Bible Reading Reflection from Isaiah 49-57

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (FG), a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible] 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟡:𝟙𝟜-𝟙𝟞

“But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.’ ‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.’”

"I have written your name on the palms of my hands" ever heard of that song? I think I learned that song when I was in our village, Primary School. Maybe, aunt Salome was teaching us. I can't remember exactly now. That song is taken out from this passage.

God's love, God's choosing is irrevocable. You can't even jump out from His palms. You are incompetent, too stupid, too weak to escape from His love. That's why we cannot lose our salvation. That's why we will persevere. That's why we love God because He first loved us!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝𝟘:𝟚

"Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst."

Questioning in our conversation, prayer, and communication are a demonstration of deep reflection. However, there are those who ask of ignorance and arrogance, but even the deaf and blind will recognize those!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝𝟙:𝟛

"For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song."

Spoken to the people in exile (Israelites) that God will restore them, and therefore they should be comforted. V2 lays out the assurance for it that God could create a nation out of barren Abraham and Sarah. Restoring their children to a life of prosperity and joy is the sure plan of God. Not yet fulfilled but will be fulfilled in the future, the millennium.

V1 further confirms it is to those who follow God.  Hardship and Sorrows aren't final in the workings of God, it's just a short episode; there's coming a time when God will gather His people again to live with Him joyously forever.

God formed man out of the soil; He can do it again to raise up the dead ones. And if death is the most painful thing, the resurrection will be the most satisfying thing; and that with a glorious body— no sin, no imperfection, but shall be like Him who made us. That hope is what God wants His people to be comforted!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝𝟚:𝟚

"Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion."

This is a call, in preparation for the coming Messiah! We who have Christ need not fear but as Charles Wesley sang, we can sing his hymn "Arise, my soul, arise! Shake off your guilty fears."

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝𝟛:𝟡

"And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth."

This was spoken of Christ Jesus before He was even born! The Bible has a theology of how one dies and is buried. Violent death is a sign of God's judgment. An honorable death is a sign of God's favor. Jezebel was eaten by dogs, and Jacob was embalmed. And God buried Moses. Jesus had a violent death, but not a bone was broken, and furthermore, he was buried in a rich man's tomb.

Well, after the times of the Bible, things take different ways. God was pleased with the Apostles and saints not only to let them have a violent death but even to be eaten by lions and lit up as lamps in Nero's palace!

So, don't read too much about how one dies and is buried in our times. But we love to have an honorable death and burial, don't we? Jesus was vindicated right after his death. The death of Jesus was the death of all things. Like a reboot! Taken down with special permission, special tomb, on and on...

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝𝟜:𝟟-𝟠

“‘For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’ says the LORD, your Redeemer.”

This is Yahweh. He is a consuming fire, but He is also a compassionate God. His compassion is demonstrated to us as greater than His wrath.

God is an angry God but He is a loving God as well. But for those who are in Christ, God's wrath was already upon Christ, therefore, they are the beloved of God.

The eternal consequence of any of our sins is already blotted away. We are forever forgiven. Therefore, the consequence of sin we face in this world isn't punishment but chastisement. God chastises whom He loves!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝5:𝟙-𝟚

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food."

God's grace is a free gift; we don't need to earn, and we have no ability to earn as well. God's mercy is also a free gift; we deserve wrath, but He relents to punish us, we don't need to do anything to please Him.

Look at the imagery. Especially in ancient times, lots of poor people. They are oppressed and taken into captivity.

Freely offered! Human riches (all the wealth of billionaires) cannot buy God's grace or mercy. It's impossible to earn except given, and how great is that!? We, all, the richest, the poorest, need to come to God for this grace and mercy!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝𝟞:𝟛

“Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’”

God makes no distinction between the ethnicity, origin, or status of a person; it's one's response to the word of God.

You may be poor, you may be not smart, you may be a great sinner, you may be whatever, the only thing that matters is, will you obey God?

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟝𝟟:𝟚𝟙

“‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’”

Notice how this chapter begins and ends with: Peace

The righteous, enter into peace even under oppression and death (v1-2), and the wicked never have peace (v20-21).

The sinner, the wicked, the corrupt, the guilty, never have peace in life, both here or in the life to come! While the righteous, the redeemed, the believer, the faithful possess peace both here and in the life to come.

However, what a tragedy that Christian lives with fear, worry, and guilt! God has begotten us. We are His beloved. We are forgiven. We are pleasing to Him. We are overcomers. We have sufficiency in Him. It's like a man who is begging for food outside on a stinking street when food is served on his table. Or a man who refuses to come to the stage to be crowned as champions fearing he will be hanged!

Don't live like the wicked in fear, guilt, and without peace!

Sermon Tips from the text of 1 Peter 3:8-12

 Sermon Tips for Expository Preachers, Listeners, and Students 

Bible Reading Reflection from Isaiah 40-48

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (FG), a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟘:𝟛𝟙

"Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

I am sure most Bible-reading Christians remember Isaiah 40 by this verse. Indeed, it's comforting, encouraging, and wonderful. Who doesn't want to fly like eagles? Or run and walk and never get fainted? That's for those who wait on God.

Waiting on God! BTW, look at the order.  It's upside down. Flying to running to walking, because most of our life consists of walking, a little running, and a very rare flight!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟙:𝟡

"You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.’"

First, This was said of Israel.

Second, After this writing, Israelites ceased to exist as a nation. They were tortured badly over the millenniums of years.

Third, This was said of the future, still to come.

Fourth, This will really come true.

Now, read your Bible wisely. Don't underline Bible verses just because it sounds nice to you. You need to know who the audience is, who the speaker is, and what it meant. Only after that, you can make sense [apply] for yourself.

What do we learn from this verse? Don't we see the sovereignty of God, that blessing will come out from this cursed state? Don't we see the compassion of God that He has for His chosen people? Don't we see the power of God to regather this scattered people? Don't we see the patience of God? Don't we see the faithfulness of God, who remains faithful even after millenniums of years? This is the God we worship. These attributes are true, no matter whether you are Israelites or Gentiles.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟚:𝟙𝟛-𝟙𝟜

"The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies. ‘I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant.’"

When you read this chapter, don't assume that "servant" refers to the same person. The first Servant is capitalized; it refers to Messiah.

The second servant from v18 onwards refers to Israel. And we notice the contrast between the faithful Servant and the unfaithful servant.

The picture of God in v13-14 is comforting to the faithful people of God. Justice will be served! Nobody will escape Him, not even the dead people!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟛:𝟟, 𝟚𝟝

v7. "Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made."

Why did God create man? For His glory. God created us for Him. Don't ever think you are special apart from that God created you to display His glory. We must glorify God at all times. In the end, all will; some will glorify God by their damnation that God is just, and some will glorify God by their salvation that God is merciful!

v25. "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins."

Why did God forgive sins? Remember, it's for His name's sake. God did it for Himself. Don't ever think highly of yourself or of any man. Have a big-God perspective!

Know who you are before God: small, tiny, worthless. Yet God chose to dwell among us.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟜:𝟚𝟙-𝟚𝟚

"Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

It's difficult to be a leader when the people aren't following, obeying, and listening to you. It's shameful to be a leader. God's people are worse than this but God is not ashamed to be their God. God pled them like a desperate man. God pled them as if He was the guilty one. God pled them as if He wasn't that loving. God pled them as if He wasn't a better God. Leaders do well to imitate God.

Fathers are leaders at home. Teachers are leaders in the schools. Bosses are leaders in the workplace. Elders are leaders in the family. Pastors are leaders in the church. We may be leaders in some areas and followers in others.

Godly leaders are longsuffering, compassionate, and loving. They just don't proclaim, they persuade as well. They just don't order, they beg them to do. And how terribly difficult to do that? That's why we aren't God and not godly. But we are to become like God because we are His children. Transforming day by day...

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟝:𝟡

"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands?’"

A clay never quarrels with the potter. We are the clay and the Potter is God. While human potter errs, God doesn't. While human potter makes a pot to sell, God made us to enjoy His glory!

The Hollywood movie Toy Story comes to mind. Toys were made to make Andy happy, which Woody knew well. Toys themselves find their greatest happiness in fulfilling their purpose when Andy played them. Instead of quarreling, it is to submit to God, for He is a good Potter!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟞:𝟛-𝟜

"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you."

How deep is the faithfulness, plan, and love of God for His covenanted people! Look at the word pictures described here in these two verses!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟟:𝟞

"I was angry with My people, I profaned My heritage And gave them into your hand. You did not show mercy to them, On the aged you made your yoke very heavy."

God gave His people over to Babylonians, and Babylonians were too cruel, so, God will judge them too.

When we are in a power, position, let's be merciful and kind. There's a saying, "Be nice to people around you on your way up because you will meet them on your way down."

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟜𝟠:𝟙𝟙

"For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another."

Who is the most selfish person in or outside the universe? There's only one answer to that: God. God does everything for His glory. He wants everything to glorify Him. He would send anyone to hell who refuses to glorify Him. And He will not share His glory to anyone. That's what theologians called "The Selfishness of God!"

That's one of His many attributes. That God is love, wrath, compassionate, selfish, just, merciful. Who says selfishness is bad? Who is he to say such and such is bad? God is the one who says such and such is good or bad. He is the definer, the lawgiver, the creator.

Illustration: If you love babies, you will hate abortion. And you will campaign against abortion. And those who want an abortion will say you are very unloving! Who defines what is loving and unloving?

When you live for the glory of God, no matter what people may call you, you are doing the right thing. When you live in your own way, rebelling against God's way of Christian living, that's selfish, and this selfishness is what God hates. When people want you to live long to help them; but if you don't deny Christ, the Taliban will shoot you. You decide to be shot. People may say you are selfish, thinking for yourself. That selfishness is good, wonderful, and glorious.

Don't let people define what loving, unloving, selfish, good, bad, etc. are. Know your Bible and your belief!

Bible Reading Reflection from Isaiah 24-39

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (FG), a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟝

"Therefore glorify the LORD in the east, The name of the LORD, the God of Israel, In the coastlands of the sea."

Another chapter of Judgement against the wicked. And there's a call to glorify God. No matter what the circumstances are, man must live for the glory of God who created him!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟝:𝟙

"O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness."

Chapter 25 is the good news of God's favor upon those who worship God. Notice the last line of v1. It's a plan formed long ago. God is in complete control of every event of history. He is in detail as well!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟞:𝟙𝟟

"As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, She writhes and cries out in her labor pains, Thus were we before You, O LORD."

A great insightful chapter! Found many verses to reflect upon, but this verse stands out among all!

Most of us do not know the pain of birth and will never know, but it's clear that the metaphor used here is to express the pain before God. And their cries were in vain. Have we ever wept before God in pain? Have we panted for God as the deer panted for water? Have our prayers, cries, tears reached heaven's door?

Perhaps, if we were God, we would never answer or like the prayers we normally say. Improve your prayer life! Learn to lay forth your pain, desires, and suffering before God!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟟

“In that day . . .” v1, 2, 8, 12, 13, (the first 2 verses and the last 2 verses and then in the middle). It will come. God's people always live in anticipation of the future days to come.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟠:𝟙𝟛

"And the word of the Lord will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

The word of God to the scornful sounds so simple like a nursery rhyme. It is insulting and offensive to them as if they are taught to repeat the song "A-B-C-D..." Paul called them "professing to be wise they became fools." Sinners are arrogant ignorant fools, no exception, all sinners!

Good News Translation has this for v9-10:

"They complain about me. They say, ‘Who does that man think he's teaching? Who needs his message? It's only good for babies that have just stopped nursing! He is trying to teach us letter by letter, line by line, lesson by lesson.’"

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟚𝟡:𝟚𝟜

"Those who err in mind will know the truth, And those who criticize will accept instruction."

Weeping for Jerusalem is recorded often in the Bible even by Lord Jesus Christ. Here's prophet Isaiah with great sorrow and compassion.

But then it ended with the hope of promise. And how wonderful is that!? That people will be spiritual, to know good and evil. Not only to know but to be able to discern between them and to follow the truth.

Now, Blessed is a man who discerns and listens to the truth!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟘:𝟟

"Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her ‘Rahab who sits still.’"

The people of God had the habit of relying on Egypt again and again in times of adversity, be it famine, war, or threat! God commanded them to trust Him with promises of protection, preservation, and prosperity. But their sins made them doubt the promise of God and they often came up with their own strategy—to go to Egypt.

Whenever you put your trust in anything other than God, remember to use the metaphor of Egypt.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟙:𝟙

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!"

Trouble comes that people may acknowledge that there is a God in heaven. The sooner the better it is!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟚:𝟡

"Rise up, you women who are at ease, And hear my voice; Give ear to my word, You complacent daughters."

This chapter has an exhortation for women. Three times it is addressed to daughters (v9-11). And it is said that they are complacent. Complacency is a vice; Diligence is a virtue!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟛:𝟚

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕐𝕠𝕦. Be their strength every morning, Our salvation also in the time of distress."

In this world suffering, poverty, evil, and pain will always be there. But the real people of God learn to wait on God. Sinners grumble and bark like dogs in trouble. Saints humble themselves and mourn like doves [Matthew Henry]. They look for the grace of God.

It's God who sent the Chaldean. It's God who sends the Taliban. It's God who sends coronavirus. It's God who can deliver, and deliverance is not from allies or weapons or wit. Deliverance is through calling upon the grace of God.

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟜:𝟙𝟞

"Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them."

As it was told to them, so it is to us. God's word shall come to pass!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟝:𝟟

"The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes."

A wonderful list of what will happen on that day, a future reign of Messiah. v7 looks refreshing, especially this summer! It's really cool! 😎

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟞:𝟞, 𝟙𝟚

"Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him."

Look at the taunting of Rabshakeh. A master-level insult, huh! If you want to insult people, learn from this guy! It also confirmed what God had been telling them. Not to rely on Egypt but on God.

Or look at this verse 12:  "But Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

Aram mei guai rui sachui hian kum the mei tun tho: "Ka ba se raotu khang mak mei" tuna sabam meita... 😂

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟟:𝟚𝟠

"But I know your sitting down And your going out and your coming in And your raging against Me."

God knows and prepares the wicked for the day of their destruction. There's no running away from God. Indeed, the Assyrians, though they have successfully invaded Samaria and the northern kingdom (Israel), couldn't invade the southern kingdom, Judah. It was the Babylonians. And the Babylonians wiped out the Assyrians as well!

And under Nebuchadnezzar, some citizens of Judah were allowed to live in Jerusalem, the remnants. And God preserved them. Even after the cessation of kings in the promised land, and though they were taken to captivity, God preserved them, and eventually, Messiah was born, the descendant of David and Abraham in Judah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟠:𝟙𝟜

"Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security."

Wow! So, who is the founder of Twitter? Who was the first human to ever tweet? It's not Jack Dorsey, it's Hezekiah! 😂

Hezekiah's prayer was sincere, and God had mercy upon Him!

 

𝕀𝕊𝔸𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟛𝟡:𝟚

"Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them."

Hezekiah was proud. He wanted to show off! And as the Scriptures say, "Pride goes before destruction" Proverbs 16:18.

Well, this verse doesn't mean we should never let others see our property or glory. But it just summarizes Hezekiah wasn't really a great king. Even when he was indicted, he was happy that it won't happen in his lifetime. Very irresponsible and selfish in a sense!