Proverbs 19:25 Smite a scorner and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday morning, time to begin anew the work week battle! Please remember to put on your full battle dress, all your spiritual armour, and then some, (smile) before going out to engage the enemy. This way you can withstand his evil slings and arrows and also get in some licks of your own. And yuh know Friends, the power of the Spirit and its unconventional methods never cease to amaze me. I just did a routine task, and for some inexplicable reason a mighty surge of thanks rose within me. It wasn’t anything special or out of the ordinary, but I simply felt overwhelmed to offer much heartfelt thanks to our God. So let’s do that now please. Let’s take a moment to praise and glorify Him. And all God’s people proudly sang: ‘Praise Him, Praise Him, Glory Hallelujah, He is LOVE, Yes, He is LOVE!’ Now didn’t that feel good? It sure did! And I’m sure the Lord appreciated it, for there’s nothing He likes more than thanks, praise and glory from His children. Oh mih breddren, the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is certainly LOVE! He embodies the emotion as He’s shown throughout the ages, especially with the sacrificing of His only Son, Jesus, for our sins; the greatest show of LOVE ever. For that we can never give Him enough thanks and praise. But now we come to our Bit which deals with the way different people understand, or come to wisdom through different means and methods. Cousin Sol wisely proclaims: ‘Smite a scorner and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.’ And that tends to be the general rule: The simple, unlearned man oftimes will only learn from corporal or physical punishment. Moses cited this cause and effect when he warned Israel that idolaters who rose up as prophets among them, wanting them to follow other gods, should be unequivocally put to death. ‘And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more (not again do) such wickedness as this is among you.’ (Deut.13:10-11) That’s usually the way the uneducated or simple minded learn. And not surprisingly there are several passages in the Good Book dealing with the subject from men of great faith and wisdom, including Jesus. When talking about not judging others, he advised: ‘Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend (tear) you.’ (Mat.7:6) We should not waste our time telling the truth to those who refuse to hear it because of bias or hypocrisy. As the Jamaican saying goes, ‘doh feel sorry for meagre dog, cause he’ll turn around and bite you.’ And that’s a fact; the ones who need help most, are often the ones who are least appreciative. Sol also warns: ‘Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will LOVE thee.’ (Prov.9:8) Friends, that sounds logical, but Cousin Sol never met the numerous supposed wise we have today, who can’t take any criticism at all. (smile) I guess that simply means they aren’t truly wise. Unlike Bruh David, who unashamedly declares: ‘Let the righteous smite me: it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head (let not my head refuse it): for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities (against their wicked deeds).’ (Ps.141:5) Yes Friends, Bruh David proves Sol’s theory that the wise learn from verbal rebuke, so there’s no need for physical punishment. And the Preacher contends that ‘It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling (sound) of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: this also is vanity.’ (Eccl.7:5-6) Now my people, you ask what has all this got to do with anything? And I answer, everything. (smile) It just reminds us that as followers of Jesus, we should always seek wisdom and understanding, desire and aspire to excellence, upgrade ourselves with the Word and anything else that will help us do a better job for Jesus. We shouldn’t be strait-laced and narrow minded, argumentative and refuse to accept justified criticism. I know that none of us likes to be told we’re wrong, much less proven wrong, but all the wise men claim that we should not immediately fly off the handle, but first stop and consider the criticism. Neither should we be quick to judge others, especially if our own faults and failings are bigger than those we’re criticising. And if the criticism is unwarranted, then we should do like Jesus, turn the other cheek and move on. Our Saviour never got riled up over the criticism He unjustly received, and that’s the standard we ought to reach for. It’s not easy with quick, harsh criticism being the flavour of our time, where everyone’s a critic. But Friends, please remember that when we walk with the Most High God Jehovah and follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit, all things are possible. Much LOVE!…the wise will learn from words…but the unwise need blows…
Oh Friends, it’s Monday morning, time to begin anew the work week battle! Please remember to put on your full battle dress, all your spiritual armour, and then some, (smile) before going out to engage the enemy. This way you can withstand his evil slings and arrows and also get in some licks of your own. And yuh know Friends, the power of the Spirit and its unconventional methods never cease to amaze me. I just did a routine task, and for some inexplicable reason a mighty surge of thanks rose within me. It wasn’t anything special or out of the ordinary, but I simply felt overwhelmed to offer much heartfelt thanks to our God. So let’s do that now please. Let’s take a moment to praise and glorify Him. And all God’s people proudly sang: ‘Praise Him, Praise Him, Glory Hallelujah, He is LOVE, Yes, He is LOVE!’ Now didn’t that feel good? It sure did! And I’m sure the Lord appreciated it, for there’s nothing He likes more than thanks, praise and glory from His children. Oh mih breddren, the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is certainly LOVE! He embodies the emotion as He’s shown throughout the ages, especially with the sacrificing of His only Son, Jesus, for our sins; the greatest show of LOVE ever. For that we can never give Him enough thanks and praise. But now we come to our Bit which deals with the way different people understand, or come to wisdom through different means and methods. Cousin Sol wisely proclaims: ‘Smite a scorner and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.’ And that tends to be the general rule: The simple, unlearned man oftimes will only learn from corporal or physical punishment. Moses cited this cause and effect when he warned Israel that idolaters who rose up as prophets among them, wanting them to follow other gods, should be unequivocally put to death. ‘And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more (not again do) such wickedness as this is among you.’ (Deut.13:10-11) That’s usually the way the uneducated or simple minded learn. And not surprisingly there are several passages in the Good Book dealing with the subject from men of great faith and wisdom, including Jesus. When talking about not judging others, he advised: ‘Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend (tear) you.’ (Mat.7:6) We should not waste our time telling the truth to those who refuse to hear it because of bias or hypocrisy. As the Jamaican saying goes, ‘doh feel sorry for meagre dog, cause he’ll turn around and bite you.’ And that’s a fact; the ones who need help most, are often the ones who are least appreciative. Sol also warns: ‘Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will LOVE thee.’ (Prov.9:8) Friends, that sounds logical, but Cousin Sol never met the numerous supposed wise we have today, who can’t take any criticism at all. (smile) I guess that simply means they aren’t truly wise. Unlike Bruh David, who unashamedly declares: ‘Let the righteous smite me: it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head (let not my head refuse it): for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities (against their wicked deeds).’ (Ps.141:5) Yes Friends, Bruh David proves Sol’s theory that the wise learn from verbal rebuke, so there’s no need for physical punishment. And the Preacher contends that ‘It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling (sound) of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: this also is vanity.’ (Eccl.7:5-6) Now my people, you ask what has all this got to do with anything? And I answer, everything. (smile) It just reminds us that as followers of Jesus, we should always seek wisdom and understanding, desire and aspire to excellence, upgrade ourselves with the Word and anything else that will help us do a better job for Jesus. We shouldn’t be strait-laced and narrow minded, argumentative and refuse to accept justified criticism. I know that none of us likes to be told we’re wrong, much less proven wrong, but all the wise men claim that we should not immediately fly off the handle, but first stop and consider the criticism. Neither should we be quick to judge others, especially if our own faults and failings are bigger than those we’re criticising. And if the criticism is unwarranted, then we should do like Jesus, turn the other cheek and move on. Our Saviour never got riled up over the criticism He unjustly received, and that’s the standard we ought to reach for. It’s not easy with quick, harsh criticism being the flavour of our time, where everyone’s a critic. But Friends, please remember that when we walk with the Most High God Jehovah and follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit, all things are possible. Much LOVE!…the wise will learn from words…but the unwise need blows…
SCRIP-BITS 