Short Reflection from Ruth 1-4

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

[9:00 am, 15/02/2022] S.R:

ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟙:𝟙𝟜

"And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her."

Hmmm! The saints of the past had described Orpah to be a worldly woman, and rightly so.

But I would like to present Orpah in a better light. She had every reason to go back! Even Naomi persuaded her to go back. She herself wanted to go with Naomi. Even when she left, she was with a heavy heart.

Well, sinners (too, btw) have every reason to turn their back on Christ! To become a Christian is beyond reason and is the most difficult thing. The greatest decision in one's existence!

 

ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟚:𝟙𝟟

"So she gleaned in the field 𝕌𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕝 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley."

Ruth was an industrious woman! Are there a lot of such women around?

 

ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟛:𝟙

"Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, 'My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?'"

Family members look out for one another. Blood Family. Spiritual Family. Church Family. Work Family. Political Family, etc.

Lord, do not let me neglect my family members!

 

 

[6:40 pm, 18/02/2022] S.R: ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟜:𝟙𝟘

"Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today."

I never bothered to know or memorize whose wife was Ruth (of Mahlon).

It's not that significant, but I notice it differently today.

Short Reflection from Judges 1-21

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

[0:40 pm, 25/01/2022] S.R:

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙:𝟙𝟡

'Now the LORD was 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots."

𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 God is success, victory, and fruitfulness.

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel."

A sobering reminder why there should be mentoring of younger men to be the leaders of tomorrow! In my case, I found myself mentoring those who are older than me than those who are younger than me. But I hope to see younger men soon...

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟛:𝟚𝟚

"The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out."

The Bible often describes violence in a very gruesome detailed manner. Hmm! Just something I am rethinking again! 🙂

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟜:𝟚𝟙

"But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died."

Another one, gruesome murder! 🙂

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟝:𝟚𝟠

"Out of the window she looked and lamented, The mother of Sisera through the lattice, 'Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?'"

An insight into a perspective of a woman regarding battles and war! I always love this part whenever I read this account!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟞:𝟛𝟙

"But Joash said to all who stood against him, ‘Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.’"

I think we need some courageous parents like Joash for young leaders! 🙂👍😇

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟟:𝟟

"The LORD said to Gideon, 'I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.'"

Huh! I have been misreading this account all these times (past). I always seem to have read that the 300 were those who knelt down and drank the water. 😬🤦‍♂️😂

Hmm! Thank God, I am corrected now! 😇

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟠:𝟚𝟚-𝟚𝟛

"Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian." But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.""

Something to learn from Gideon about leadership when followers are misguided!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟡:𝟝𝟛

"But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing his skull."

Killed by a random woman, what an insult it was to him! It was fitting for he was a man without honor! God knows how to avenge!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟙

"The LORD said to the sons of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines?""

God wants me to remember His faithfulness in times of trouble! Indeed, why would my soul be afraid? Forgive me, God!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟙:𝟛

"So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah, and they went out with him."

This is like Manipur's underground (insurgent group).

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟚:𝟞

"then they would say to him, "Say now, 'Shibboleth.'" But he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim."

A demonstration that humans, even people of God (yea, even godly Christians) are often crueler to their own than to the outsiders.

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟛:𝟛

"Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.""

The Serpent talked to Adam's wife. The Angel of the Lord talked to Manoah's wife. Manoah handled the situation better (and rightly) than Adam! Hmm!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟜:𝟚-𝟛

"So he came back and told his father and mother, ‘I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.’ Then his father and his mother said to him, ‘Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she looks good to me.’"

Love at first sight is after all not good as Hollywood and Bollywood portrayed!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟞

"Then Samson said, ‘With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men.’"

He seemed to praise himself for the slaughter rather than praising God for the victory! What a tragedy!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟟

"It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, ‘A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.’"

Is it really difficult to not listen to a woman? 🤔😬😂😎

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟟:𝟡

"Micah said to him, ‘Where do you come from?’ And he said to him, ‘I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to stay wherever I may find a place.’"

I identify myself with this young man to some extent for good or bad!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟞

"So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house."

I thank God that this episode is recorded in the Bible. It helps me see that God sees everything going on earth and He is absolutely calm!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟡:𝟛𝟘

"All who saw it said, "Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and speak up!""

It happened in the days of Abraham. It happened in the days of the Judges. If it happens again one of these days, it will not be surprising, and also the judgment!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟛

"’Now then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.’ But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel."

These guys are stupid. But what to do!

 

[11:42 pm, 14/02/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚𝟙:𝟛

"They said, ‘Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?’"

They prayed but didn't know what they were doing, had done, and were about to do. They were acting [professing] and probably thinking also that they were spiritual when they said this prayer, oh, what a bunch of sinners were they!

That's true for every human being. It's impossible to not sin. It's impossible to not hurt others. It's impossible to not suffer. Somewhere, someday, everyone falls. But thanks be to God for His great mercy and grace! 😇🙏

Short Reflection from Joshua 11-24

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

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟙:𝟚𝟘

“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

Wow! God hardened the hearts of the enemies that they might go out to fight and die by the sons of Israel.

God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. He perished at the Sea in his pursuit of the Israelites.

God hardened the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Christ, and the death of Christ brought Salvation to many.

Problems, Troubles, Challenges in a life of a Christian are to (allow us to) experience God in a different way. Even Job's suffering was the defeat of Satan.

May I not be dismayed nor discouraged when the tough time comes. O Lord, may I be like David, not like Saul. May I be courageous, not a coward!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟚:𝟞

"Moses the servant of the LORD and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh as a possession."

Moses is mentioned twice in this verse (and that's all in this chapter). Each time he is mentioned, he is identified as "the servant of the LORD," not a mighty man, a faithful man, or a great man of God. The world (even the churches and Christians) loves to give and receive flaunty titles.

May I make my ambition to not desire after any title than that a minister of God is an unprofitable servant just doing his duty!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟛:𝟙

"Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him, 'You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed.'"

Works are not yet done, not yet over, not yet completed! Only God is my strength and comfort!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟜:𝟙𝟚

"Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken."

An 85 years old man still fighting the Canaanites while the younger generations were living along with them. What a contrast!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟝:𝟞𝟛

"Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day."

These guys might be braver than me but they are cowards in the eyes of God and compared to Caleb. Cowardice to Conquer brought them Judgment upon the land.

Centuries later, David, a brave warrior conquered it. God made his Kingdom everlasting through his descendant, Messiah!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟘

"But they 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕤 who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers."

Cowards. Easily satisfied. Compromised. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗!😬

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟚

"But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land."

The next generation enjoying the achievement and inheritance left behind by the previous generations. They were just irresponsible and not leaving anything for the coming generation!

The adage "No pain no gain" was true, is true, and will still be true!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟠:𝟛

"So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, 'How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?'"

Another chapter, another reminder of the same lesson!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟡:𝟜𝟡

“When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun.”

After everything is done, a leader also needs to be rewarded well!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟘:𝟛

"that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood."

There will not be perfect justice on earth, but God has given us some standards of justice.

Navigating what's just and what's not is tough. When I am guilty, I want mercy. When I am a victim, I want justice. The others want the same!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟙:𝟜𝟝

"Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

What a testimony of the faithfulness of God! Sometimes I doubt the promise of God, not because God is untrustworthy but because of my failures and unworthiness!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟚:𝟝

"Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Can we be too careful? Certainly not!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟛:𝟙𝟝

"It shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you."

This verse stands out in chapter 23. What a fearful God I serve!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟘

"But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand."

I won't be surprised if some people expect or wish me to fall, and I won't be surprised if they get disappointed because of God who holds me fast!