No pits or stones

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

NO PITS OR STONES

Prov 26:27

27 If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.

NIV

We have just seen the truth of the silver tongued charmer and now we see that all his deceptive work to benefit himself will result in his own demise. The idea that someone who digs a pit, sets a trap, even with their smooth talk, will fall prey to their own evil plots.

Ps 7:15-16

15 He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. 16 The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.

NIV

The idea of the stone, according to our historians, was to roll a stone up to a high place in a battle and have it roll downhill on the enemy. Here as he rolls the stone up to cause harm to others, it rolls back on him harming him instead. The implications here might will give us the insight of how those who intend to harm us in anyway, will receive their reward on the last day as we all stand before God. No bad deed will go unpunished. The guilty will face condemnation of the worse kind. All their evil deeds will be judged as just that and any  pit they dig, they will indeed fall into. They will fall or rather be cast, that is thrown into the pit of burning sulfur. It might also be said that a millstone might well be tied around their neck as they are cast into the lake of fire. There is no chance of swimming to safety.

Luke 17:1-3

17:1 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves.

NIV

These are the traps, the pit or the stone intended for someone. The one who causes another to sin is the digger of pits or the roller of stones in this truth. Let us be careful not to even consider digging a pit or rolling a stone. This means we should be aware at all times how we interact with others as to not cause them to harbor ill feeling toward us, which would be sins caused by us. Harsh words, but even if we did not intend to cause them to sin, we did and this should not be. We should never be digging any pit. Certainly if or when we do cause someone to have ill feelings, or hurt their feelings either by the sin of commission or omission, when we are made aware we need to seek their forgiveness, before the sun goes down. That is not let anything stand between two people any longer than one day. We cannot harbor any ill feelings past sunset, so to speak. We should be careful to make every effort to live in peace with all people.   

Rom 14:19

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

NIV

No pits and no stones are allowed in the body of Christ or out in the world, even if we think we have an enemy. Jesus told us not to dig a pit for them, but to love them.