Omoluabi Podcast

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ojú onílá nilá ṣe ńkó."

INTERPRETATION: "It is in the presence of the okro planter that the fruits become fibrous (and inedible)."

MEANING: The negligent person will watch as his or her affairs go to ruin.

REFLECTION: When okro fruits are harvested as at when due, they are very edible and bring gain to the farmer, the seller, the buyer, the cook and the eventual consumer. But when okro fruits are not harvested at the right time, they become full of fibre on the inside, and as such, they become inedible.

We discussed this from two perspectives: finishing well, and being diligent (rather than negligent). 

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/

✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589

FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA

https://linktr.ee/josephola

https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: ""Níbo ló gbé wà?" nìyájú ẹkùn."

INTERPRETATION: ""Where is it?" is a great insult to the leopard."

MEANING: One should be smart enough to hide one’s ignorance about things one ought to know because there are some truths that are so self-evident that to query otherwise is to reveal one's foolishness.

REFLECTION: The idea being put forward in the word picture that informed the proverb is that the leopard is so self-important that it will take offence if anybody should ask where it was, or which it was, among other animals. The reason is that the leopard has distinctive and unmistakable features, let alone its reputation among other animals.

A case study that readily passes across the message is that of King Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament. In Daniel 4, we read of how God humbled him by making him experience being a beast for 7 years in order to teach him a lesson he should have known all along: there is God and He is sovereignly in charge. Indeed, anyone who denies the existence of God is denying a self-evident truth. 

BIBLICAL REFERENCE: Daniel 4

LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

✥ Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IqDSRJ9VKmVulNJVtc9QY

✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/

✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589

FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA

https://linktr.ee/josephola

https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Bí ọmọdé bá ńṣe ọmọdé, àgbà a máa ṣe àgbà."

INTERPRETATION: "When a child is being a child, an elder must remain an elder."

MEANING: One should not permit other people’s immature behaviour to deflect one from the proper course of acting maturely.

REFLECTION: The idea being put forward is that people do act according to varying levels of maturity. However, a truly wise person will not bring himself or herself low to the level of acting immaturely in reaction to someone else's immaturity. The English idiomatic equivalents can be such phrases like "That's beneath me"; "I will choose to be the adult"; or when someone says, "I will not dignify this question with an answer" (used when it is being implied that the said question is foolish or immature).

As believers, the proverb should remind us that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and, therefore, must always filter our actions and reactions through the sieve of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). We must not allow the foolish or sinful behaviours of others to cause us to act foolishly or respond sinfully. May God help us.

BIBLICAL REFERENCES

LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

✥ Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/episode/30uEi9sBDoWpcdDZ3FxLXT

✥ My Website — https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabi/

✥ Other Platforms — https://pod.link/1550735589

FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM JOSEPH & ANU OLA

https://linktr.ee/josephola

https://josephola.disha.page/

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ògbójú ò tẹ ara ẹ̀ nÍfá; ọ̀mọ̀ràn ò fara ẹ̀ joyè; ọ̀bẹ tó mú ò gbẹ́  ẹ̀kù ara ẹ̀"

INTERPRETATION: "The fearless person does not consult the Ifá oracle on his own behalf; the super-clever person does not enthrone himself; the sharpest knife does not carve its own handgrip."

MEANING: No matter how powerful and accomplished one might be, one will need other people for some things.

REFLECTION: 

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES CITED: David and his "mighty men". (2 Samuel 23)

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PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Orúkọ ńroni; àpèjà ńroni."

INTERPRETATION: "One’s name affects one’s character; one’s war name determines how one behaves."

MEANING: To put it succinctly, people are influenced by their names.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION: This belief that people are influenced by their names is common in Biblical records, especially among the Jews. We see cases of God changing people's names and how that has a significant impact on their lives (Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Simon...). We therefore reflected on this proverb by highlighting a couple of things:

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES CITED

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PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ojú àlejò la ti ńjẹ gbèsè; ẹ̀hìn-in ẹ̀ là ńsan án"

INTERPRETATION: "It is in a visitor’s presence that one gets into debt; it is in her absence that one repays the debt."

MEANING: One does not estimate how much hospitality is costing until one’s visitor has departed.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION: Among other things, this proverb reminds us of the fact that HOSPITALITY HAS A PRICE. In spite of the price, however, both the African worldview and biblical command instruct believers to be hospitable. The wisdom of the proverb, therefore, is to remind ourselves not to 'overdo' in being hospitable to others. One way this can be done is by reminding ourselves WHO we are trying to please by our hospitality — man or God? If we put this in perspective, we won't unnecessarily 'overdo' in order to make an impression on fellow humans. Anu offered some practical tips on how this could be done. 

BIBLE VERSE CITED: Hebrews 13:2 (AMPC) says "Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it."

LINKS TO LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

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ỌMỌLÚÀBÍ PODCAST | EPISODE 017

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Eegun àjànàkú: ó ma há ìkokò l'ẹ́nu."

INTERPRETATION: "An elephant’s bone: it will be too much for the wolf to swallow."

MEANING: This proverb is often said to warn someone who is overreaching [or has overreached] himself or herself. The simple truth is that WE ALL HAVE OUR LIMITS and we must respect that lest we break down.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION: We considered two Christianese phrases people sometimes use to justify dabbling into things for which they have no capacity: "I have the mind of Christ" and "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me."

While both statements are biblical, we must be careful to not apply them out of context. If you truly have the mind of Christ, then you will be adequately led by the Holy Spirit and not waste time and effort overreaching unnecessarily. After all, as the Amplified Bible puts Philippians 4:13, the "all things" you can do through Christ mainly applies to those things which Christ has specifically called YOU to do.

BIBLE VERSE CITED

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PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Bí Ṣàǹgó bá ńpa àràbà, tó ńpa ìrókò, bíi tigi ńlá kọ́."

INTERPRETATION: "Even though Ṣango kills the silk-cotton tree and kills the ìrókò tree, no such fate can befall the huge tree."

MEANING: This proverb is often said as a boast which is supposedly based on the assurance that the person being referred to is mightier than anyone in the vicinity who others consider to be mighty.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION: We considered this proverb from a few perspectives.

BIBLE VERSES CITED:

Psalm 91:7 (NIV) says "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you."

The entirety of Psalm 95 (TPT)

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Kò sí kò sí; bẹ́ẹ̀ni ọmọ wọn ńyó."

INTERPRETATION: "‘‘We have nothing, we have nothing!’’ Yet their children always have full stomachs."

MEANING: This proverb is often said of those who are too stingy and too tightfisted to help others. They have enough, but when others come to them for help, they claim not to have. In spite of their claim to be in lack, however, everything points to the fact that they actually do have. (For instance, their 'children' never go hungry; their stomachs are always full!)

BIBLICAL REFLECTION: We considered this proverb from a few perspectives.

BIBLE VERSES CITED:

ỌMỌLÚÀBÍ PODCAST | EPISODE 014

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Bí èèyàn-án bá ṣeun ká sọ pé ó ṣeun; bí èèyàn-án bá ṣèèyàn ká sọ pé ó ṣèèyàn; nítorípé, ohun tí a ṣe, ó yẹ kó gbeni."

INTERPRETATION: "If a person deserves gratitude, we should acknowledge that he deserves gratitude; if a person is kindly, we should acknowledge that he is kindly, because we all ought to reap the rewards of our actions."

MEANING: The idea is simply that we should readily acknowledge and accord gratitude to those who are due of it. We emphasised the need for us to include such phrases like "Thank You" in our default day-to-day language and the need to be immediate in our show of gratitude (like the Good Samaritan did not delay in showing love to the wonder Jewish man he helped in spite of the rift that had been between Samaritans and Jews for many generations.) 

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

Here, Paul stresses the need for us to give "double honour" to those who God is using to teach us God's Word and lead us in the things of God, thus facilitating our growth. By being good at what they do, such pastors and leaders deserve an intentional show of (double) honour from us to them, and God will bless us as we do so.