Eating Rocks

Proverbs 20:17
17Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.

King Solomon used food to denote what can be consumed. Actually, the preparer of the food was considered to be someone not of good standing with the Lord. For the man keeping company with one not of good standing, it's a sure way to fall and most hurtful to him. Anything gained and consumed by less than desirable or truthful means may seem good in the beginning but it ends up being distasteful and unpleasant in the end. What does a mouth full of gravel taste like? If you know anything about gravel then you know gravel is loose, small rocks often mixed with dirt. Rocks are hard and can shatter and chip the contents of anything with enough force. Chewing on gravel most certainly cannot be a pleasant experience and must be very painful. This is exactly what God wants you to understand. If you gain something the wrong way, it may seem like you have retrieved something sweet and valuable but it will soon become very painful before it is said done. Fraud as defined by Merriam-Webster's Online dictionary is simply deceit, trickery or misinterpretation of what something really is. Have you ever obtained anything based on lies, deceit or misinterpretation? How bad did it hurt? Did it feel like you were eating rocks?