The Power of The Dog - Biblical References of Betrayal 

The Power of The Dog—Biblical References of Betrayal 

December 2021

It was again that time of the year when the bright lights outside rivaled Mary’s bright contentment of heart inside—her true light of Christmas. It would be a quiet evening for Mary. Her husband and son were part of the cast presenting the live Christmas story—a yearly event organized by their church in Burnet, Texas. Thousands of out-of-town visitors would descend back in time, walking the streets of the ancient Bethlehem village, and be visually stimulated to experience the old Christmas story. 

Back at home, the void of noise and clatter suddenly made the house seem too small to contain the steadily expanding wall-to-wall silence. Mary clicked the TV receiver, and the bright light immediately dispersed silence and loneliness. The Netflix screen opened, and her attention zeroed on a title conveyed cowboy entertainment: The Power of the Dog. The lead actor’s name was decisive for her choice—Benedict Cumberbatch. With increasing anticipation, she was engulfed by the developing plot that transported her a century back in 1925. It was a story of trust and betrayal. Later into the night, Mary’s mind continued to linger on the unexpected twist. A rude and inconsiderate man extended his hand for reconciliation to a fragile and timid youth he had offended earlier. Despite the problems in their relationship, they shook hands in mutual agreement to forgive and accept. This notion, however, was deceptive. The apparent reconciliation was a strategic move for the youth, providing him with closer access to his target to plan and execute his revenge. The story ended tragically. The complete trust of the “rude” character met the betrayal of the “proper” character, causing the one who trusted the new relationship his ultimate demise. 

Mary lingered on the story late into the night. She sympathized with the main character, who tried to make amends but suffered betrayal. The following day, part of Mary’s devotional included Psalm 22, and coming to verse 20, she read the words King David emphatically prayed, 

Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. (Psalm 22:20)

King David Prophetically depicted as “dogs” those who caused Jesus’ suffering on the cross, 

Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16). 

The movie's title depicted this one verse from the Bible. Now, the meaning of the movie rang with an augmented message of revelation: Betrayals are a plot of the enemy; they are the power of the dog. 

Over the years, Mary has read this psalm many times, yet it was the first time her mind captured the expression “the power of the dog” with its resounding message. God, who breathed His own Spirit of life into us and rescued us from Death, faced humanity’s betrayal that sent Him to the cross. Similarly, in the story, the character who trusted his new friend faced a betrayal that led to his death. This is the power of the dog. 

From the vantage point of this new revelation, Mary searched the entire Bible for further references. The words of Matthew 7:6 rang with an identical message. 

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:6)

“Who are the dogs?” Mary asked God in prayer, and the Scripture once again outlined the answer. 

Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:15)

Further, the Prophet Isaiah explains how to recognize the power of the dogs in our lives. 

They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. (Isaiah 56:11)

For a few days, Mary lingered over this new understanding and prayed against the power of the dog in her own life and the life of her friends and family. 

January 2022

By the first week of January, the excitement of Christmas and the adventures of the New Year have now all passed, permanently inscribed into the scrapbooks of old memories. Mary quickly directed her attention toward a newly developed task. She received an urgent request for biblical prayer counseling for a young woman, Laura, who was going through a family crisis. Laura was from Wisconsin and was visiting her mother, who lived in Burnet, Texas. Simultaneously, Laura sought counseling while staying with her mother. Through a string of extraordinary circumstances that unfolded over the holidays, Mary connected with Laura. It was beyond the doubt that God had directed the paths of Laura and Mary to cross. It was God’s divine appointment for Laura.  

The night prior to the first meeting, Mary asked the Lord for direction. “The power of the dog,” she heard the voice of the Lord. Was her mind lingering on the recent meditation on this topic, or was God directing her there? Mary was not entirely convinced. In the morning, before the first session, she inquired of the Lord for direction again. This time, the voice of the Lord was louder, “the power of the dog.” Mary trusted God. She quickly put a one-page summary from the Scripture on “the power of the dog.” 

The first session began with Mary presenting Laura with the teachings on “the power of the dog” and the circumstances under which she was bringing this Scripture. She further pointed out that after watching the movie on Netflix with the same title, her devotional was on Psalm 22 the following day, where the expression “the power of the dogs” revealed a new profound meaning. And now, when she inquired of the Lord for direction, the same Scripture came up. Laura turned pale and began crying. Mary asked Laura to watch the Netflix movie for further discussions on the topic. 

The following day, Laura appeared visually perplexed. She looked at Mary, bewildered, an expression radiating with amazement. Her entire body conveyed an internal steering of her spirit that aroused Mary’s attention. Through frequent, shallow breathing, Laura explained that she had committed to reading two psalms daily ten days earlier. Her devotion on the day after she watched the movie The Power of the Dog was Psalm 22. Coming to verse 20, Laura paused in disbelief because her experience mirrored Mary’s experience. Both women locked eyes for a long moment, overwhelmed with the realization of the truth spoken. In the silence of that moment, they both heard God’s voice loud and clear: “The Power of the Dog” was not only a movie; it was the root of Laura’s problem. 

The Lord God had created this very moment for Laura and Mary, where the revelation of Scripture and life experiences would bond in truth revealed. God caused their identical experience with Psalm 22 to amplify His message. God loved Laura, and He moved mountains to deliver the needed help. God entrusted the task to Mary, with whom He had a long history of faith-driven relationship. This is one of the rare occasions when God used a Hollywood production to bring glory to His name. 

After an intense week of counseling, Laura returned home to Wisconsin. Six months later, Mary received a text message from Laura, saying, “The power of the dog has no longer power over my family. Thank you.”

Question: Have you experienced the “power of the dog” in your life? Are you the victim or the perpetrator?

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