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How Does Pāṯâ Connect Meta & Imported Meat?

How Does Pāṯâ Connect Meta & Imported Meat?

Last updated on: August 28, 2026 at 12:25 am by Martin Thomas Johnson

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How Does Pāṯâ Connect Meta & Imported Meat? 2026-08-28T00:25:06-04:00 Martin Thomas Johnson

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This week, the big news is about social media giant Meta settling out of court in a lawsuit filed by four states that claimed the media giant knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram to compulsively engage young people, although the company knew the risks, but then misled the public about them, and collected digital data from children, some under the age of 13.

Image by Wikipedia Commons

The settlement awarded a nearly $18 billion payout to 40 states that were part of the lawsuit. It is also contingent on other social media platforms taking action to protect minors from abuse and harm on those platforms as well.

No one should be surprised by the outcome of this lawsuit. The general public has been aware of the dangers and addictive aspects of social media for decades. I’m surprised it took so long for the facts to come out about how Meta deceived the public:

Hiding internal research
Misrepresenting addictive features
Publishing misleading reports

For over a decade, we have heard about or witnessed the dangers of Meta’s products. Teen depression has risen as young children compare themselves to the perfect images on popular accounts.

Others have faced cyberbullying, which has led to some teens committing suicide. Some of the parents of those teens were present at the hearing this week. Then, there are those children who have been deceived and lured away by evil adults with bad intentions.

Anxiety and FOMO have destroyed many youth’s mental health. Teens and young adults are easily enticed by temporary happiness or immediate pleasure (Job 31:1-3, James 1:15).

What Is Entice

We often think of sexual acts or temptation when we hear the word entice, but it has many applications in life. Entice is defined as, “To attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire: tempt**.”**

Image created by Martin Thomas Johnson using Canva

We have all been enticed by something or someone at some point in life. We have also witnessed friends, family, and leaders be enticed into a bad situation. Entice is like a fisherman dangling bait on a hook to catch an unsuspecting fish. Enticement can be both physical and a spiritual trap.

That is why the Bible has a lot to say about being enticed or tempted (Romans 1:24, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, James 1:14-15, Jude 1:7). We live in a fallen world that will entice us to do what is wrong (Romans 8:20-22, Galatians 5:16-17, Ephesians 6:10-13, 1 Peter 5:8-9).

Even our own sinful hearts will entice and lead us astray (Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:20-23, Ephesians 4:22, James 1:14). That is why we must test the spirits (1 John 4:1-6). Even the strongest Christian can be enticed and turn from the faith (1 Corinthians 10:12-13, 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 6:9-10, 2 Timothy 4:10, Hebrews 3:12-14, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Revelation 2:4-5). The apostles remembered their Jewish education about being enticed to do wrong.

Pāṯâ

The prophet Moses tells us that the serpent was more crafty than any other beast in the garden (Genesis 3:1). He used an attractive-looking fruit to entice Eve and her husband and led them away from God and His one command (Genesis 3:1-6).

Adam blamed his wife (a good gift) for enticing him to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:11-13). Even the first man was enticed by what he saw and liked.

The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for entice is pāṯâ, and it can also mean, “Deceive, persuade, flatter, allure, enlarge, or silly,” depending upon the context it is used in. All humans have the same fallen nature of Adam that causes us to be easily enticed by temporary happiness and pleasure.

That is why Judaism warns and teaches God’s people about how this world and its idols can entice and lead us astray (Exodus 20:3-6, Deuteronomy 7:25-26; 11:16-17; 13:1-4). Below are two ways Judaism teaches we are enticed:

The Enticer (Maisit)
The evil inclination (Yetzer Hara)

Even Jesus had to resist the enticement of the devil and this fallen world (Matthew 4:1-11, Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). Our Lord reminded His followers how evil the human heart is (Matthew 15:18-20).

Jesus In the Garden

Image by Martin Johnson

He warned His followers not to focus on the temporary things of this world, because it isn’t His Kingdom (Matthew 6:19-21, John 18:36). Our Rabbi warned the religious leaders that even their thoughts made them guilty to show them how even God’s people can be led astray by their deceptive hearts (Matthew 5:21-28).

Jesus Himself battled His own heart and flesh to do God’s will in the garden (Matthew 26:39, Luke 22:42).

Meat

In other big news this week, President Trump decided to lift tariffs on imported beef in an attempt to increase supply and lower outrageous beef prices in America. Inflation and small herds have caused the 12 to 14% spike in beef domestically.

Image by Wikipedia Commons

American consumers are already struggling to make ends meet due to the economy and the Iran war. Although the president campaigned on cutting prices and making America great again two years ago, he isn’t keeping his promise.

GOP leaders and American farmers are already protesting the president’s plan to flood the market with imported beef. The president has turned to the ways of this fallen world instead of doing God’s will:

Deception
Greed
Chasing greatness

Like any politician, the president will tell people anything they want to hear to entice them into supporting his un-American and unchristian pursuits. Hopefully, MAGA has realized that evil and deception aren’t political or immigration problems, but a human one (Ecclesiastes 9:3, Romans 3:10-18).

God’s people have always been enticed by the idols of this fallen world (Deuteronomy 7:25-26, Judges 2:11-13). That is why Jesus cautioned us to get the planks out of our own eyes (Matthew 7:3-5). We have all witnessed church leaders and clergy who fell because they were easily pāṯâ!

Jewish

What happened when Jesus broke five loaves and two fish for a crowd?

Select your answer to see how you score.

People went hungry Only five were fed A rainstorm started There were leftovers