Troublesome Topic: Lessons from the Fins and Scales of Fish

Fins on fish are used primarily for direction. The strong tail is used for major propulsion while the fins are used mostly for direction as well as some movement in calm waters.

In the positive environment of life-giving water, fins remind us to stay headed in the right direction. If we allow ourselves to start heading in the wrong direction, we will eventually be removed from the life-giving environment and find ourselves in the environment of death and useless rubbish. We will be just like a fish out of water, thrashing around in the dust.

Scales on fish were a symbol of protection, which, when found in the proper setting, were protection against evil.

However, scales in the bad setting were the opposite, they were protection from the influence of something good. Why would someone want to be protected against something good? Actually it happens all the time. People who don’t want to submit to God often try to insulate themselves against God’s influence by adopting ideologies that exclude God and excuse certain types of behavior. Evolution is a good example of such an ideology, although there are others. When someone does not want to follow God they seek to avoid any sense of guilt, but rather than refraining from doing things that cause guilt, they justify their actions or convince themselves they are OK in doing what they want to do. These are some ways in which people actually try to protect themselves from positive influences; they live in a sin-filled environment and they want to stay there, so they protect themselves from that which is good for them.

The next lesson in the full series on Covenants is: Conclusion and Application from the Food Laws