Self Righteousness versus Selfishness: Read and what's your view
(1) Learn from God Himself through His word spoken, written or otherwise.
According to Sirach 32:14-17
"If you fear the Lord, you will accept His correction. He will bless those who get up early in the morning to pray. Study His Law, and you will master it, unless you are insincere about it, in which case you will fail. If you fear the Lord, you will know what is right, and you will be famous for your fairness. SINNERS HAVE NO USE FOR CORRECTION, AND WILL INTERPRET THE LAW TO SUIT THEMSELVES."
(2) Even slaves are to be treated as well as you wish yourself to be treated not to talk of Free borns like you and I.
According to Sirach 33: 28-31
"Work is what he needs. If he won't obey you, put him in chains. But don't be too severe with anyone, and never be unfair. IF YOU HAVE A SLAVE, TREAT HIM AS YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED; YOU BOUGHT HIM WITH YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY. TREAT HIM AS A BROTHER; YOU NEED HIM AS YOU NEED YOURSELF. IF YOU ILL-TREAT HIM AND HE RUNS AWAY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO LOOK FOR HIM?"
(3) Serving a Living God and standing firm on your decision is virtuous for He said that we shall have no other god but Him.
According to Bel and The Dragon 1: 23- 27
'There was also a huge dragon which the Babylonians worshipped. One day the king said to Daniel, "You can't tell me that this god is not alive. So worship him!" "I WORSHIP THE LORD," REPLIED DANIEL. "HE IS THE ONLY LIVING GOD. AND IF YOUR MAJESTY WILL GIVE ME PERMISSION, I WILL KILL THIS DRAGON OF YOURS WITHOUT USING A SWORD OR A CLUB." "YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION," ANSWERED THE KING. SO DANIEL TOOK SOME TAR, SOME FAT, SOME HAIR AND BOILED THEM ALL TOGETHER. HE MAKE CAKE OUT OF THE MIXTURE AND FED THEM TO THE DRAGON. WHEN THE DRAGON ATE THEM, IT SWELLED UP AND BURST OPEN. "THAT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU BABYLONIANS WORSHIP," SAID DANIEL.
(4) It is bad to deceive people especially those in High authority like Kings etc just for your selfish gain or your daily income because the aftermath of the whole deceit is dangerous or disastrous.
According to Bel and The Dragon 1: 7-13
Daniel laughed and said, "Don't be taken in, Your Majesty. This god you call Bel is nothing more than clay covered with bronze; it has never eaten or drunk anything." At this the king became angry and called in all seventy of the priests of bel. He said to them, "I warn you that you will be put to death, unless you can show me that it is bel who is eating these offerings. If you prove to me that it is bel, then I will have Daniel put to death for claiming that bel is not a god." Daniel agreed to this proposal. Then they all went with the king into bel's temple, where the priests said to the king, "Your Majesty, we will go out and let you place the food on the table and prepare the wine. When you leave, you may lock the door behind you and seal it with the royal seal. In the morning when you return, if you find that Bel has not eaten everything, you can put us to death. But if he has, Daniel will die for making false accusations against us." BUT THE PRIESTS WERE NOT WORRIED, BECAUSE THEY HAD MADE A SECRET ENTRANCE UNDERNEATH A TABLE IN THE TEMPLE, SO THAT THEY COULD GO IN EVERY NIGHT AND EAT THE OFFERINGS."
(5) Being confident in the Righteous God gives a better result than you expect and it scares the enemy to see that no matter how hard you are been pushed to the wall by them to fight, you are always ready to fight the good fight to the Glory of the name of the Lord.
According to 1 Maccabees 5: 37-49
After this, Timothy gathered another army and camped opposite Raphon, on the other side of a river. Judas sent some men to spy out the camp, and they reported back to him that all the Gentiles in the region had joined Timothy and had formed a large army. Timothy had also hired Arab mercenaries to help him, and these were camped on the other side of the river ready to attack Judas. So Judas went out to meet them in battle. AS JUDAS AND HIS ARMY CAME CLOSER TO THE WATER, TIMOTHY SAID TO HIS OFFICERS, "IF HE KEEPS ON COMING AND CROSSES THE RIVER, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO TURN BACK HIS ATTACK, AND HE WILL DEFEAT US. BUT IF HE IS AFRAID AND STOPS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, WE WILL CROSS OVER TO ATTACK AND DEFEAT HIM. WHEN JUDAS REACHED THE BANK OF THE RIVER, HE GAVE ORDERS TO HIS OFFICERS TO LET NO ONE STOP BUT TO PUSH EVERYONE FORWARD INTO BATTLE. JUDAS WAS THE FIRST TO CROSS THE RIVER AGAINST THE ENEMY, AND ALL HIS MEN FOLLOWED HIM. THE GENTILES BROKE RANKS BEFORE THEM, THREW AWAY THEIR ARMS, AND FLED TO THE PAGAN TEMPLE AT KARNAIM. BUT JUDAS AND HIS MEN TOOK THE CITY AND BURNT DOWN THE TEMPLE WITH ALL WHO WERE IN IT. WITH KARNAIM OVERTHROWN, THE GENTILES COULD NO LONGER OFFER ANY RESISTANCE TO JUDAS. THEN JUDAS GATHERED TOGETHER ALL THE JEWS IN GILEAD TO TAKE THEM BACK TO JUDEA WITH HIM. IT WAS A LARGE GROUP OF ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, TOGETHER WITH THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN AND ALL THAT THEY OWNED. They went as far as Ephron, a large, well-fortified town. It was impossible to go round it on either side, and the road passed directly through the town. But the people there would not let them pass and blocked the town gates with stones. Then Judas sent a friendly message to them. "Let us pass through your territory to return home. No one will harm you, we will just pass through." But they still refused to open the gates. So Judas told everyone in the group, except the fighting men, to camp where they were.
(6) Selfishness doesn't pay. Note that that everyone takes undue wickedness meted out on people out of selfishness lightly. What would it have caused the Ephron to allow Judas, his army and the rescued ones who obviously tired to pass through their land to their homes. The didn't ask for food or shelter etc, they only asked to pass through their roads as there was no other obvious way at that time.
According to 1 Maccabees 5:50-55
The fighting men were ordered to take up their positions and attack the town. THEY FOUGHT ALL THAT DAY AND ALL NIGHT, UNTIL THEY HAD TAKEN IT. JUDAS HAD ALL THE MEN OF EPHRON PUT TO DEATH, PLUNDERED THE TOWN, AND LEVELLED IT. THEN HE AND HIS ARMY MARCHED THROUGH THE TOWN OVER THE DEAD BODIES. They crossed the Jordan into the wide plain opposite Beth Shan. Throughout the whole March Judas kept gathering up the stragglers and encouraging the people until they reached the land of Judea. With thanksgiving and rejoicing, they went up to Mount Zion and sacrificed burnt-offerings because they had returned safely without the loss of a single man. While JUDAS and JONATHAN were in GILEAD and THEIR BROTHER SIMON WAS ATTACKING PTOLEMAIS IN GALILEE...
After reading this part of this true life story above alongside the explanations, what say you? Are you still adamant to the Word of God that sheds great light into our everyday lives?
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