African (Igbo) Tradition As Contained In Psalm 7

Like Jose Mourinho – Chelsea football manager would say: “There are fights that you cannot win”, especially when it appears that everything and everybody is against you.

This type of fight could come from conspirators that for reasons unknown to you initiate false charges against you. 

And since nobody is willing to plead your cause, you are thereby convicted as charged.

However, in Ome N’ala (Igbo tradition), when someone finds himself/herself in such a situation, and with a clear conscience; he takes his cause to the tribunal of Chineke (God). This process is called Iju-Ogu in Ome N’ala Igbo (Igbo traditional religion).

Iju-Ogu is very potent in Ome N’ala Igbo. But the aggrieved usually gives notice of his intention to use the instrument of Iju-Ogu to extricate himself from the charges against him. 

And in most cases, the accusers may withdraw their charges if they have knowingly brought false charges against a poor and helpless innocent man.

There are two types of Iju-Ogu: single-handed and double-handed.

The single-handed Iju-Ogu is pretty straightforward and less effective. Using this option signifies that the person may not entirely have a clear conscience. 

In this case, the man using the instrument of Iju-Ogu is not trying to clear himself of any false accusation. He is mainly complaining to Chineke (God) about an injury caused to him by a person he showed favor to.

For instance, if a debtor tries to avoid his debts because the transaction between him and the creditor was carried out on trust without witnesses; the creditor can now complain to Chineke as follows.

Chineke, as my debtor has decided to take advantage of my goodness, may he not see anyone that will do favor for him till the rest of his life.

The double-handed Iju-Ogu, on the other hand,  is a situation where the person using that instrument will first lay a curse on himself before laying a curse on his adversary.

Again, using the above debtor/creditor example, the creditor’s supplication to God will be as follows: Chineke; if I have at any time taken advantage of anybody’s goodness to me, let me not see good things for the rest of my life. 

But if I have never done that to anyone, may you (Chineke) repay my lost money. In addition, may the debtor not see anyone that will do him a favor for the rest of his life.

Nevertheless, in the above example, the creditor should be absolutely sure that his hands are clean, otherwise, the curse he placed on himself will materialize. 

If his hands are clean, Chineke will reward the creditor and punish the debtor as requested by the creditor.

In Africa (Igbo land) and before the introduction of Christianity, widows and orphans including the less privileged, use the instrument of Iju-Ogu to protect themselves from the strong and the wealthy, mostly, from forcefully taking away their properties by bringing false charges against them.

But today, African Christians preach against the use of an instrument of Iju-Ogu by their members. They call it pagan practice.

And this so-called pagan practice is very similar to David’s supplication to God in Psalm 7, when he was under attack from Cush the Benjamite. Verses 3 – 6 in particular are similar to the double-handed Iju-Ogu as it is performed in Africa (Igbo) traditional religion.

Verse 3, 

“O Lord my God, if I have done this if there is wrong in my hands,

Verse 4: 

if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause;

Verse 5: 

let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

Verse 6: 

arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment."

This David’s supplication to God is similar to the supplication of the creditor in the above debtor/creditor example.

Chineke; if I have at any time taken advantage of anybody’s goodness to me let me not see good things for the rest of my life. But, if I have never done that to anyone, may you (Chineke) repay my lost money. In addition, may the debtor not see anyone that will do him a favor for the rest of his life.

As you can see, Iju-Ogu is even in the Bible. Perhaps, it is in the bible because David was an African. I say this because some scholars suggest that Cush the Benjamite may also be King Saul since he (Saul) was equally a Benjamite. 

And Saul may have been referred to as Cush because of his (Saul) dark complexion. Cush means African.

Hence, if Saul was an African it is most certainly that David was equally an African. And that explains why David used the African instrument of Iju-Ogu to exonerate himself from the charges against him and at the same time asked God to fight his enemies.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, nevertheless, the jury is out, let’s hear the verdict.

~liberate your mind