The word blame and its various forms appears twenty-four times in scripture. In a general sense, blame is the guilty responsibility concerning a matter. In Genesis chapter 43, Judah understood the necessity of taking Benjamin if they were to buy food, but he also understood the concerns of his father. Jacob already lost Joseph; he was not prepared to lose another son, especially Benjamin. With these things in mind, Judah promised his father that Benjamin would come back to Jacob alive and well. If Judah was unable to fulfil this promise, he was prepared to bear the blame forever. Later, while in Egypt, when it appeared as though Benjamin would be taken, Judah declared his responsibility for the lad (Genesis 44:10, 32).
The Lord, in His omniscience, has provided man with everything he needs through salvation and the grace that brings salvation. One might ask, “How does salvation teach sobriety?” A proper understanding of grace and salvation reminds man that he is completely inadequate in and of himself. Apart from the Lord’s intervention, man would be on a slippery slope towards the pits of hell. In his very best state, man’s righteous acts are no better than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). When a man meditates upon his salvation and the grace of God that gave him salvation, he avoids the snare of pride. He knows full well who he is and what God had to do to make him fit for heaven. He knows he owes the Lord a great debt and determines to be alert in his daily walk.
The scriptures plainly and repeatedly state that Christ gave Himself as man’s complete and only sacrifice. Yet, the New Testament proclaims that because of salvation, the believer can offer spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Peter 2:5). Before a believer can determine the complete nature of these sacrifices, he must first recognize that any such sacrifices must be made to God only. The Lord declared His jealous nature in the Old Testament when He said, “He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed” (Exodus 22:20). Though much has changed, God still demands that man’s sacrifices be presented to Him and Him alone.
Earthly parents sometimes chasten their children according to their own pleasure, but the Lord chastens His children ONLY for their profiting. In addition, earthly parents will sometimes err by disciplining their children for convenience to end the child’s inconvenience brought upon the parent. The end goal turns out to be the satisfaction of the parent rather than the sole good of the child. However, in God’s dealings with His children, He chastens for the benefit of the one receiving the chastening. He uses His chastening to help make His children partakers of His holiness. When they have done wrong, He wants them to repent (Revelation 3:19). When they have gone astray, He wants them to find correction (Job 5:17). God, as a Father, always chooses to do what is best for His children. It is always exclusively for their profit!
Man-made religions have always unwisely taught followers to establish their own righteousness. In the garden in Eden, Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves in an attempt to cover their nakedness caused by sin. Men built the tower of Babel hoping that this device could help them reach into heaven. The Bible describes man’s righteousness as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Today's passage tells of a people who went about to establish their own righteousness by refusing to submit to God’s righteousness. Man-made religions all err in the same way. They think that some work or act of obedience can somehow establish a level of righteousness that will ultimately and eventually satisfy God. Yet, the Bible points out the repeated futility of failing to submit to the righteousness of God.
