The power of flattery

Flattery is power. I have used it, and I have succumbed to it. The power of flattery is just one spectrum slice of the power of the human word, which is analogous to the fiat of the divine word. "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light."

Proverbs says when you flatter a man, you corrupt him. That is a terrible thing to do to a man. What is less commented on is the damage flattery does to the flatterer. It diminishes his own soul, all the while he thinks he is getting away with something. "Said the fly to the flypaper, 'I'm gonna get you.' Said the flypaper to the fly: 'Got you!'"

There is a danger of self-flattery (Psalm 36:2). There is also a danger of flattery between friends. There is a pride of friendship between people who are on the same wavelength, the mutual admiration society and oh so subtle sense of superiority that excludes and benignly looks down on those outside "the know."

In the spirit of "there's more than one way to skin a cat," Israel was often "skinned" by the flattery of her enemies. Hezekiah showed off every last article in the temple to Babylonian emissaries-who were taking notes, and came back later. The Arameans thought they were horsemeat after being defeated by Israel-till they picked up on a chink in King Ahab's armor, his susceptibility to flattery:

Thinking to beg for mercy, "… they went to the king of Israel and said, 'Your servant Ben-Hadad says: "Please let me live."' The king answered, 'Is he still alive? He is my brother!' The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word: 'Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!' They replied …" (1 Kings 20:32-33).

God was not pleased.