Bible Reading Reflection from Exodus 1-10

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙:𝟙𝟘

"Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land."

It was fear, distrust, love of power that let the Egyptian oppressed Israelites. What else? Think!

Why don't you help people? Why don't you guide others? Why don't you encourage your friends?

You are an Egyptian if . . . And remember, there will be deliverance for the oppressed someday, and even now, they will not be suppressed, they will continue to grow!

Bullies and Oppressors are actually timid, weak, and low self-esteem people!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟚:𝟙𝟡

"So they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock."

Moses is a good man! He has a heart of gold.

Moses is a great man. He has a mind of steel.

Moses is an exceptional leader. He has compassion and patience with people.

He stood up in Egypt against the Egyptian. And he stood up against those Israelites who were contentious.

Even when he was forced out for doing what was just, he wasn't discouraged or giving up. He continued to stand up for the Mediante women. And he even watered their flock.

And he did deliver the Israelites from Egypt.

Do we stand up for people who are less privileged than us when they are oppressed and looked down?

Or do we try to join the club of the elites? Whom would we identify with? Moses always took the side of the lowly, poor, oppressed people. And no wonder what he became!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟛:𝟚𝟚

"But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians."

God has an interesting way of revenge! Indeed, vengeance is His!

Another interesting concept is “Asking.” It’s different from stealing, borrowing, or even borrowing. A few years ago, I watched a documentary on how to solve poverty. The economists, experts, and philosophers talked of many theories and concluded that poor people should ask and rich people should be generous. Simple as that, Ask.

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟜:𝟙𝟘-𝟙𝟙

"Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."   The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?"

Everyone is perfect for God. He made us perfectly for His perfect glory. While we see our imperfection and ask God to help us, we don't need to wail like those who don't know God, but weep like those who desire God.

As Matthew Henry said, (paraphrase): In trouble, sinners bark like dogs, and saints mourn like doves!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟝:𝟚𝟛

"Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all."

Moses hadn't expected that. God moves in a mysterious way! William Cowper [Hymn] is right!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟞:𝟙

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land."

Who can resist God? God's power is still over even the most stubborn one.

The stubbornness of Pharaoh is a blessing for us because we have seen that God can even work against it!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟟:𝟙𝟜

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go.""

Is there anything we refuse to let go? Our dream, desire, sin, habit, friendship, comfort, the pleasure of life?

God wants His people to worship Him especially when they are suffering. The Israelites were enslaved, killed, their children murdered, their possessions robbed, their rights ignored, mercilessly forced to work. Yet, God sent Moses to tell them to worship God in the wilderness [not even in Egypt].

And God, even caused them to suffer much more than before.

BTW, Letting Israelites go was difficult for Pharaoh too. Who will serve him now and work for him now?

We have many reasons why we stick to what we should let go, right? Let it go!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟠:𝟙𝟘

"Then he said, "Tomorrow." So he said, "May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God."

“Tomorrow.” Is it not flabbergasting that Pharaoh wanted the frogs to go away the next day? Not today, not now?

Imagine, what was he thinking? Imagine, what was he planning?

Why this procrastination? Why this doubting? Why this state of mind?

And think how human often does that? What about you and me?

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟡:𝟚𝟘-𝟚𝟙

"The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; but he who paid no regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field."

Not only the Pharaoh, but the Egyptians were stubborn.

There were some who feared God, but the narrative presented them to be those who were not paying attention to the work of God. And the Israelites as those who listen to Moses.

Same message, same plague, same country, but different group of people: those who listened to and those who didn't listen to Moses, no matter the ethnicity!

 

𝔼𝕏𝕆𝔻𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟘:𝟚𝟠

"Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!"

So, Pharaoh couldn't bear the torture of Moses anymore. But he was a fool, he would be calling back Moses as a loser and finally perish in the Red Sea! “It's hard to kick against the goads” Saul of Tarsus will learn a millennium after.

It's stupid to get angry with God. Job was right, his wife was a fool!

Bible Reading Reflection from Genesis 41-50

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟜𝟙:𝟜𝟝

"Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt."

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were very determined to marry their own people. Later, Moses instructed them to avoid intermarriage.

Here, Joseph married a daughter of a priest of a false god! Hmm!

There are some exceptions in the Bible like that for some things, also like Balaam's donkey talking, etc. However, exceptions are not the rule.

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟜𝟚:𝟚𝟙

"Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us."

Their sin haunted them! Sin always haunts us especially in the days of our adversity. That's one of the many reasons why we should live a godly life.

When something bad happens to us, it's natural to think or question if it has anything to do with the sins committed before.

It could be, or maybe not, but it robs away our joy, peace, and even hinders us from earnest and fervent prayers because it fills us with guilt, shame, and fear!

Mortify sin!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟜𝟛:𝟚𝟟

"Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"

Joseph indeed loved his father. Do we love and care and have concern for our father as Joseph did? Furthermore, Joseph must have learned about his father’s condition more accurately from Simeon the prisoner! BTW, Of course, he knew they still had a good gene to live long! [His ancestors lived long]. Love cares to know!

 

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤 𝟜𝟜:𝟛𝟛

"Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers."

Judah offered to be a slave to free his brothers.

No wonder, why Jesus was a descendant of Judah!

 

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤 𝟜𝟝:𝟠

"Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt."

Almost every time Joseph opened his mouth, he mentioned God, even when he was testing his brothers. This guy is full of the doctrine of God, theologically called Theology Proper: Study of the doctrine of God.

The Sovereignty of God is his breath of life. RC Sproul should have named his son Joseph. 😂

 

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤 𝟜𝟞:𝟛𝟘

"Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.’"

Jacob was so satisfied to see his choicest son alive to the point he is ready to die. Well, God restored that peace he had lost for a long, long time. Jacob the deceitful guy was graciously blessed by God in an amazing way he had not even dreamt of before!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟜𝟟:𝟚𝟜

"At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones."

No Indian will like Joseph. Indians love freebies.

Even when there was a natural disaster, Joseph didn't give out for free.

Even when they were starving, they were made to sell their lands, houses, and themselves. Hmmm! Freebies???

And Joseph's wisdom and generosity are shown in allowing them to retain 80 percent of their work, but to pay 20 percent to Pharaoh.

Indians struggle to pay taxes and tithes.

Joseph is not our man. We would want to lynch him! 😬

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟜𝟠:𝟝

"Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are."

Let's test your Bible Knowledge:

Q1. How many tribes of Israel were there?

Q2. How many Apostles were there?

Answers: 13 tribes of Israel and 13 Apostles.

Who were they?

And so, Jacob's word became reality to the extent that Joseph’s children are mightier than the rest. And the kingdom Israel is often called the Ephraim!

 

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤 𝟜𝟡:𝟛𝟛

"When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people."

What a way to die! Fully in control (or at least is conscious of). Said everything he wanted — words of blessing.

No pain, no complaints, no sickness, no threats, no regrets, no unfulfilled desires, no surprises, no fear.

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟝𝟘:𝟙

"Then Joseph fell on his father's face, and wept over him and kissed him."

Do I love my father as Joseph did? It's not a reflection but a conviction I have been having for some time.

I see how ungrateful and unloving are children towards their parents!

BTW, this is the third time I've read through the book of Genesis in the last 7 months!

 

 

 

Bible Reading Reflection from Genesis 31-40

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟙:𝟜𝟚

"If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night."

Certainly, you won't like to have Laban as your father-in-law. A selfish, greedy, irresponsible, reckless, and profligate man. Jacob endured him for 20 years. Sons-in-law may need to learn a lot from Jacob.

Jacob was protected, preserved, and prospered by God. Jacob saw the faithfulness of God in the life of his father, Isaac. Also, the faithfulness of Isaac towards God was what helped him to endure Laban. God intervened in the affairs of Laban and Jacob, warning Laban while saving and prospering Jacob!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟚:𝟚𝟞-𝟚𝟠

"Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."

Have you spent praying all night and prevailed like Jacob? Or spent fasting day and night till your prayers were answered, or till God opened your eyes to see something?

Jacob is a patriarch because he was such a man. He wrestled against all, even against God, and God let him win!

We are a bunch of lazy, weak, and timid people, right? 😬 Bunch of cowards. ☹ We love to talk about Jacob's deceit, but hardly about this virtue.

We are different from God, in that, God overlooked his deceit and blessed him! Jacob is far, far righteous than us! 🙂

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟛:𝟠

"And he said, "What do you mean by all this company which I have met?" And he said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord."

Perhaps, Jacob won Esau's favor by his trick again. At the least, he persuaded Esau to receive the gift anyway!

We may need a person like Jacob who can really persuade others, nah? And how sad when it's to cheat, deceive others; but how pleasant when it is to bring peace, harmony, and unity!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟜:𝟚𝟜

"All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city."

The people followed the leader for their selfish interests. They wanted the favor of the leader. They wanted the properties of Jacob. It's a deal they don't want to refuse [Godfather’s dialogue 😎].

And they were all rightly punished!

If a politician or bureaucrat is corrupt, it's likely his supporters and followers are as well. And they shall be thrown out altogether.

That's why let's make our practice not to associate with people of blemish character!

 

𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤 𝟛𝟝:𝟚

"So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments."

How God hates idols! Some idols were to have good luck. Some idols were for prosperity. Some idols were for fertility, etc. It's like Hindus who have different gods and goddesses for different desires.

They must trust God for everything. Well, when we put our trust in other things than God for anything, we are equally guilty as the Israelites. And remember how God hates them [foreign gods]!

We put our trust in money, degrees, jobs, this and that. Well, we must trust one another, but our trust has gone corrupt to the extent of forgetting to trust God. God is the one who upholds us!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟞:𝟞

"Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob."

Esau was perhaps a good man. Instead of driving his brother away, he decided to move away.

Or was it because Esau saw Edom as a much better place, and Jacob persisted to endure in Canaan no matter what because it's a promised land?

Perhaps, the first one. Let's give credit to Esau at least in this! 🙂

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟠:𝟚7

"Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver."

First, God prevented his death by putting him in a pit that had no water. He wasn't drowned to death.

Second, God prevented his death by selling him to be a slave. He wasn't starving to death!

No trials, no temptations, no schemes of hell, no hatred of man, no policies of government can thwart the plan of God. The choicest son of Jacob is destined to be the choicest son of the land by God.

The schemes of Satan, his brothers, etc. and etc. turned the choicest son into a despised slave. Whom God is after, often, the devil is after; but God will win, and the man though he suffers will endure!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟠:𝟚𝟜

"Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!"

Judah wanted to burn Tamar for being unfaithful to the marital law. However, he himself had refused to fulfill it by not giving his son. He thought it was okay for him, but not for her! Hypocrite! Double standard. Double life. Evil. Wicked.

But he was shown his color by Tamar. And Tamar was not only vindicated, but God blessed her! Evangelist Matthew inducted her in the hall of the ancestry of Jesus Christ, the great Redeemer.

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟛𝟡:𝟡

"There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?"

Joseph's doctrine of God's sovereignty is what keeps him holy and godly.

His doctrine of sin is what makes him abhor sin.

His doctrine of sanctification is what makes him overcome temptation.

His doctrine of a high view of sexuality and marriage is what makes him flee away!

Watch your doctrine lest you fall!

 

𝔾𝔼ℕ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝕊 𝟜𝟘:𝟚𝟛

"Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him."

Notice the two important words, "Yet" and "but"

How sad! "How can you/he do this to me?" we would ask.

Forgetfulness! May we remember that!

My grandfather said years ago that “forgetfulness is a demonstration of Unlove.”

Don't forget!