Ten Dead Dogs - What was Past is Now Present: Beware of the 70th week

This song takes on new meaning! My whole life has been a personal journey of doubt, struggle, and seeking divine direction. Its now evolving into hope and spiritual clarity. 

For not all dogs go to heaven. This I know. Do you you? 

I saw  ten dead dogs  on the side of the road

driving late last night to your apartment

and I thought it was an omen

so I headed on back home and

walked in circles 'round my room

alone.

And Oh my god, is this really what you want?

Would you tell us if it's not?

And could you rewrite the plot

and come and get us?

Yeah, come and get us.

Shivering cold, I woke up in water

and wrapped myself around the toilet seat.

I spoke in tongues and took all my clothes off.

The tops of my fingers

touched the tops of my toes

And Oh my god, is this really what you want?

Would you tell us if it's not?

And could you rewrite the plot

and come and get us?

Cause we can't stop doing

what we think we want,

even though we know it's not.

This place is merely a subplot

to come and get us.

I've never felt this way before.

Am I running away from what

I've always been running towards.

Belief, believe in me, cause I don't know

if reason's ever gonna see why love

would come to die,

to leave.

Oh my god, is this really what you want?

Would you tell us if it's not?

And could you rewrite the plot

and come and get us?

Cause we can't stop doing

what we think we want,

even though we know it's not.

This place is merely a subplot

to come and get us.

I watched the sky turn from blue

to black to red and yellow too

before the purple dawn was filling up my room.

And for a brief moment,

I heard the whole earth groaning

like there was something

that it needed me to do.

It is now, strangely, almost an anthem of hope! Deeply personal. For I was running away from where I am to go but now have been made whole for I have returned to the right path.  I was not aware at the time but this song sems to speak to the Kingdom come; how interesting especially with the many associations of the number 10 in the bible. There is something to the math of it all - too much to unpack for today.  Fun random bible fact about dogs and one verse to share as I relate to my readings:

May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes wickedness.' But my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! [1 Samuel 24:12-14 ESV]

 

For I am also a dead dog and do not seek to avenge. For what love is there in that? God is merciful and full of grace we should extend that to others. Being mindful of those that do not appreciate it; I must grow in discernment:

"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. [Matthew 7:6 ESV] 

A verse I am too familiar with as I am forgetful: 

Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. [Proverbs 26:11 ESV]

And one that speaks to the many itchy ears and those willing to feed them:

What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire." [2 Peter 2:22 ESV]

 Original thoughts from 05/13/2010; from an old post of song meaning in a draft post; quite a dark path I once walked but now walk in light. I see the dichotomy of my old posts vs new quite clearly myself:

4 Ten Dead Dogs by Wild Sweet Orange

The first few stanzas can hit hard with the lyrics “I saw ten dead dogs on the side of the road..”. To add to that, there is a subtle dark theme to its melody. The interpretation that I draw is that the artist is struggling with his direction in life, not sure if he’s doing the right thing or on the right path. He ponders that question, struggling with his set of beliefs and all his previously held conceptions of his goals and aspirations. He wonders wether he would know the path in life he should take if he sees it, and if not, whether God would point him in the right direction. For a brief moment at the end, the singer may be coming to a realization of a need for change in his life. I relate particularity because I have experienced the ups and downs, doubts and all the questions revolving around the meaning and purpose of life. I feel like my life has been a struggle between right and wrong, riding the fine line that exists between the two. Life is a journey to find answers to those questions, even if we don’t know there are answers.

So all this to day:  we should be mindful of the last week. It will be here in a flash. I would rather wait expectantly myself and not get caught with my pants down.  How about you?  

Ten kingdoms come as one and it kind of seems like the earth groans. Will we see it in our generation? Who knows, not for me to have any idea but I just write as I am lead in my time and breath on earth. So much to understand about what is already written by the prophets! I could spend the rest of my life unpacking it. I think i would like that.

"Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, [and which] devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, and [the meaning] of the ten horns that [were] on its head, and the other [horn] which came up, and before which three [of the horns] fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great [boasts,] and which was larger in appearance than its associates. [Daniel 7:19-20 NASB20]