Omoluabi Podcast

PROVERB CONSIDERED: "Ìpọ́njú àgbẹ̀ ò ju ọdún kan."

INTERPRETATION: "A farmer’s suffering will not last longer than a year."  

MEANING & BIBLICAL APPLICATION: The proverb is based on the concept of sowing (planting) and harvesting. The understanding is that if a farmer plants and begins to suffer for lack of resources or even lack of food to eat, such a reversal in his circumstance is but for a moment. Because he has sown, he can look forward WITH HOPE to the harvest, which, in the worst-case scenario, will come in a year's time.

This brings a lot of scriptures to mind.

An important question to ask, though, as Anu points out, is "In 'who' is our hope — in God or in efforts?" To have faith in yourself is to put a pressure you can't keep up with on yourself. To have faith in God, however, is to believe in the One Who is able to do and undo.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

"Prophesy Your Promise" by Bryan & Katie Torwalt 

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: "Àparò ò ga ju ara-a wọn lọ, àfi èyí tó gun ebè."

INTERPRETATION: "No partridge is taller than another except for those standing on earth mounds." (Earth mounds are little heaps of soil usually made with a hoe; in the farm, crops like yam and cassava are planted into the heaps.) 

MEANING & BIBLICAL APPLICATION: Usually, this proverb is said of a group of people among whom there is none that stands out. We, however, considered the proverb from the perspective of laying emphasis on the latter part of it. Yes, partridges are alike when they are all standing on the same ground, however, if one of them goes on to stand on an earth mound, such will stand out among the rest.

We considered this from the angle of SALVATION BY GRACE. All humans are alike (like partridges) in the sense that we are all sinners. Irrespective of our varying levels of self-righteousness, they all amount to filthy rags relative to God's standard of righteousness. The only way to be acceptable to God, therefore, is to stand NOT in our righteousness, but in HIS righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus made this possible by His atoning death and triumphant resurrection. Anyone who believes in Him, therefore, has, proverbially speaking, "climbed the earth mound" that makes such a person STAND OUT among others.

In the same vein, both in our secular work and our spiritual service in God's vineyard, we need to always ask ourselves, "what earth mounds do you need to climb to stand out of the rest?" As Anu urges us all, we must endeavour to avoid limiting ourselves to people's perception of us in our service to God and to men; as long as we stay in tune with the Holy Spirit obeying His every prompting, we will always stand out among our equals.

BIBLICAL REFERENCE

2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:12-13

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

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: "Bí ayé bá ńyẹni, ìwà ìbàjẹ́ là ńhù."

INTERPRETATION: "If life is being good to one, one is likely to act disgracefully."

MEANING: Prosperity (especially material-wise) comes with a temptation to misbehave.

REFLECTION: The idea this proverb posits is found all over the Bible. God repeatedly warned the Israelites of the tendency for them to forget that it was God who gave them the power to get wealth when they get to the promised land and inherited houses they didn't build and harvest in fields where they had not laboured. (And, indeed, they forgot God on multiple occasions in their history.) The same tendency is common to all humans, really.

In our exposition, we reflected on the scenario of the United Kingdom where the land of the Welsh revival of the early 20th century and the land where the likes of Charles Spurgeon preached powerfully has now become the land where there are more atheists than there are adherents of any faith. They no longer see the need for God because they tend to have most of the things that an average person in the third world will have to pray to God to get.

Likewise, Anu cited the case of a celebrity who gained weight at some point and was able to lose the weight after a while. However, rather than empathise with those who are having weight issues, she went online speaking disparagingly about such people, forgetting that she was just like that as well, not too long ago!

We concluded with the beautiful prayer in Proverbs 30:8-9 (TLB) which says, "...give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name."

BIBLICAL REFERENCE: Proverbs 30:7-9

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: "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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