The children had a song years ago that had a very serious lesson. I couldn’t locate the record of the singing, but here is the poem from the web, narrated by one who truly understood the lesson. It is not something being taught in our culture today, but it is a lesson we can all benefit from. “Didn’t think” is not a good alibi when we go wrong. The consequences are serious.
They Didn’t Think (words from children’s song)
1 Once a trap was baited with a dainty piece of cheese;
It tickled so a little mouse it almost made him sneeze.
An old mouse said, “there’s danger; be careful where you go.”
“Oh, nonsense,” said the mousey, “I don’t think you know.”
So he walked in boldly—nobody was in sight;
First he took a nibble, then he took a bite;
Close the trap together snapped as quick as you could wink,
Catching mousey fast there “because he didn’t think.”
2 Once there was a robin lived outside the kitchen door,
Who wanted so to go inside and hop upon the floor;
“Oh, no,” said robin’s mother, “I wish you’d stay with me;
For little birds are safest sitting in a tree.”
“I don’t care,” said robin, and gave his tail a fling;
“I don’t think the old folks know quite everything.”
Down he flew, the cat caught him before he’d time to blink;
“Oh,” he cried, “I’m sorry, but then, I didn’t think.”
3 Now, my little children, you who sing this little song,
Oh, don’t you see what trouble comes from simply doing wrong?
And can’t you take a warning from mouse and robin’s fate?
For they began their thinking when it was too late.
______________
The lesson from mousey and robin: they DIDN’T THINK!
Nor did they listen to advice!
Reality is, sometimes we, like mousey and robin, think WE know BETTER. Wasn’t that the case with the Israelites in the wilderness? They didn’t like God’s restrictions—they were able to go on their own, God’s laws just made life difficult!
Job 21:14–15 14…they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. 15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’
More than all, we don’t think of the END of our poor choices. Doesn’t the familiar proverb say it well?
Proverbs 14:12 12There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Even though we are outright rejecting God’s way for our own, we don’t see it that way. Of course it is “right”—because it is OUR idea, OUR opinion, OUR way.
Sometimes we simply react by instinct, do what FEELS right, without thinking.
Obadiah 3 3The pride of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
Not thinking. Not realizing what God has said,
Obadiah 4 4Though you ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.
We need to think FIRST. Our pride will not stand against God. Another proverb comes to mind:
Proverbs 16:18 18Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
And further from God’s prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 2:11 11The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
Fact is, we deceive ourselves. We sell ourselves “the LIE.” Isaiah saw this happening in his day, among those who set up idols for themselves.
Isaiah 44:20 20He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
Did they really think they were getting benefit? More likely, they DIDN’T THINK.
Or we think too much of what WE want without considering what God has commanded that is both the BETTER and SAFER choice. This is what God calls feeding on our own flesh, not thinking, not considering, not obeying.
Ecclesiastes 4:5 5The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
It has happened all through history.
The main thought here is not thinking in advance about the CONSEQUENCES of our choice.
What about Mrs. Lot? Remember, the angel of the Lord was on the scene, leading them to safety.
Genesis 19:17 17…[the angel] said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
“Escape for your life! Do not look behind you… lest you be destroyed.”
But when Lot’s wife heard the roar of the fire, she DIDN’T THINK about the command of the angel. The angel stated it clearly enough, and Mrs. Lot heard. But she DIDN’T THINK that seriously about the consequences of a single backward glance. It didn’t seem that much like a life-or-death matter.
She looked back, and it was all over.
What about Achan, when they were beginning the conquest of Canaan? Here again the command had been plain enough:
Joshua 6:18 18And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
This was said when they had just had a great victory at Jericho. Beside Jericho, Ai, the next city to be conquered, was a tiny place. How did that battle go?
Joshua 7:5 5…The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men… on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
Great victory at Jericho, and then.. DEFEAT!
And such a small challenge. What was wrong? Joshua took it hard.
Joshua 7:6-7 6Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
Why did we ever cross Jordan? Joshua was desperate!
God put the problem to Joshua to solve.
Joshua 7:11–12 11Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies…. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.
Finding the guilty party was not easy. But Joshua kept on until he was found. His name: Achan.
Joshua 7:19–21 19Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
What a beautiful garment! And look at the silver, and the gold.
But Achan DIDN’T THINK about the consequences. And no thought of honoring God’s command.
He saw, he coveted, and TOOK. He didn’t think? He thought enough to know he was doing WRONG, because he dug a hole in the floor of his tent, and hid them.
As a result, he and all his family paid with their lives.
Think about a similar incident with Gehazi, the servant of Elisha.
Naaman had come seeking healing from the prophet. He came prepared with a gift for the prophet:
2 Kings 5:5 5…[Naaman] took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
When Naaman was presenting these gifts to Elisha, can’t we imagine Gehazi looking wide-eyed at all that silver, and all that gold, and all those garments? And then, how the servant felt when Elisha turned them all down!
Gehazi’s head went spinning. It wouldn’t hurt his master Elisha any if Naaman gave just a little of it all to him—Gehazi! And surely Naaman had wealth, or he wouldn’t have brought all that for a gift!
Oh, can we imagine Gehazi concocting a LIE to get a few garments? And he DIDN’T THINK how wrong he was? DIDN’T THINK Elisha would find out… Elisha, who could by God’s power cure leprosy?
So what did Gehazi do?
2 Kings 5:20–22 20But Gehazi said [to himself], “…As the Lord lives, I will run after [Naaman] and take something from him.” 21So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 22And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’ ”
When Gehazi returned with his treasures and stood before his master, Elisha asked the inevitable:
2 Kings 5:25 25…“Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”
It was outright LIE #2, to cover outright LIE #1. And Gehazi DIDN’T THINK Elisha would know?
2 Kings 5:26–27 26Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing…? 27Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.
The shocking consequences of deceit. Because Gehazi DIDN’T THINK about the consequences.
At the very least we are practicing a habit we don’t want. Good reason to remember the advice of Haggai:
Haggai 1:7 7Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
In other words, THINK!
Comments:
They Didn’t Think – This is a serious problem across the world. The trend is: Don’t care, no care for others, loss of natural affection. We were warned that in the last days this would be a sign of the times. The order of the day is: “my way; I don’t care about how my way harms you.”
Didn’t think is destructive. It destroys peace and prosperity. It is also self-destructive. We can understand why none of this sort of behavior will be tolerated in the Kingdom when Christ returns, and why such a cleanup will be the first order of business.
There has been a wholesale abandonment in loyalty, a world turned against our Creator. We know we are approaching the time of Christ’s return. May it not be said by us, “We didn’t think.”