To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Month: April 2014

Blood for Blood or not

Genesis 9:5-6 establishes that the one who sheds the blood of man shall be avenged for that person (including animals that kill) must be put to death, since man is made in the image of God. In other words, the world justice system of “blood for blood” fits nicely with these verses. However, if you  recount the incident of Cain and Abel, even though Cain had shed the blood of his brother Abel, and his blood was required, he was spared, depicting God’s mercy and grace.

Points to ponder:
The world’s justice system may require blood for blood (which is Biblically supported), but according to God’s justice system, he spares even a murderer, for his love trumps over justice. Even though it may seems like it should be blood for blood, with the grace and mercy of God, it is not. Such is his love for you and me … Think about it!

Genesis 9:5-6 (KJV)
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

To be a fool or not to be …

April Fools day is celebrated in most parts of the world on the 1st of April and during this day people play practical jokes and pranks on their family members and friends. On this April Fool’s day, what is it that we can learn from the Bible, which is not a practical prank or a joke, by any stretch of our imagination.

Proverbs 28:26 states that those who trust in their own insight (heart or themselves) are fools, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. In this verse are hidden a few treasures for us to uncover.

First, we ought not to trust in ourselves and/or our insight, but we ought to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, lest we be deemed fools (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Second, we need to walk in wisdom and since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), we ought to walk in the fear of the Lord, keeping his commandments, for that is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13), lest we be deemed fools.
Third, if you notice carefully, the antonym for the word ‘fool’ according to this verse is not ‘wise’ but instead ‘safe’ is used as an opposite to being a fool. In other words, fools destroy themselves (Proverbs 1:32) and their companions (Proverbs 13:20), but those who walk in the fear of the Lord have nothing to fear at all, for they are safe – no harm shall befall them (Psalm 91:10).

Points to ponder:
Do you trust in yourself or do you trust in the Lord God? Are you a fool … to be a fool or not to be? … is the question.

Proverbs 28:26 (NLT)
26. Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.

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