The Wisdom to “Foresee What Will Happen”
“THEY are a people who have lost their good sense and have no understanding. If they were wise, they would understand this and foresee what will happen to them.”—Deuteronomy 32:28, 29, Beck.
These words were spoken by Moses to the Israelites as they stood at the border of the Promised Land. Moses was foretelling a time when they would forsake Jehovah and give little thought to the consequences of their actions. During the centuries that followed, the people of Israel—including many kings—ignored God’s warnings.
Solomon, for example, knew the divine command not to marry worshipers of gods other than Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 7:1-4) Nevertheless, he came to have “many foreign wives.” The result? The Bible record states: “It came about in the time of Solomon’s growing old that his wives themselves had inclined his heart to follow other gods; and his heart did not prove to be complete with Jehovah his God like the heart of David his father.” (1 Kings 11:1, 4) Though a wise man, Solomon lacked the good sense to ‘foresee what would happen’ if he disobeyed God’s command.
What about us? We can avoid much pain if we give adequate forethought to life’s decisions. For example, Christians are admonished to “cleanse [themselves] of every defilement of flesh and spirit.” (2 Corinthians 7:1) This is wise, but many do not have the good sense to foresee what may happen if they disregard Paul’s counsel. For example, many young people pollute their bodies by smoking tobacco, thinking that this makes them look sophisticated and adult. How tragic when, later in life, a number suffer from heart problems, lung cancer, or emphysema as a result!
It is important to give serious consideration to the consequences of our decisions and actions. With good reason, Paul wrote: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap; because he who is sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but he who is sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit.”—Galatians 6:7, 8.