the heat of the Lord's wrath was turned away. So that place was named, The Valley of Achor, to this day."

To a lesser extent, Noah caused his son to see his nakedness when he got drunk. Genesis 9:22 and 23 (BBE) tells what happened. "And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father unclothed, and gave news of it to his two brothers outside. And Shem and Japheth took a robe, and putting it on their backs went in with their faces turned away, and put it over their father so that they might not see him unclothed."

Even Gideon, my Old Testament hero, blew it. Judges 8:26 and 27 (BBE) tells of how Gideon asked for the gold from the defeated raiders. "The weight of the gold ear-rings which he got from them was one thousand, seven hundred shekels of gold; in addition to the moon-ornaments and jewels and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and the chains on their camels' necks. And Gideon made an ephod from them and put it up in his town Ophrah; and all Israel went after it there and were false to the Lord; and it became a cause of sin to Gideon and his house."

And if Jesus, whom Judas Iscariot betrayed, hasn't returned by Monday, I hope to post about how our beloved Lord is all we need.

Deep Purple: "Highway Star"

People certainly do love their cars. They also are tempted to speed by their pride, thinking they can handle their vehicles at high speeds.

This song by Deep Purple shows how having a fast car seems like a right to speed. 

Listen to the song here:

The proverb, "hast makes waste," certainly applies in this situation. It's been my experience that drivers can't stand having a car in front of them, especially when that driver is doing the speed limit.

Proverbs 16:18 (Bible in Basic English) admonishes such speeders, "Pride goes before destruction, and a stiff spirit before a fall." Of course the only place that doesn't apply is in the dictionary.

Arrogant folks never heed the advice of Proverbs 8:13 (BBE). "The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me."

We also see in Isaiah 23:9 (BBE) why God punishes hautiness. "It was the purpose of the Lord of armies to put pride to shame, to make sport of the glory of those who are honoured in the earth."

God and his prophets mourned the fate of those who refused to listen. As Jeremiah 13:17 (BBE) says, "But if you do not give ear to it, my soul will be weeping in secret for your pride; my eye will be weeping bitterly, streaming with water, because the Lord's flock has been taken away as prisoners." This verse refers to the Babylonian captivity.

Ezekiel 16:49 (BBE) shows the cause of pride, both then and today. "Truly, this was the sin of your sister Sodom: pride, a full measure of food, and the comforts of wealth in peace, were seen in her and her daughters, and she gave no help to the poor or to those in need."

This small sampling of scriptures shows how deadly the sin of pride is. Proud people think they need no help but they're in great danger of damnation.

If Christ hasn't come to judge the living and the dead by Saturday, I hope to post about people rejoicing in the disgrace and misery of others.