Comment: Apostle Paul’s lamentation to the Christians in Rome vividly captures the frailty of the human being in abiding to the commandments of the Almighty God. The commitment of Ananias and his wife, Saphhira, to “keep back part of the price of the land”, was a display of insincerity and conspiracy to do evil. Their end was frightening:– Acts 5:10.

Judah’s refusal to give Shelah his son to Tamar was because of misplaced fear. He too was not sincere in accusing the young woman of becoming pregnant through prostitution. in that, out of fear, he failed to give her in marriage to his son though he was grown. He said she should be punished for adultery when in fact he was responsible for her pregnancy. “Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son.” – Genesis 38:25,26.

Nebuchadnezzar’s boastful remarks in ascribing the greatness of the kingdom of Babylon to himself brought trouble to him. He was afflicted with a strange form of mental illness called “lycanthropy” – man turning to beast. (Daniel 4:30-34). We should always humble ourselves before God knowing that we are merely human. – Jeremiah 9:23,24; 1Corinthians 1:31; 2Corinthians 10:17.