Bible Reading Reflection from Psalms 7-12

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

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟:𝟛-𝟝

"O Yahweh my God, if I have done this,

  If there is injustice in my hands,

If I have rewarded evil to him who is at peace with me,

  Or have plundered my adversary without cause,

Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it;

  And let him trample my life down to the ground

And cause my glory to dwell in the dust. Selah."

To many Christians (including me), Psalm 7 is known for verse 11 that "God is a just judge and God is angry with the wicked every day," however, v3-5 is equally intriguing.

We have many sins to confess, yet David, here, is not confessing any of his sins. Rather, he is asking God to punish him if there be any unrepentant wickedness in his life (cf. v12). He is absolutely sure of his integrity! Wow!

Biblical Prayers are often quite dangerous for casual professors. For instance, the "Lord's Prayer." When we pray that, we are asking God to not forgive us if we don't forgive others. If we forgive little, we are asking God to forgive us little. Also, we are praying for God to take care of us only for today, yet many often think that's for tomorrow and the future as well!

To be a person of integrity to be able to speak like David, and also to be able to profess (recite) Lord's Prayer truly is more than great!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟠:𝟛

"When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

  The moon and the stars, which You have established"

I do not have the brain of an astrophysicist nor do I have an imagination like that of Isaac Asimov, yet even a common man like me has been shown the majesty of God when one looks up into the sky.

How tiny is our world, earth, and how vast is the universe! And God chose earthlings to be His people above all things of all the planets and galaxies! Without God's choosing, we are not worth than gold or anything. So, people killed one another for this and that.

The earth may not be (actually is not) the center of the solar system or the galaxy or the universe geographically, but definitely, it is the center of God's attention. And man is the only creature of God that God has highly exalted to salvation!

When the galaxies and the animals and trees and everything praise God for His majesty, we who are above and beyond blessed ought to praise His name!

Praise Yah!

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟡:𝟙𝟘

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,

  For You, O Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You."

All good things are limited. Olympic medals are given to only the best 3. Precious stones are very rare to find. And you marry only one spouse (the best of existence) 🙂

No surprise, God's greatest gift is limited. God's love is limited. God's protection is limited. God's goodness is not unconditional, not universal but conditional!

Read this verse again!

Not everyone puts their trust in God. Not everyone calls on the name of God. Only 2 billion humans profess to be Christian. Even among 2 billion, not many call on the name of God. Only those who know "His name" put their trust in God.

And not everyone is protected. Read the verse again! Only those who seek God will not be forsaken. When I was a child, I wish I find a diamond or a lost bundle of money. I sought but never found it. Perhaps if I go to Golconda, Jwaneng, Aikhal, I will realize my childhood dream! Do we seek God? God often hid Himself from Israelites until they earnestly sought Him (Isaiah 8:17).

BTW, Theologians (particularly RC Sproul) distinguish the three different categories of God's love: God's love of Benevolence, God's love of Beneficence, and God's love of Complacency. The first two, God's love of benevolence and beneficence is universal and unconditional, which is expressed in v7-8; but the third one, God's love of complacency is limited only to believers, those who know Him and seek Him v9-10.

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟟       

"O Yahweh, You have heard the desire of the humble;

  You will strengthen their heart, You will cause Your ear to give heed."

This psalmist lives in this world and sees what's going on, and is in despair. The wicked are prospering. The powerful are corrupt. The leaders are unjust, ungodly, and unrighteous. Where is the fear of God in them? There is no God for them.

However, the psalmist being a believer contemplates the attributes of God and sees that no matter what, the wicked will perish, and the righteous (humbled ones) will be preserved by God.

He lived by sight and complained; and then after contemplation, he lived by faith!

Indeed, this world is full of horrible things. Yet, those who live by faith will see the sufficiency of God's grace in all things!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟙𝟙:𝟛

"If the foundations are destroyed,

  What can the righteous do?”

v1b-3 is obviously a counsel to David by his friends. It's to retreat, resign, give up, run away, look for an exit, escape from the trouble!

The foundation is destroyed. It's about to crumble, collapse. It's sinking. Perhaps David was told how God told Lot to escape to the mountains before the destruction of Sodom.

David's response reflects the confidence he has in God. Though the foundations be destroyed, though the world and everything in it be out of wheel, God is still on the wheel! He is in complete control. David would not escape, run away, but endure, not in fear or dismay, but in hope and assurance!

In response to the question, Spurgeon replied, "We can suffer joyfully, hope cheerfully, wait patiently, pray earnestly, believe confidently, and triumph finally."

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟙𝟚:𝟙

"Save, O Yahweh, for the holy man ceases to be,

  For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men."

This verse (verse 1) is a serious lamentation.  And how sad it is!

But the Psalmist in the following verses reveals what are the threats that he prayed to be saved from and the means to be saved from, which I am not interested to reflect upon for now.

The thought "few good men" comes to my mind. Jesus asked, "When the Son of Man returns, how many will He find people on the earth who have faith?"

In the last 2 years, churches have become catacombs. No muscle only dry bones. No fear of God only fear of a coronavirus. No baptistry only cemetery.

Actually, God is a greater threat than anything. He not only kills but damns! If the love of God does not motivate people, the threat of God will. See, the fear of a virus is more effective than the love of healthy life.

Back to Psalm. There are only a few godly people. Actually, the psalmist says they cease to exist, which is a hyperbolic expression (exaggeration) to convey there are very few left. Also implying they had more in the past!

Bible Reading Reflection from Psalms 1-6

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

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟙:𝟛

"And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

  Which yields its fruit in its season

  And its leaf does not wither;

  And in whatever he does, he prospers."

Each line of Psalm 1 is a bed of gold. Well, these days, v3 has been having a strong impression on my mind.

What a metaphor, a planted tree! Not growing on its own. Someone (God) planted it.

Growing firmly against all winds and odds of life.

Yielding fruits. What are fruit trees worth without fruits? Jesus cursed the fig tree, which btw, wasn't at its season. God will cut off the branches that do not bear fruits. A blessed man bears fruits. Btw, Tree's fruits are for others, not for itself!

Prospers in whatever he does! Joseph was! This last line is something to evaluate!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟚:𝟜

"He who sits in the heavens laughs,

  The Lord mocks them."

Whenever I think of Psalm 2, the ears of my memory always hear v12: “Kiss the Son lest He be angry and you perish;” but the eyes of my imagination always see v4: The Lord, laughing with those who laughed at Him.

Sinners mocked God. Wicked people oppressed the people of God. And some people like Stalin clenched their fists against heaven. Some people like Ehrman, Darwin, and Nietzsche want to hurt God by going against Him.

Well, God is LOL with them! What a joke (pitiful sight) puny humans are, especially when they do not kiss the Son (adore Jesus Christ)!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟛:𝟚

"Many are saying of my soul,

  ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’ Selah."

Wow! I have read Psalm 3 every single year of my Christian life, but it occurs to me as if I have seen this verse only today! This is the beginning of Psalm. Psalms 1&2, being the introduction to the whole book of Psalms. Psalm 3 is the representation of the blessed man of Psalm 1, the representation of all believers, and what a Psalm is this!

The title says fleeing from Absalom and that reminds us what a wretched man David was. And how God drove him away for his sin. What an irony! Blessed man, a wicked man?

Indeed, people said [notice the word "many"] that David couldn't be a believer, he was such a terrible sinner that God will not deliver him physically and spiritually! Indeed, David could not be possibly saved if not for v8, that "Salvation belongs to Yahweh!"

David was under intense conviction, pressure, spiritual attack, and physical attack. Yet his faith in faithful covenant-keeping Yahweh assured him peace. Notice the word "lay down and slept" He slept peacefully [like Jesus on the boat] when he was hunted by his own son and the rest of the nation.

And what does Hebrews 11 say about Faith? Faith is the assurance. We live by faith, not by works. We are assured by faith. Faith is the ally we cannot forsake.

And God answered David when many thought David was unsavable! It reminds me of another greatest sinner, Paul!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟜:𝟜

"Tremble, and do not sin;

  Ponder in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah."

A few days ago, I read a news headline about Tokyo Olympics. The organizers would like to discourage sex between athletes. And so, they build a bed made of cardboard, which can bear the weight of only one person. I thought it was interesting until I read the contents. It was not because sex outside marriage is bad, but because of coronavirus.

Whatever be that, bed plays a role in sexual immorality, Tokyo Olympics Organizers knew that. A bed is indeed a dangerous place. So, they are made of cardboard.

Now, no surprise, David mentioned Bed in Psalm 4:4.

I don't think David is talking about sexual immorality here though he had with Bathsheba. I think he is talking about a place of thinking.

A bed is a school of life. You close your eyes there and you open your eyes there. Your last thought about anything is upon there, and your first thought about anything is upon there.

David wants us to fear, hate, abominate, loathe, and tremble at any kind of sins. It's a picture of repentance to God and committing one's soul to God. Who knows whether he will open his eyes the next day or will be closed forever?

Blessed is a man whose last thought and the first thought is God. I thank my parents for teaching me to maintain that the last person and first person I talk to is God in prayer. I was able to do that until the smartphone came into my life! WhatsApp, text messages, email, alarms, etc... seem to be the last and first things many times, unfortunately!

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟝:𝟛

"O Yahweh, in the morning, You will hear my voice;

  In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."

Morning, Morning, Morning!

David is a morning praying man. Job is a morning intercessory praying man. Abraham is a morning praying man. Isaac, Daniel, Asaph, Paul, on and on, and Jesus is a morning praying man!

The church history is full of morning praying men. Wesley, Spurgeon, Brainerd, Bounds, Edwards, on and on. Even the politician William Wilberforce and the Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa. My mother, as well, is a morning praying woman.

While most are morning blanket-loving people! 😬

Would we bring back morning to our life! Would we bring back, "Early will I seek Thee" into our confession!

Lord, make us a morning praying people!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞:𝟞

"I am weary with my sighing;

  Every night I make my bed swim,

  I flood my couch with my tears."

David, a man after God's own heart panting for God. What a picture of longing after God!

Jesus used to go to the mountains to pray all night long.

No wonder there's not much power in our life, no great transformation in our life, nobody knows us. No history will remember us if we don't long after God. When was the last time spent wrestling with God in prayer all night long like Jacob, David, Moses, Jesus?

Perhaps, have never and might never. Even an hour-long prayer is so difficult for us, is it not? 😬 But it reminds us to often spend time with God alone. To take delight in God.

Or we may want to stop singing that song "As the deer panteth for the water"

Bible Reading Reflection from Job 32-42

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

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟚:𝟙𝟙

"Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, While you pondered what to say."

Kudos to Elihu for holding his tongue, holding his patience until now! But he should have remained patient. He spoke about things he didn't know about. Nobody knew, but Job came closest.

We love to talk about things we don't know. Scientists love to talk about the flood on Mars while rejecting the Noahic flood on the earth. Young people like Greta Thunderberg (actually a spoiled kid) are given an opportunity to talk about one of the most controversial things, global warming. Kids are kids. Listen to adults! Some kids are brilliant, but not all kids are.

Some donkeys spoke the word of God (Balaam's Donkey), but not all donkeys are. Don't have a donkey to tell your luck or future! Btw, some sports fans seemed to trust donkeys to predict football matches also. Crazy world! 😂

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟛:𝟛

“My words are from the uprightness of my heart, And my lips speak knowledge sincerely. Have you ever heard a conversation when somebody said to another, ‘Why don't you just shut up your mouth?’”

Well, Elihu should have his mouth remained shut! He couldn't accept that Job was right and wise (v12, 33). Yet he claimed to be upright and wise (v3, 33) What irony is this! What a joke!

BTW, isn't everything in our life like that? We often push down some people to praise others and often exalt others to despise some people.

Elihu exalted himself over Job to condemn Job. Is this Newton's 4th Law or 4th Law of Thermodynamics? 🤔🙂

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟜:𝟙𝟟

"Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One?"

Well, Elihu was misrepresenting Job. Job didn't condemn God. Job was just trying to defend that he did not sin deserving of this suffering because they were accusing him. And so, what he suffered was the doing of God (not of Satan) for which his theology had little answer. Sure, God is bigger than our theology. He will never fit into our puny theology!

BTW, till today, I have been posting about the negative sides of Job's friends, but there are many positive sides as well. And maybe I will start mentioning that from today onwards.

First, God allowed his friends to be with him, even with all those accusations. And God accepted them as well in the end after receiving forgiveness. And surely, they would remain good friends till the end, perhaps wiser, kinder, gentler, and better in theology and lifestyle!

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟝:𝟜-𝟠

"I will answer you, And your friends with you."

Elihu had concluded that he knew stuff that Job and his friends failed to know. And he expressed it in v5-8 which actually was insightful, but I'm sure that was nothing new to them. They must have known that truth very well!

That nothing we do affects God. God is so high above us. Some people challenge God, wanting to hurt God. That's like a 2-year-old kid asking you to fight. You don't fight, you just laugh at him!

Or like giving 1 rupee to Mukesh Ambani. Ambani has no time to come and collect 1 rupee from me! At the highest efficiency, man's action affects fellow man, but never God! God is not a man. He is far above!

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟞:𝟛𝟚-𝟛𝟛

"He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark. "Its noise declares His presence; The cattle also, concerning what is coming up."

Nothing in the creations of God impressed upon my mind the presence of God in the affairs of man than the rainstorm. Whenever I see lighting, its fearsome noise, the rhythm of the falling rain, the beating of the winds, I stand in awe of the mighty God.

Life stands still. Animals, birds, and even insects look out for shelter, and God watches over them. The fields and the cattle need the rain, even if a businessman and the little Johnny want the rain to go away!

It has been raining in Delhi since yesterday. And what a moment it has been!

Elihu was right in what he said, but his conclusion (condemning Job) was not accurate. He too didn't know what was going on in the grand scheme of God!

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟟:𝟞

"For to the snow He says, 'Fall on the earth,' And to the downpour and the rain, 'Be strong.'"

Elihu's point is that God is awesomely powerful! Indeed, I always see the majesty of God in the falling rain and snow!

Sometimes, I felt rain is a waste of water. There are some people, dying of thirst, suffering from drought, and scarcity of freshwater. Yet God is pouring down freshwater billions of liters from heaven to some lands where we don't want. God is indeed generous. No one is rich like Him! There is no wasting in Him. There is no depletion of resources in Him.

He owns everything. He spoke everything into existence. Whatever he says comes into existence without an ecological imbalance of nature, without disruption of society, without harming anything, rather adding riches upon riches! And this is the God who watches over all of us!

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟠:𝟚𝟝-𝟚𝟟

"Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt, To bring rain on a land without people, On a desert without a man in it, To satisfy the waste and desolate land And to make the seeds of grass to sprout?"

Have you ever thought that there would be some big forests on the face of the earth wherein man has never set his foot till today?

And have you ever wondered that in that big forest there will be gigantic trees with enormous branches bearing leaves that glee peacefully to the rhythm of the breeze?

And have you ever thought that they have been doing from the creation of the world, standing tall, beautiful like the cedars of Lebanon, declaring the majesty of God, and yet no man has ever seen it?

And have you ever thought that in that forest there would be lots of other dead trees fallen over the millennia, and some recently decaying?

And have you ever thought that under that dead fallen trees will be some leaves, and the sunlight has hardly reached them because of the density of the forest?

And have you ever wondered that in that big forest in the face of the earth where man's foot has never trampled, where gigantic trees thrive with leafy branches stretching towards heaven to praise its maker, and where sunlight has hardly penetrated the floor of the forest, and under those roofs of leaves and branches, there lay dead trees, and under there lay leaves, and under those leaves that there are some animals, such as ants! Who takes care of these ants in that forest?

Behold, awesome and majestic is our God! Let the earth tremble before Him in awe!

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟛𝟡:𝟠

"He explores the mountains for his pasture And searches after every green thing."

David Brainerd, a pious man of God, when he was in his mid-20s wrote in his diary that sometimes he wished he was an animal because animals find satisfaction in God in everything. No complaint, no guilt, no shame.

In a sense, I think it will be good to have a pet animal to teach us a lesson! 🙂

God takes care of all these amazing animals on the earth. They have been living for thousands of years, flourishing even when man-made disaster and man's appetite threaten their lives!

God can easily take care of us. And He perfectly knows and plans everything for His good purpose!

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟜𝟘:𝟙𝟙-𝟙𝟚

"Pour out the overflowings of your anger, And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low.  ‘Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him, And tread down the wicked where they stand.’"

Indeed, only the Lord knows how to humble all man truly. And He promised to do so. Man is often good at humiliating others which in turn produces a revengeful attitude. Humiliation and Humility are totally different. It's like astrology and astronomy.

Even in humiliation, there's no equal with God! It's beautiful to see proud humbled and righteous exalted. That only God knows and does perfectly!

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟜𝟙:𝟙𝟙

"Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine."

Indeed, a good question from God! Hahaha😂 That's it for today's update! 😂

God owns everything. We are His creatures created for His purpose. He can do anything He wants with us.

It's like me picking up a pencil and drawing whatever I like on paper. I can draw a picture of a skinny cow or fatty cow or strong ox. I don't expect the cows and ox to complain to me for not drawing more grass or food for them.

Or it's like a boy can do whatever he likes with his toys. He can beat the toys throw them away or sleep with them. He doesn't expect the toys to complain to him!

In fact, Hollywood gets it right in their famous movie Toy Story, where Sheriff Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), a toy of Andy said to the other toys that they are made, their existence is to make Andy happy. So, they are most happy when Andy played with them happily.

Many times, many people think God exists for us and He should give us whatever we demand when actually we exist for God and must do whatever He demands.

Hollywood has a better theology at least here, but they don't know that BTW🙂😎

 

𝕁𝕆𝔹 𝟜𝟚:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟟

"And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations.  And Job died, an old man, and full of days."

Job's suffering was relatively short in comparison to the satisfying life he lived thereafter. And perfect life is in heaven!