Basically, the public was introduced to television during the 1939-1940 World’s Fair in New York. World War II hindered and delayed television production until after the war. My generation enjoyed the radio. Radio had all sorts of programming from music, news and all kinds of shows: comedy, drama and the like. One of the favorites was “The Shadow,” a mystery show. The weekly program would start off with an eerie voice exclaiming, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” followed by a weird laugh.
Generally, we do not use the word lurking too much; even the sound of the word is creepy, is it not? Our English dictionary defines lurks and lurking in part as “To lie in wait, as in ambush. To exist unobserved or unsuspected as danger lurking around every bend” (The Free Dictionary by Farlex). Further, “Lurk implies a waiting in concealment or in the background, especially with sinister or menacing intentions” (Webster’s New World Dictionary, College Edition).
Frequently, we are unaware of the evil that lurks in the hearts of men. We see the outward man and we can be fooled to the true nature of his makeup. For a biblical example, we ask ourselves and ponder, why would Cain hate his brother Abel? What caused Cain to possess an unobserved or unsuspected evil hidden within his being? God rejected Cain’s offering. Cain was wroth, that is, he was blazed up in anger, he was jealous of Abel. In his heated rage, Cain killed his brother. We wonder if negative character traits lurked within him and how long did Cain harbor his menacing intentions? Did not Cain know what God had commanded of him? Yes, he did! “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?”(Genesis 4:5-7).
God Knows Our Hearts
“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:12-14).
“ For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great (Luke 6:43-49).
