Bible Reading Reflection from Jonah 1-4

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

𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ 𝟙:𝟞

"So the captain approached him and said, ‘How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.’"

Do you notice how many times the word "down" is mentioned there?

3 But Jonah rose TO FLEE TO TARSHISH from the presence of the LORD. He went DOWN to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went DOWN into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.  4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.  5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone DOWN into the inner part of the ship and had lain DOWN and was fast asleep.

Ravi Zacharias humorously commented that when you flee from God your life is all down, down, down, down, and down sleeping in sin.

He seemed to be relaxing in sin secretly and silently. Somebody had to wake him up! And it was embarrassing for Jonah. He wanted to die and asked them to kill him.

If we are relaxing and sleeping in sin, God might have to wake us up. And what shame will that be, yes, suicide will look sweet. But even in that shame, if we repent and not rebel God can bring bigger and greater works through us as He did in Nineveh through Jonah.

 

𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ 𝟚:𝟙,𝟙𝟘

"Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish"

A very unlikely place to pray, huh!? If somebody can pray from the stomach of fish, we can pray anywhere and at all times, huh!? 🙂 Let's pray without ceasing as Paul had commanded us.

v10. "Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land."

Again, I will quote Ravi Zacharias, because I grew up listening to Ravi Zacharias, and at least, what I have heard his teaching on Jonah is good, excellent! 👌Unless you are offended... Ravi commented humorously that the disobedient prophet even made the fish sick and spat out! 😂

In a horror movie, we kind of enjoy watching a villain swallowed by a gigantic animal or snake, huh? In this case, even the fish didn't want to eat Jonah.

Some people said to others, "Even hell is not a place for you, you are so dumb!" 😂😂

BTW, God was not finished with Jonah yet. He granted Jonah repentance, and commitment to be faithful again. God gave him another chance. This is our God. He's also not finished with me yet! 😇🙏

 

𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ 𝟛:𝟞

"When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes."

Led by the king, the people repented. This is a heathen nation, a heathen people, a heathen king, yet they chose to humble themselves before Yahweh, the God of Israel.

What a contrast we see in the book of Amos we read just last week! The king of Israel sought to banish the prophet of Yahweh!

Indeed, God calls everyone to repent and be saved! I am also not of the branch of Israel, a Gentile, but God has reached out to me and my community! Praises be to God! 🙏

 

𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ 𝟜:𝟛

"Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

One of the revealing natures of man (Jonah) is Hatred. Jonah wants Ninevites to be destroyed. God is totally the opposite. His nature is Love. He wants Ninevites to be saved. Jonah knew that. So, he decided to disobey God so that Ninevites will keep on sinning and be destroyed. So, he preferred to die than to see Ninevites being alive!

All his attitude from the beginning till the end was basically, "I'd rather die than to see them be saved!" Yes, even after a journey to the stomach of a fish. In simple: Jonah is saying, "I want to die." Next time, when you hear people say, like that, call them, "Jonah" 😂

Do you know how did this book end again? It ended in v11, with God questioning. And where's the answer? How can a book end with a question? 😬🙄

You know what? Jonah answered God, "I want to die!"😎😂😂

This guy really wanted to die! 😂

Bible Reading Reflection from Obadiah

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

𝕆𝔹𝔸𝔻𝕀𝔸ℍ 𝟙:𝟙𝟘

"Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame, And you will be cut off forever."

God is going to punish the descendants of Esau because they didn't help the descendants of Jacob. Jacob was the younger brother of Esau. Instead of helping his brother (Israelites), the Edomites attacked them.

I remember 1Timothy 5:8, where Paul says that if anyone doesn't take care of his family members, he is worse than an unbeliever!

Let's take care of our family members. Family members are our priority! Even Jesus took care of His earthly mom!

Bible Reading Reflection from Amos 5-9

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

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟝

v4. For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, "𝕊𝕖𝕖𝕜 𝕄𝕖 that you may live".

v6. "𝕊𝕖𝕖𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕆ℝ𝔻 that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel."

v14. "𝕊𝕖𝕖𝕜 good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said!"

3 times it is repeated with a command of Seeking God. 2 times it is reiterated about the vanity of Sacrifice before God.

Indeed, what is life without God? Where is the home without God? Where is salvation without God? God is the solution, the salvation, the solace. God is sufficient. He is the ultimate satisfaction!

 

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟞:𝟡-𝟙𝟙

“And it will be, if ten men are left in one house, they will die. Then one's uncle, or his undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, "Is anyone else with you?" And that one will say, "No one." Then he will answer, "Keep quiet. For the name of the LORD is not to be mentioned." For behold, the LORD is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.”

God's Judgment is so fierce that they will not only be afraid to mention the name of God. They will not like to mention His name. In the good days, they took pride, honor, and glory to have Yahweh as their God who chose them among all (3:1-2) Now they will feel terrible to have Yahweh as their God.

Has there been a time when you don't want to say you are a Christian because of your lifestyle? Has there been a time that you don't want to let people know such and such person is a professing Christian because of his sinful lifestyle?

In this context, it's a judgment of God for their sins that will make them feel embarrassed, fearful, and hopeless.

 

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊𝟟:𝟠

“The LORD said to me, "What do you see, Amos?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. 𝕀 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕤𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕟𝕠 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣."”

Before this verse, Amos pled God to spare His people, and God relented His 2 serious judgments about to inflict upon them. What a merciful God we have! What an important role a spiritual leader has for believers!

These people didn't know that if it wasn't for Amos' intercessory prayer, they would have been destroyed. And interestingly, these people spearheaded by King Jeroboam and Priest Amaziah wanted to banish Amos from the kingdom. Well, God was not going to spare them this time according to v8.

Have you ever taken time to think about how you have been delivered from such and such situations because your spiritual leaders are interceding for you? Do you know that? Spiritual leaders are doing something miraculous that members do not know, and how often are they underappreciated, criticized, and dishonored.

Moses interceded for the Israelites, and God spared them. The Israelites didn't know that. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, they didn't know that. But Lot and his daughters were saved. And Jesus interceded for us, that's how we are Christians now.

 

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟠:𝟚

“He said, ‘What do you see, Amos? And I said, ‘A basket of summer fruit.’ Then the LORD said to me, ‘The end has come for My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.’”

This is the fourth vision. It is summer. It is the time of fruits, and they are ripened. The vision is not of delight, not of prosperity, but of the end. The end for God's people has come. As Keil and Delitzsch observed, this is not about the ripeness of the judgment, but of destruction. Judgment has been already on. It's the time for destruction now, complete destruction.

We read in Romans 1:18 that God's Judgment is already being revealed since long time ago, and the world is heading towards complete destruction someday. What manner of people ought we to be?

Evidently, v11 says that these people weren't attentive to the word of God, and by doing so, their worship was shallow and even contradictory, and their lifestyle was like that of unbelievers. They were greedy, and materialistic (business-minded); instead of being compassionate and helpful, they trampled the poor under their feet v3-6.

 

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟡:𝟚

"Though they dig into Sheol,

From there will My hand take them;

And though they ascend to heaven,

From there will I bring them down."

I've been reading the Bible consciously and consistently for over 16 years of my Christian life. And I've written even a seminary-level paper on the book of Amos, but I feel like I've never seen this verse before! Well, that's because the later part of this 5th vision of Amos is about restoration, salvation, and prosperity (11-15). So, obviously, focussing and remembering the sweeter parts. However, v1-10 is equally important to be remembered and studied well, because as much as the promise is sure, punishment is and was sure!

This verse says the Inescapability of God's Judgement. Even if one flees to hell, God will bring them up. Even if one flees to heaven, God will cast them down. No excuse. No refuge. No salvation. No escape. Neither in death nor in life. Nothing!

This is a direct contrast to Psalm 139, where David mentioned the inescapability of God’s love, neither by fleeing to hell nor to heaven. We, believers rejoice with Ps. 139, while Amos 9:2 is for the wicked!

And the book of Amos ended with a vision of judgment and restoration!

Sermon Tips from the text of 1 Peter 5:1-4

  Sermon Tips for Expository Preachers, Listeners, and Students

Bible Reading Reflection from Amos 1-4

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

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟙:𝟙

"The words of Amos, who was among the 𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕤 of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake”

𝙰𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚜:

There are literary giants like Isaiah the prophet; the Psalmist the poet; Solomon, the philosopher; Daniel, the prime minister; etc.

There is also a room for ordinary people like Amos the shepherd. This guy is a farmer (Amos 7:14).

Shepherds are the lowest job in biblical times. They are considered sinners because of their lack of 'church attendance' (Temple), tending their sheep. [However, I am sure Amos was a committed and faithful 'church member'.]

The point is God chose a man from such a profession to be His mouthpiece! Indeed, God has the habit of choosing the lowest things of this world to show the greatness of His mercy and grace, and to shame the vainglory of the world. He even chose a prostitute Rahab to be the ancestress of Jesus. No matter where we are, God can work wonders in our life.

BTW, it does not mean that all professions are pleasing to God: clearly, prostitution is not; skipping the temple is not; it just means God's grace is vast. It reaches even the lowest hell. It reaches even the greatest sinner (Saul the persecutor). It reaches even the greatest sin!

As we read the book of Amos, may Amos the farmer, Amos the animal-man gives us hope even in his proclamation of judgment!

 

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟚:𝟜

"Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.’"

In chapter 1, we see God's judgment about to come to the neighboring nations of Judah and Israel. In chapter 2, Judah and Israel were not spared either.

In fact, the indictment against Judah was not about wickedness as described against other nations. The problem with Judah was that they had forsaken the law of God and had walked away.

Sin is not only doing "bad things,” but it's also not cherishing God. In fact, all sins can trace back to not cherishing God. We love our sins more than God. For example, we love to sleep more in the morning than to study God's word. 😬

 

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟛:𝟚

"You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."

Wow! What a contrast!

If God loves only the Israelites, it will be very appropriate to say, "I will forgive all your sins and punish others." However, because of love, God will punish His love. True love corrects people, disciplines people, and exhorts people. It's because of this love, God punishes! And of course, His punishment is not to damn us, but to save us.

 

𝔸𝕄𝕆𝕊 𝟜:𝟙

"Hear this word, you 𝕔𝕠𝕨𝕤 of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, ‘Bring now, that we may drink!’"

I have a friend who had a grudge against his pastor because one day the pastor visited his hostel and rebuked them for unhygienic and disorderly living. Hmm! Boys' Hostel!! He compared their hostel to a pigsty and their living to pigs. My friend thought the pastor should not use such words or make such comparisons.

This world is interesting. Even Christians are interesting. They know exactly what the pastors should do and shouldn't do, but they don't know even how to make their beds properly.

Two-thirds of my life I've lived so far has been as a church member. I have heard and seen all kinds of criticisms, accusations, and slander against pastors. Evidently, they haven't read their Bible.

Amos is calling these women, cows. Hmm! Feminists won't be happy! Paul called those Christian who insisted on circumcision, dogs. John the Baptist called those who seek to know his theology, Vipers. Jesus went further and called those religious leaders, snakes, brood of Vipers, children of Satan, Blind, etc. Maybe, I should also start enriching my vocabulary! Just kidding. 😂

Another anecdote:

A few years ago, while I happened to be in my village going to church for the Sunday Evening service, we heard the news that 2 ZUF cadres (underground) had molested 2 girls from a distant village. My village pastor was furious and said that such people should be apprehended and chopped into pieces.

Wow! Such a violent word. I thought it was very unbecoming of a pastor. I was offended. I don't even remember what he preached that evening. Then a few years later, I read from 1 Samuel 15, that the prophet Samuel chopped Agag into pieces. Hmm! My pastor was definitely biblical in his thought. Definitely, he wasn't saying they should be butchered into pieces.  I am sure he was connecting the banality of sin and evil to that of Agag. Was he wrong to say that? I thought so. I was very offended. But now, I think he wasn't wrong. Actually, he was being biblical.

What about a person like me who got offended and didn't remember the rest of his sermon? Well, that's not his fault. Even Jesus had offended a lot of people. In fact, sometimes, Jesus refused to simplify His teachings. In John 6, He was telling them to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Many (not some) went away from Jesus. Jesus didn't back down. He even offered to His 12 chosen people to go away if they wanted.

But the 12 did the right thing. They asked what Jesus meant. I should have gone to my village pastor and asked him what he meant instead of getting offended and walking away like those many disciples of John 6.

In this world, we can't live to please everyone. We won't be pleased with everyone either.

Bible Reading Reflection from Joel 1-3

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

𝕁𝕆𝔼𝕃 𝟙:𝟙𝟡

“𝕋𝕠 𝕐𝕠𝕦, 𝕆 𝕐𝔸ℍ𝕎𝔼ℍ, 𝕀 𝕔𝕣𝕪; For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.”

Joel starts his book with a prophecy of judgment, and a call to repentance. And he ends this chapter with a cry for salvation.

𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕀 𝕠𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕖:

1. He practices what he preaches.

2. He is by far one of the holiest men of his generation. He should be one of the last people to repent, however, he is the first one who cries out for God. What a demonstration!

3. Many people curse God for adversity. In the book of Revelation, John saw people in tribulation don’t repent rather they curse God. However, Joel, like any true believer cries out to God for deliverance. So must we!

This line in Hebrew reads like this, and I love to memorize it in the original language: "𝓔𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓴𝓱𝓪 𝓨𝓪𝓱𝔀𝓮𝓱 𝓮𝓴𝓻𝓪𝓱*

 

𝕁𝕆𝔼𝕃 𝟚:𝟙𝟙, 𝟚𝟙, 𝟚𝟚

v11. "The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?"

v21. "Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the Lord has done great things."

v22. “Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green . . .”

Joel described the terrible day of the Lord which no one can endure, and yet after a call to repentance, he described the salvation of the Lord in a most comforting way, "Do not fear." And interestingly, it's repeated 2 times, and they are to the lands and animals!

There's grace, mercy, and deliverance for those who seek God. So sure, is His judgment that we may wonder whether God will ever be nice again, but so sure is His deliverance too.

A few years ago, my dad was upset with all of us for not becoming officers by now. He went away from our family gathering. The next morning, he was still upset too. And I was wondering whether this would go on forever? "Will he ever be happy again?

Also, in the last 7 years (2012-2019), I was heavily molded by God, and I wondered for 7 years what a shattered dream could turn about, and what the joy of life on this side of heaven looked like? Well, it took 7 years of drought, but in the 8th year, there was a refreshing rain of joy in a realization that "God is God, and that I am not a god."

 

𝕁𝕆𝔼𝕃 𝟛:𝟛

"They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink."

Have you ever seen such a wicked thing in your community or village? My village looks like heaven on earth when I see the sins recorded in the Bible. As of now, I feel like we, all are like angels compared to Abraham the polygamous; David the polygamous, adulterer, and murderer.

Well! BTW, before we congratulate ourselves, let's remember that no matter what the smallest sin and the biggest sin are, they all are the same in the eyes of God. And if we are so furious against "big" sins such as this, may we be furious at our own tiny sin too!

And if we wonder how could God let the homosexual revolution gain momentum in this world, let's remember God is not surprised, He has dealt with it far worse than this before. Nothing is indeed new, especially sin!

Bible Reading Reflection from Hosea 8-14

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

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟠:𝟟

For they sow the wind

And they reap the whirlwind.

The standing grain has no heads;

It yields no grain.

Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.

I love the way how it is described. Rich in pictures. Biblical authors are excellent writers.

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟡:𝟛

"They will not remain in the LORD'S land, But Ephraim will return to Egypt, And in Assyria they will eat unclean food."

The punishment proclaimed over Israel is harsh and terrible. Yet they deserved such punishment. And if God has chosen Israel from among all people, has given them the laws, has shown them the wonders, has protected them by His Spirit, and still, they have failed to live a life pleasing to God, and God has unleashed upon them a worthy punishment, what hope do the Gentiles have?

And now to reflect personally, I agree with Spurgeon that God should send me to hell for all my failings. And I agree with Paul Washer that it will still be the mercy of God even if God strikes me dead today. And yet I agree with Apostle Paul too, that if we are in Christ, who is there to condemn us anymore?

And as I think of this world, surely God will judge this wicked world, if he had judged His own people by destroying their lives, their children, their fields, their homes, and their freedom by taking them to Assyria as captives!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟚

"Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you."

In the midst of this announcement of judgment, Hosea also proclaimed what Ephraim (the Israelites) must do.

God does not just punish us. There's mercy in His judgment. There's a way of escape in times of His judgment. Those who obey God will be delivered even in the midst of judgment.

That's why even here we see the righteous commands of God. So, no matter what God will do with the wicked world (India or America), we will be delivered if we seek Him, and of course, His deliverance could be something different than we imagine!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟙:𝟠

 "How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

 How can I surrender you, O Israel?

 How can I make you like Admah?

 How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

 My heart is turned over within Me,

 All My compassions are kindled."

God's compassion for His people is expressed in human emotion (anthropomorphism)! God loves His people more than we can ever imagine. And well, it's not because His people are lovely. He loves because He is love. No matter who and what I was, am, or will become, God loves me more than anybody could ever love me.

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟚:𝟞

"Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually."

A repentant person will be a righteous person. He will turn away from his sins, wickedness, wrongdoings, and will start doing the right things, and his life will be a demonstration of love for others. And this is possible because his trust, his joy, his strength comes from God. He relies on God every day!

We are called not only to go to heaven after we die. We are called to be abundant in righteous deeds, especially because unrighteousness and oppression are all around us. May I be more kind to the Auto-drivers, Vendor-walas! May I be gentler when I talk to customer care!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟛:𝟟-𝟠

"So I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside. I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, And I will tear open their chests; There I will also devour them like a lioness, As a wild beast would tear them."

Wow! In NT, Peter compared the evil to a lion looking to devour. Here, God is more than a lion, but also a leopard, bear, lioness, and wild beast! 5 metaphors of fearsome animals. To destroy His own people.

God is love, but He is also Wrathful. Since He loves good and holiness, He has to hate wickedness and sin. I have to hate what God hates and love what He loves!

 

ℍ𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔸 𝟙𝟜:𝟜-𝟝

"I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon."

It's so satisfying to see the end of Hosea in this way. It's better than a fairy tale "and they lived happily ever after," because God will heal their apostasy.

That's the similar promise/assurance, Jesus gave to Peter on the shore of Galilee. Peter denied Christ 3 times. And Christ entrusted His flock under him three times. Could Peter fulfill that? He denied before, would he deny again, especially since Jesus would no longer be physically around? Jesus predicted the nature of his death, revealing, that Peter, from now will not deny Him anymore, will not apostatize, but will remain faithful to the point of death.

God, healing the apostasy of Israel! This God of Israel, God of Peter is my God. "He will hold me fast!"

Listen to this song: https://youtu.be/BP0dtwXWQ_M