ONE PLUS ONE IS TWO, NOT THREE!
THE SEED
“I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living…” Gen 24: 3
I came across a funny analogy around this title today, from a book by Roberts Liardon (The Boy Who Went to Heaven). In the book, he said just because you know and like Mr A and Mr B, does not mean Mr A and Mr B will like each other. Just because you are good friends with Mr A and Mr B, does not mean they will be good friends to each other. This can be a poor calculation in interpersonal relationships. In our text today, we can see that Abraham did not make this mistake. He had good friends and even had business relationships with inhabitants of the land; Amorites and sons of Heth, who were Canaanites. He trusted some of them, and they honoured and liked him. Some even followed him into battle and helped him at great personal risk to themselves (Gen. 14: 13; 23: 6). Some of these men were good people. But Abraham knew that there was no guarantee that they would take their relationship with God as seriously as he would as the people from his father’s family would. So, he didn’t want his son to marry anyone from among them. He knew their culture wasn’t in line with the things of God. And the wages of sin is death. We must take our relationship choices, especially marriage, very seriously. People can make decisions on things like this, for the flimsiest of reasons. Just because you like someone, does not mean that person would make a good spouse. Just because someone is good to you, does not mean you should go into a covenant with them. We must allow God to guide us in our relationships.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 24:1-7
PRAYER: Father, help me to navigate my relationships in a way that always honour You.
ÓÒ KAN PẸ̀LÚ ÓÒ KAN JẸ́ ÈÉ JÍ, KÍ I ṢÉ Ẹ̀Ẹ̀TÀ.
IRUGBIN NAA
“Èmi o sí mu ọ fi Olúwa búra, Ọlọ́run ọ̀run, ati Ọlọ́run ayé, pé ìwọ kí yíò fẹ́ aya fún ọmọ mí nínú àwọn ọmọbìnrin ara Kénáánì, láàárín àwọn ẹniti mo ngbe.” Genesisi 24 : 3.
Mo pade afiwe kan tí o pànì lẹ́rìn, nipa àkọlé yii loni, lati inu iwe ti mo ka ni ọpọlọpọ ọdun sẹyin láti ọwọ Robert Liardon. (Ọmọkunrin ti o lọ si Ọrun) Ninu iwe náà a rí pé nítorí ìwọ mọ Ọgbẹni A ati Ọgbẹni B,o si fẹ́ràn wọ́n,ko tumọ si pè Ọgbẹni A ati Ọgbẹni B yíò jẹ ọrẹ to dara si ara wọn.Eyi lejẹ àpapọ̀ ti ko dara to nínú ìbánidọ̀rẹ́ láàrín àwọn ènìyàn.Ninu ọrọ wa loni ale riipe Abrahamu ko ṣe aṣiṣe yii.Ojẹ ọrẹ to dara ati paapaa oni idowopọ̀ pẹlu awọn olugbe Ilẹ naa;Awọn ọmọ Amori ati awọn ọmọ Heti,tii ṣe ara Kenaani,o gbẹ́kẹ̀lé àwọn kan lára wọn,wọ́n sì bọlá fún,wọ́n sì nífẹ̀ rẹ̀.Wọn tilẹ̀ tẹ̀lée lọ sójú ogun,wọ́n sì ràn án lọ́wọ́ nínú ewu ńláǹlàfún ara wọn.Nínú Jẹ́nẹ́sísì14:13;23:6 diẹ ninu awọn ọkunrin wọnyi jẹ eniyan réré ṣugbọn Abrahamu mọ pe ko si un nipa bi oun ṣefẹ,bi awọn eniyan ti idile baba rẹ ṣe fẹ́.Nítorínáà,kò fẹ́ kí ọmọ kùnrin kankan fẹ́ ẹnikẹ́ni nínú àwọn ọmọ bìnrin wọ́n.O mọ pe aṣa wọn ko wà ni ibamu pẹlu awọn ohun ti Ọlọrun.Ati pe iku ní èrè ẹ̀ṣẹ̀.A gbọ́dọ̀ fi ọwọ́ pàtàkì mú àwọn yí yàn àjọṣe wa,pàápà ájùlọ nípa ìgbéyàwó.Awọn eniyan leṣe awọn ipinnu lori awọn nkan bii eyi,fun awọn idi ti okere julọ.Nítorí o fẹran ẹnikan ko tumọ si pe eniyan naa yíò jẹ́ iyawo tabi ọkọ ti o dara.Nitori ẹnikan ṣe rere fun ọ,ko tumọ si pe oyẹ ki o wọ inú majẹmu pẹlu wọn. Agbọ́dọ̀ jẹ́kí Ọlọ́run darí wa nínú àjọṣe wa.
BIBELI KIKA: Genesisi 24 : 1-7.
ADURA: Baba wà ọ̀run, rán mí lọwọ láti le mú ìbáṣèpọ àti ibanidọ̀rẹ́ ní ọ̀nà tí yió bù ọlá fun Ọ. Ni orúkọ Jesu. Amin